Copyright © White House Historical Association. All rights reserved under international copyright conventions. No part of this article may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Requests for reprint permissions should be addressed to [email protected]
The official “pardoning” of White House turkeys is an interesting White House tradition that has captured the imagination of the public in recent years. It is often stated that President Lincolns 1863 clemency to a turkey recorded in an 1865 dispatch by White House reporter Noah Brooks was the origin for the pardoning ceremony, although this is likely apocryphal.
Reports of turkeys as gifts to American presidents can be traced to the 1870s, when Rhode Island poultry dealer Horace Vose began sending well fed birds to the White House. The First Families did not always feast upon Voses turkeys, but the yearly offering gained his farm widespread publicity and became a veritable institution at the White House. At Thanksgiving 1913, a turkey-come-lately from Kentucky shared a few minutes of fame with the fine-feathered Rhode Islander. Soon after, in December, Horace Vose died, thus ending an era.
By 1914, the opportunity to give a turkey to a president was open to everyone, and poultry gifts were frequently touched with patriotism, partisanship, and glee. In 1921, an American Legion post furnished bunting for the crate of a gobbler en route from Mississippi to Washington, while a Harding Girls Club in Chicago outfitted a turkey as a flying ace, complete with goggles. First Lady Grace Coolidge accepted a turkey from a Vermont Girl Scout in 1925. The turkey gifts had become established as a national symbol of good cheer.
Recently, White House mythmakers have claimed that President Harry S. Truman began the tradition of “pardoning” a turkey. However, the Truman Library & Museum disputes the notion that he was the first to do so. The focus on Truman stems from his being the first president to receive a turkey from the Poultry and Egg National Board and the National Turkey Federation. From September to November 1947, announcements of the government encouraging “poultryless Thursdays” grabbed national headlines. Outrage from homemakers, restaurant owners, and the poultry industry was palpable in Washington. This came to a head when the poultry industry pointed out that the upcoming Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day, the three big turkey holidays, happened to fall on Thursday. The effort was deflated in time for Thanksgiving, but not before poultry growers had sent crates of live chickens— “Hens for Harry”— to the White House in protest. The turkey they presented to President Truman that December promoted the poultry industry and established an annual news niche that endures today.
While 1947 was the beginning of the official turkey presentation from the poultry industry, the turkey pardon remained a sporadic tradition. In December 1948, Truman accepted two turkeys and remarked that they would “come in handy” for Christmas dinner. There was clearly no plan for these birds to receive a presidential pardon. The Washington Post used both “pardon” and “reprieve” in a 1963 article in which President Kennedy said of the turkey, “Lets keep him going.” During the latter years of the Nixon presidency, Patricia Nixon accepted the turkeys on behalf of the President and in 1973 sent the bird to the Oxon Hill Children’s Farm. The 1978 turkey, presented to First Lady Rosalynn Carter, met a similar fate when it was sent to Evans Farm Inn to live in a mini zoo.
After 1981, the practice of sending the presentation turkey to a farm became the norm under President Ronald Reagan. The turkey ceremony also became a source of satire and humor for reporters. The formalities of pardoning a turkey gelled by 1989, when President George H. W. Bush, with animal rights activists picketing nearby, quipped, “But let me assure you, and this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyones dinner table, not this guy — hes granted a Presidential pardon as of right now — and allow him to live out his days on a childrens farm not far from here.”
The Origins of the Presidential Turkey Pardon
The presidential turkey pardon is a lighthearted tradition that has become a beloved part of the annual White House Thanksgiving celebrations But when did this custom first originate and which president was the first to spare a turkey from the dinner table? The history of the turkey pardon is more complex than many realize
While George H.W. Bush was the first to make an annual tradition of the turkey pardon in 1989 the roots of the tradition trace back much further. The first documented presidential turkey clemency can be attributed to Abraham Lincoln’s young son Tad in 1863. The rambunctious Tad Lincoln became fond of a Christmas turkey the family received and taught it to follow him around the White House grounds. When Lincoln informed Tad the pet would be killed and eaten the boy pleaded for its life. Lincoln wrote a reprieve and the turkey lived.
In 1947, President Harry Truman received a ceremonial turkey from a poultry industry group. Despite popular belief, there’s no evidence he actively granted the bird a pardon. The same goes for President Dwight Eisenhower in the 1950s. However, the concept of pardoning White House turkeys slowly began entering the public consciousness.
This set the stage for President John F. Kennedy in 1963. Just days before his assassination, JFK opted not to eat a turkey gifted by a poultry association. The White House announcement that Kennedy “pardoned” the bird spawned media stories speculating if this signaled other pardons were imminent. While JFK did not intentionally establish an annual custom, his action planted the idea of formally pardoning turkeys.
Throughout the 1970s, various First Ladies and Presidents Nixon, Ford and Carter were presented holiday turkeys they chose not to consume. President Reagan was the first to directly reference issuing a pardon in 1987, joking he would have pardoned the turkey if it wasn’t already destined for a petting farm. But it was Reagan’s successor, George H.W. Bush, who performed the first official turkey pardoning ceremony in 1989.
After sparing the turkey presented to him by the National Turkey Federation, Bush said: “Let me assure you, and this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyone’s dinner table.” He then sent the turkey to live on a nearby petting farm, formalizing the pardon tradition that has continued to this day.
Since Bush, each subsequent president has carried on the annual custom, pardoning turkeys provided by the National Turkey Federation at the White House. The ceremonies often incorporate lighthearted elements such as the turkeys wearing pilgrim hats or the president cracking jokes about the bird’s fate.
Today, most pardoned turkeys live out their years at agricultural colleges or parks. Tad Lincoln’s impromptu clemency in 1863 may have been the earliest act of presidential turkey mercy. But it was George H.W. Bush who transformed the idea into an enduring modern White House institution. For turkey lovers nationwide, Bush’s innovation has become a reason to gobble with joy.
The Evolution of Turkey Pardoning Traditions
While the presidential turkey pardon traces its origins to Abraham Lincoln’s young son in 1863, the nature of the tradition has evolved significantly:
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Tad Lincoln pleaded for the life of the family’s Christmas turkey on an ad hoc basis rather than an planned annual custom.
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Presidents Kennedy, Nixon, Ford and Reagan referenced turkey pardons informally when opting not to consume birds presented to them.
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George H.W. Bush was the first president to formalize pardoning the gifted turkey in an annual White House ceremony starting in 1989.
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Since Bush, later presidents have establishedpardoning two turkeys, adding pageantry and public involvement.
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State turkey grower associations and the National Turkey Federation now provide the pardoned birds rather than random citizens.
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The presidential turkey pardon has grown into a highly publicized annual ritual, drawing media coverage and public attention to a lighthearted holiday story.
So while Tad Lincoln unknowingly planted the seed in 1863, the turkey pardon tradition as we know it today is very much the innovation of George H.W. Bush – for which turkey lovers everywhere are most thankful.
Why Presidents Pardon Turkeys
The presidential turkey pardoning tradition, while humorous, serves important broader purposes:
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It allows the president to engage in a lighthearted event that appeals to Americans of all political leanings.
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It reminds Americans of presidential powers of clemency and mercy.
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It promotes unity, forgiveness and compassion at Thanksgiving, a holiday associated with those values.
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It draws attention to the turkey farming industry that provides enjoyment to families.
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It enables presidents to indirectly yet lightheartedly address more serious issues through turkey pardon ceremonies.
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It starts conversations about meat consumption, nutrition, and the treatment of animals raised for food.
While the pardon tradition began organically, modern presidents have come to appreciate its shrewd power to subtly bring Americans together during a polarized time. The turkey pardon displays democracy at its most human, hopeful and harmless – no matter how heated debates may become.
Do Pardoned White House Turkeys Become Dinner?
Rest assured, the presidential pardon does spare spared turkeys from eventual consumption. Today most live out their natural lives at agricultural colleges, zoos or parks.
The pardon is a legally binding decree that officially spares the turkeys presented to the president. These benevolent birds are then well cared for at animal sanctuaries for years after their pardon.
Some notable examples:
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George H.W. Bush’s pardoned turkeys lived at Frying Pan Farm Park in Virginia.
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The 2012 turkeys pardoned by Barack Obama were sent to Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens.
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Donald Trump’s 2019 pardoned turkeys, Bread and Butter, retired to their own exhibit at Virginia Tech called “Gobblers Rest.”
So while wild turkeys or commercially raised birds are eaten as Thanksgiving meals, rest easy knowing that every presidential turkey granted clemency has lived a long and peaceful life following its visit to the White House. The pardon is a credit to America’s compassion, even for our feathered friends.
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Copyright © White House Historical Association. All rights reserved under international copyright conventions. No part of this article may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Requests for reprint permissions should be addressed to [email protected]
The official “pardoning” of White House turkeys is an interesting White House tradition that has captured the imagination of the public in recent years. It is often stated that President Lincolns 1863 clemency to a turkey recorded in an 1865 dispatch by White House reporter Noah Brooks was the origin for the pardoning ceremony, although this is likely apocryphal.
Reports of turkeys as gifts to American presidents can be traced to the 1870s, when Rhode Island poultry dealer Horace Vose began sending well fed birds to the White House. The First Families did not always feast upon Voses turkeys, but the yearly offering gained his farm widespread publicity and became a veritable institution at the White House. At Thanksgiving 1913, a turkey-come-lately from Kentucky shared a few minutes of fame with the fine-feathered Rhode Islander. Soon after, in December, Horace Vose died, thus ending an era.
By 1914, the opportunity to give a turkey to a president was open to everyone, and poultry gifts were frequently touched with patriotism, partisanship, and glee. In 1921, an American Legion post furnished bunting for the crate of a gobbler en route from Mississippi to Washington, while a Harding Girls Club in Chicago outfitted a turkey as a flying ace, complete with goggles. First Lady Grace Coolidge accepted a turkey from a Vermont Girl Scout in 1925. The turkey gifts had become established as a national symbol of good cheer.
Recently, White House mythmakers have claimed that President Harry S. Truman began the tradition of “pardoning” a turkey. However, the Truman Library & Museum disputes the notion that he was the first to do so. The focus on Truman stems from his being the first president to receive a turkey from the Poultry and Egg National Board and the National Turkey Federation. From September to November 1947, announcements of the government encouraging “poultryless Thursdays” grabbed national headlines. Outrage from homemakers, restaurant owners, and the poultry industry was palpable in Washington. This came to a head when the poultry industry pointed out that the upcoming Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day, the three big turkey holidays, happened to fall on Thursday. The effort was deflated in time for Thanksgiving, but not before poultry growers had sent crates of live chickens— “Hens for Harry”— to the White House in protest. The turkey they presented to President Truman that December promoted the poultry industry and established an annual news niche that endures today.
While 1947 was the beginning of the official turkey presentation from the poultry industry, the turkey pardon remained a sporadic tradition. In December 1948, Truman accepted two turkeys and remarked that they would “come in handy” for Christmas dinner. There was clearly no plan for these birds to receive a presidential pardon. The Washington Post used both “pardon” and “reprieve” in a 1963 article in which President Kennedy said of the turkey, “Lets keep him going.” During the latter years of the Nixon presidency, Patricia Nixon accepted the turkeys on behalf of the President and in 1973 sent the bird to the Oxon Hill Children’s Farm. The 1978 turkey, presented to First Lady Rosalynn Carter, met a similar fate when it was sent to Evans Farm Inn to live in a mini zoo.
After 1981, the practice of sending the presentation turkey to a farm became the norm under President Ronald Reagan. The turkey ceremony also became a source of satire and humor for reporters. The formalities of pardoning a turkey gelled by 1989, when President George H. W. Bush, with animal rights activists picketing nearby, quipped, “But let me assure you, and this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyones dinner table, not this guy — hes granted a Presidential pardon as of right now — and allow him to live out his days on a childrens farm not far from here.”
The History of the Presidential Thanksgiving Turkey Pardon
FAQ
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