List of Oval Office desks


have used six different desks in the Oval Office, their executive office. The Resolute desk has been used by all U.S. presidents since 1977 with the exception of George H.W. Bush's C&O desk, and other past presidents have used the Theodore Roosevelt desk, the Hoover desk, the Johnson desk, and the Wilson desk.
The first Oval Office was constructed in 1909, rebuilt after a 1929 fire, and demolished in 1933. The current Oval Office was completed in 1934.
The Theodore Roosevelt desk has been used by seven presidents in the Oval Office, making it the longest-serving desk. Prior to that, it was used by Theodore Roosevelt in his non-oval executive office from 1903 to 1909.
The C&O desk was used in the Oval Office for one four-year term, 1989–1993, making it the shortest-serving desk.

The Oval Office

The current oval-shaped Oval Office is the second iteration of this room and is the official office of the President of the United States. It is located in the West Wing of the White House complex. The Oval Office desk sits in front of the south wall which is composed of three large windows.
President William Howard Taft constructed the first permanent West Wing to the White House, intending it to be the hub of his administration. Designed by Nathan C. Wyeth and completed in 1909, this wing included the first official Oval Office. On December 24, 1929, during President Herbert Hoover's administration, a fire severely damaged the West Wing. He reconstructed the part of the White House affected, including the Oval Office, reopening them later in his presidency.
Dissatisfied with the size and layout of the West Wing, President Franklin D. Roosevelt engaged New York architect Eric Gugler to redesign it in 1933. Gugler's most visible addition was the expansion of the building eastward for a new Cabinet Room and Oval Office. The modern Oval Office was built at the West Wing's southeast corner, offering Roosevelt, who was physically disabled and used a wheelchair, more privacy and easier access to the residence. Roosevelt and Gugler devised a room architecturally grander than the previous two rooms, with more robust Georgian details. Rather than a chandelier or ceiling fixture, the room is illuminated by light bulbs hidden within the cornice that "wash" the ceiling in light. Construction of the modern Oval Office was completed in 1934.

The desks

Chronology


  1. Oval Office Desks
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PresidencyPresidentDates in officeDesk
27William Howard TaftMarch 4, 1909 – March 4, 1913Theodore Roosevelt desk
28Woodrow WilsonMarch 4, 1913 – March 4, 1921Theodore Roosevelt desk
29Warren G. HardingMarch 4, 1921 – August 2, 1923Theodore Roosevelt desk
30Calvin CoolidgeAugust 2, 1923 – March 4, 1929Theodore Roosevelt desk
31Herbert HooverMarch 4, 1929 – March 4, 1933Theodore Roosevelt desk
31Herbert HooverMarch 4, 1929 – March 4, 1933Hoover desk
32Franklin D. RooseveltMarch 4, 1933 – April 12, 1945Hoover desk
33Harry S. TrumanApril 12, 1945 – January 20, 1953Theodore Roosevelt desk
34Dwight D. EisenhowerJanuary 20, 1953 – January 20, 1961Theodore Roosevelt desk
35John F. KennedyJanuary 20, 1961 – November 22, 1963Resolute desk
36Lyndon B. JohnsonNovember 22, 1963 – January 20, 1969Johnson desk
37Richard NixonJanuary 20, 1969 – August 9, 1974Wilson desk
38Gerald FordAugust 9, 1974 – January 20, 1977Wilson desk
39Jimmy CarterJanuary 20, 1977 – January 20, 1981Resolute desk
40Ronald ReaganJanuary 20, 1981 – January 20, 1989Resolute desk
41George H. W. BushJanuary 20, 1989 – January 20, 1993C&O desk
42Bill ClintonJanuary 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001Resolute desk
43George W. BushJanuary 20, 2001 – January 20, 2009Resolute desk
44Barack ObamaJanuary 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017Resolute desk
45Donald TrumpJanuary 20, 2017 – PresentResolute desk