Entertaining at the White House

Wanting to share the White House with as many people as possible, President and Mrs. Carter planned a special event almost every day of their administration. Formal state dinners welcomed visiting heads of state, elegant luncheons entertained members of Congress and state governors, south lawn concerts delighted thousands of other Americans.

The hundreds of formal state dinners and ceremonial events were carefully planned to reflect the tastes and interests of the Carters' guests: special flower arrangements for Hannelore Schmidt, wife of the German Chancellor; a performance of the classical ballet Giselle for President Carlos Andrés Peréz of Venezuela; an elegant luncheon featuring the New York Harp Ensemble for King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium.

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	President Carter greeting pianist Rudolf Serkin.
	Mr. and Mrs. Carter enjoyed a private moment of dancing at the state dinner for Chancellor Helmut Schmidt of the Federal Republic of Germany.
	President and Mrs. Carter escorted Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher of Great Britain into the White House for a state dinner in December 1979.