"[4] Allen never missed a day of work in 34 years.[6]. Columbia Pictures bought the film rights to Allen's life story, and he was invited to Obama's inauguration, where he commented, "That's the man...Whew, I'm telling you, it's something to see. Eugene Charles Allen - Scottsville Museum, "Eugene Allen, White House butler for 8 presidents, dies at 90", "Eugene Allen: White House butler who worked for eight US presidents", "The True Story of The Butler: Fact vs. Fiction in Lee Daniels' The Butler", "White House Workers: Traditions and Memories", "No, President Obama isn't doing a cameo in 'The Butler, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eugene_Allen&oldid=999142687, Wikipedia articles with PLWABN identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 8 January 2021, at 18:12. He got a personal invitation to the funeral. [6] He retired in 1986. Wil Haygood, “Eugene Allen, White House butler for 8 presidents, dies at 90,” Washington Post. "White House butler Eugene Allen's humility recalled at funeral", Washington Post, April 9, 2010. Allen was married to his wife, Helene, for 65 years. Allen received a … Eugene Allen was born on a Virginia plantation in 1919 and spent much of his early life working as a waiter at various whites-only establishments in the South. Eugene Allen represented, as journalist Wil Haygood wrote, “a story from the back pages of history. EUGENE ALLEN DIED IN MARCH 2010, AT THE AGE OF 90. He started in the White House in 1952 as a "pantry man", a job which involved basic tasks such as dish washing, stocking and cleaning silverware. He began working at the White House in 1952. He served eight presidents of the United States. WASHINGTON (AP) — Eugene Allen, a White House butler who served presidents from Harry Truman through Ronald Reagan, died Wednesday in Takoma Park, Md. Eugene Allen’s life is the focus of the 2013 film The Butler, directed by Lee Daniels, and starring Forest Whitaker as the title character and Oprah Winfrey as his wife. It placed Allen's life in the context of changing race relations and the personalities of the presidents he'd served. [7], The story had an immediate impact. Allen reflected on one of his favorite memories, where First Lady Betty Ford stated at President Ford’s birthday party, “It’s Gene’s birthday too!”10, Allen dutifully served in the White House while also sharing personal bonds with several of the presidents and their families. [1] He worked as a waiter for many years, in "whites-only resorts and country clubs", including The Homestead resort in Hot Springs, Virginia, and a club in Washington.[4]. 7. For the president, you changed your appointments.”15, President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush mailed a letter of condolence after Allen’s wife Helene passed away on the eve of the election of President Barack Obama.16. In 1957, his best friend, Eugene Allen, who worked as a White House butler, asked whether he would like a job there. He said, 'I've got to go back to work.' Eugene Allen served in the White House for 34 years. [7] Reagan invited Allen and his wife Helene to a state dinner in honor of Helmut Kohl at the White House. "[5] He was invited to the funeral, but chose to stay at work to prepare for the reception, because "Someone had to be at the White House to serve everyone after they came from the funeral. Allen was born in 1919 on a plantation farm near Scottsville in central Virginia.1 During his youth, he worked as a waiter at a resort in Virginia and at a country club in Washington, D.C.2 He met his wife Helene at a party in 1942 and they married soon after. Assisting eight presidents, Allen’s top priority was to make the White House a comfortable residence for each chief executive and his family. [8] He and his wife had intended to vote for Barack Obama in 2008, but she died the day before the election, on November 3. You can learn more here: http://time.com/2219/what-the-butler-really-saw/. But then he got up and put his coat back on. Kevin Clark / The Washington Post / Getty Images. Eugene Allen, the real-life White House butler that inspired the hit film, "The Butler," was happy to see President Barack Obama elected as the nation's first black president, his son said. The special times he shared with the presidents and their families reveal the daily life at the White House amidst these historic chapters of the United States.18. Allen was the first White House butler ever to be invited as a guest to a state dinner. The man in the kitchen.” Eugene Allen, who endured a harsh and segregated upbringing in his native Virginia and went on to work for eight presidents as a White House butler, died Wednesday of renal failure at Washington Adventist Hospital in suburban Takoma Park, Md. At first, he though nothing of it, recalling, “I wasn’t even looking for a job, I was happy where I was working.” However, after meeting with th… In 1816, Commodore Stephen Decatur, Jr. and his wife Susan moved to the nascent capital city of Washington, D.C. With... First Lady Lou Hoover's invitation to Jessie L. DePriest to a White House tea party in 1929 created a storm of... For more than two centuries, the White House has been the home of American presidents. The only time Allen spoke regarding the Vietnam War was when President Johnson asked him if his son was still alive.9, President Gerald R. Ford and Allen also shared their birthday, July 14. Wil Haygood, The Butler: A Witness to History. The movie is inspired by Eugene Allen, a real White House butler who started in 1952 with Harry Truman when he couldn't use white bathrooms in the South. [3], Allen was born in Buckingham County, Virginia and raised on Shirland Farm near Scottsville. They had one child—a son, named Charles.3 Allen first heard about a job opening at the White House in 1952 and decided to meet with Alonzo Fields, who served as White House maître d’.4. What are some interesting facts about presidents and first ladies? November 7, 2008. He visited former President Eisenhower at his home in Gettysburg after his administration.11 After the assassination of President Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy presented Allen with one of the president’s ties. Public History Fellow. New York: Atria Books, 2013. Several hundred people packed a funeral service Thursday at Greater First Baptist Church on 13th Street NW to celebrate Allen's life and the national narrative he embodied. Friday April 2, 2010. Eugene Allen experienced crucial moments in American history during his time at the White House. Allen passed away on March 31, 2010, in Washington, D.C., at the age of 90. Eugene Allen represented, as journalist Wil Haygood wrote, “ … Eugene Allen, who endured a harsh and segregated upbringing in his native Virginia and went on to work for eight presidents as a White House butler, died March 31 of renal failure at Washington Adventist Hospital in … Animals -- whether pampered household pets, working livestock, birds, squirrels, or strays -- have long been a major part of... White House staff who lived at the President’s House during the nineteenth century, including enslaved and free African Americans, us... What is it like to live at the White House? He worked for the White House for 34 years until he retired in 1986. Toward the end of Allen’s career working as a butler at the White House, First Lady Nancy Reagan invited Allen and his wife to attend a State Dinner, as guests, in honor of West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl in October 1986.13. Eugene Allen's was one of them. And she’d get supper going afterward...On Monday Helene had a doctor’s appointment. The Historic Stephen Decatur House. Eugene Allen with Ronald and Nancy Reagan. He was all alone. According to his son, "My father came home late on the day that President Kennedy had been shot. She’d lean on her cane with one hand, and on him with the other, while walking down to the precinct. "[4], Allen and other workers who served presidents were featured in a 32-minute documentary, Workers at the White House, directed by Marjorie Hunt and released on a 2009 DVD, White House Workers: Traditions and Memories by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.[10]. He was later invited to the inauguration, which he attended with his son Charles, his daughter-in-law Ortaciana and author Wil Haygood on January 20, 2009. Allen's life was the inspiration for the 2013 film The Butler. They met at a birthday party in Washington in 1942, and married a year later in 1943. Columbia is bringing the story of Eugene Allen, a black man who served as a White House butler for 34 years, to the big screen. Allen finally attained the most prestigious rank of butlers serving in the White House, Maître d'hôtel, in 1981, during the presidency of Ronald Reagan. Hamil R. Harris, “First Lady Honors White House Workers: School Event Teaches Children of Devotion,” Washington Post. Eugene Allen was born in 1919 in the town of Scottsville on a Virginia plantation and grew up during the horrific time of Southern segregation. Eugene Allen (July 14, 1919 – March 31, 2010) was an American waiter and butler. In the end, Eugene Allen, a White House butler who lived a life behind the scenes of history, was the subject of wide acclaim. But in the hallway, he fell against the wall and started crying. Wil Haygood, “A Butler Well Served By This Election,” Washington Post. On January 20, 2009, Allen attended Obama's inauguration with … Eugene Allen’s 2010 obituary He was in the White House kitchen the day JFK was slain. Allen died of renal failure Wednesday at a … Despite the loss of his wife the day prior, Eugene went and placed his vote the following day. Making Connections in the President's Neighborhood, Pulling Back the Curtain on the Executive Mansion, Bethany Nagle February 16, 1995. Eugene and Helen Allen were married for 65 wonderful years before Helene passed away on November 3, 2008, on the eve of the 2008 historic election of Barack Obama as U.S. President. A figure in the tiniest of print. When Allen retired in 1986, he had served the White House as a pantry man, butler, and maître d’.14 During his retirement, first families remained in contact with Allen and his family. The couple had been married 65 years. Allen discussed the importance of his job, saying, “It never snowed too deep or rained too hard for you not to go to work every day. Allen received a VIP invitation to Obama’s inauguration with a Marine guard escort. Eugene Allen serves First Lady Nancy Reagan and guests at a gathering in the Red Room. He was 90. The movie, “The Butler,” was inspired by Allen’s story. He was 90. Eugene Allen (Scottsville, 14 de julho de 1919 — Takoma Park, 31 de março de 2010) [1] foi um garçom e mordomo americano que trabalhou para o governo dos EUA na Casa Branca por 34 anos até se aposentar como mordomo em 1986.. A vida de Allen foi a inspiração para o filme de 2013 The Butler. Eugene Allen (July 14, 1919 – March 31, 2010)[2] was an American waiter and butler who worked for the US government at the White House for 34 years until he retired as the head butler in 1986. It ended with the story of how the couple intended to vote for Obama together but Helene died just before the election, They talked about praying to help Barack Obama get to the White House. Eugene and Helene both supported Barack Obama, but Helene died the day before Obama won the 2008 presidential election. Lee Daniels' upcoming film The Butler was inspired by the life of Eugene Allen, who worked in the White House as a pantry worker, butler, and later maître d’ for eight Presidents from the Truman to Reagan administrations. He attended the ceremony with his son, Charles, and Haygood. This made him privy to private conversations and debates regarding African American rights. Eugene Allen attends birthday party for John F. Kennedy Jr. and Caroline Kennedy in 1962. Wil Haygood, “Eugene Allen, White House butler for 8 presidents, dies at 90,” Washington Post. A figure in the tiniest of print. He was 90 and lived in Washington. Although he lived to see Barack Obama achieve the highest office, as a boy Eugene Allen knew the infamy of segregation. Eugene Allen, a White House butler who served presidents from Harry S. Truman through Ronald Reagan, has died. Allen cherished this memento by having it framed and hung in his home.12 Allen and his wife received many photos, letters and Christmas cards throughout the years from both former and current presidents. “I woke up and my wife didn’t,” he said later. Thousands of Images covering the History of the White House, Official White House Ornaments, Books & More, witness some of the most pivotal movements. Eugene Allen at President Obama's inauguration on January 20, 2009 as a VIP guest. 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