Duke at the White House, 1931

Did he meet President Hoover?

supplement to
The Duke – Where and When
A Chronicle of Duke Ellington's Working Life and Travels

• Ellington visited the White House October 1, 1931 to meet with President Herbert Hoover.
  
  
• Biographers Hasse and Cohen say Hoover refused to meet Ellington but contemporary reports suggest otherwise.
  
  
• 
  Ellington and
  Welcome Home Committee members at the White House
  Click to Enlarge
  In any event, Ellington, a "Welcome Home Committee" of Mrs. E. F. McCarroll, Elrita Skinner (wife of C. Lucien Skinner), Rev. Olden, J.A.G. Lavalle, James Mills and Mills Music's Sam Fleishnick were photographed together on the steps of the White House. Duke also posed by himself for another picture. The solo picture was printed in The Afro-American 1931-10-10 under the heading "Hoover Ducks the Duke" and was used in an advertisement in the same edition for the October 12 benefit. The group photo was published in several newspapers, including Washington Daily News 1931-10-02 which cropped Fleishnick out and whose caption establishes the date, saying "This picture was taken on the steps of the White House yesterday..."
  
  
• While some papers said Duke was invited to meet the President, the meeting appears to have been requested or arranged by C. Lucien Skinner,with the assistance of The Reverend J. C. Olden, "an occasional advisor to Hoover on race matters." On September 30, Skinner telegraphed the President's personal secretary Lawrence (Larry) Richey to follow up his request the previous week to have Ellington presented to the President.
  
  
• The Pittsburgh Courier, 1931-10-03:
  Duke's Home Town Pays
  Him Fine Tribute As
  He Returns With Band
  "Rhythm King" to Be Guest of President Hoover At the
  White House

  By STAFF CORRESPONDENT
  (Special to The Pittsburgh Courier)
  New York, Oct. 1–The nation's capital is the home of Duke Ellington.,,
     His triumphant homecoming into Washington last Saturday was one of the greatest demonstrations ever accorded a member of our racial group.
     J. Finley Wilson, grand exalted ruler of the Elks, headed the reception committee, along with Garnett C. Wilkerson, assistant superintendent of the public schools of the District of Columbia, who was the principal of Armstrong High School, of which the Duke was a student, met their distinguished guest... with open arms...Union Station has never opened its staid walls to a more welcome visitor.
     ... Ellington, familiarly known as the "Duke of Wails," will never forget this memorable visit Home, as on this occasion he will be a special guest of President Herbert Hoover at the White House...
  
  
  
• While there is no entry in Hoover's diary about the meeting, the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum archivist advises they met. He wrote that informal visits of dignitaries with the President were not entirely unusual and he has seen a number of cases where folks dropped in more or less informally, often in the middle of the afternoon when the President was at work.
  
  
• In DEMS 02,2-19, Steven Lasker dated the visit October 2, 1931 based on Melody Maker, November 1931, p.907. Stratemann says it was the week of October 10 to 16, based on the photo caption in The Afro-American 1931-10-24 p.23, which says it was taken "last week." Vail I dates it the week of October 10 to 16 as well, without naming its source (probably Stratemann).
  
  
• The Gazette, Cleveland, Ohio, 1924-10-10 printed the uncropped group photo, saying (emphasis added)

  WHERE'S HOOVER'S PICTURE?
  As Usual the President "Sidestepped" Being Photographed With Visitors of Color.
    Washington, D. C.–During his recent engagement here, Duke Ellington ...was invited to call at the White House and meet President Herbert Hoover. Duke is said to be our first entertainer ever to be received by the chief executive of the nation.
    The above photograph was taken on the steps of the White House just after Duke met the president. In the front row are ...

  
  
  
• The Chicago Defender (emphasis added):

  During his recent engagement in Washington, D.C. Duke Ellington was invited to call at the White House and meet President Herbert Hoover...A photograph was taken on the steps of the White House just after Duke met the president...

  
  
  
• The Afro-American 1931-10-10 p.9 (emphasis added):

  Looking at the Stars
  Mr. Hoover Meets a King of Jazz. Is the Creator of Acts Entitled to Protection?
  by RALPH MATTHEWS
  HOOVER MEETS THE DUKE
  To the white house [sic] last week marched Jazz King Ellington, accompanied by Washington's "Welcome Home" Committee. Mr. Hoover ... had his first chance to shake hands with a man who holds the title of duke and king at the same time.
  ...In keeping with his policy President Hoover was too busy to pose with the group on the White House steps. He was not too busy, however, a few weeks ago, to pose with Songwriter George M. Cohen, white... Hoover has covered more than half his term and his record of never posting with a colored delegation is still intact...

  
  
  
• The Afro-American 1931-10-10 p.12 photo caption:

  Hoover Ducks the "Duke"
  WHERE IS HOOVER?–Many ordinary people have been refused the pleasure of posing with the President, but this time it is the "Duke." All efforts made by Ellington's managers failed, and thus you see the Duke all alone on the White House steps. Hoover has his first time yet to pose with a colored individual or delegation during his term as President.

  
  
  
• The Topeka Plaindealer:

  During his recent engagement in Washington, D.C. Duke Ellington was invited to call at the White House and Meet [sic] President Herbert Hoover. Duke is the first colored entertainer ever to be received by the chief executive of the nation.

  
  
  
• The Afro-American 1931-10-24 p.23 also printed the uncropped photo under the headline "When the Duke Met Hoover" is captioned

  Duke Ellington the creator of jungle jazz, is seen in the center of a "Welcome Home Committee which carried him to the White House to see President Hoover when the Duke played his old home town (Washington) last week.

  . (Stratemann interpreted this to say they met, but the caption doesn't actually say so.
  
  
• The Billboard 1931-10-17:

  Duke Ellington Meets Hoover
  WASHINGTON, Oct. 10–Duke Ellington received the thrill of a lifetime last week while playing an engagement at the Howard Theater here. The Duke received an invitation to visit the White House and shake the hand of President Herbert Hoover. The Harlem jazz maestro made the visit, accompanied by a group of colored notables.

  
  
  
• The photos were apparently taken by press photographers invited by Skinner (see correspondence herein). Whether or not it was Hoover's policy not to be photographed with visitors, there was some concern over the possible use of the photos. Skinner bought 25 copies of one for Ellington. Steven Lasker advises it was used in the 1933/34 Mills Dance Orchestras Inc. advertising manual for DUKE ELLINGTON and His Famous Orchestra.
  
  

Sources:

• The Washington Daily News
  Washington,D.C.
  1931-10-02 p.3
• The Pittsburgh Courier
  Pittsburgh, Penn.1931-10-03, s.2 p.8
• The Gazette
  Cleveland, Ohio
  1931-10-10 p.
• The Topeka Plaindealer, Topeka, Ks.
  1931-10-16 p.3
• The Chicago Defender
  Chicago, Ill.
  • City edition 1931-10-17 p.7
  • National edition 1931-10-24 p.5
• Norfolk Journal and Guide
  Norfolk, Va.
  1931-10-31 p.13
• The Billboard
  1931-10-17 p.23
• Afro-American
  Baltimore, Md.
  1931-10-10 pp.9, 12
• Stratemann p.49 citing
  The Afro-American, Baltimore, Md.
  1931-10-24, p.23
• Vail I
• J. E. Hasse
  Beyond Category, The Life and Genius of Duke Ellington
  p.151
• H.S. Cohen
  Duke Ellington's America
  p.250
• 02,2-19
• Fred Glueckstein
  "Did Duke Meet President Hoover?"
  The Duke Ellington Society Newsletter December 2010, pp.4-5, citing Hasse
• Emails, S. Lasker-Palmquist
  • 2014-08-28
  • 2015-05-19
  • 2015-06-16
• Emails, S.Howard (Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum) / Palmquist
  • 2025-09-09
  • 2025-09-10