The Real West Wing Trivia Quiz

Answer: Theodore Roosevelt

Roosevelt's family and the White House staff were all crowded on the second floor of the White House. Therefore in 1902 Congress agreed $65,000 for the construction of a one-story office building just to the west of the White House. The new building gave the president and his staff the much needed space they needed.

Answer: All of these

In 1909 Taft was the first President to walk into the Oval Office. Taft chose the oval shape (which had also been favoured by George Washington) because when the President stood in the centre everyone else was an equal distance from him. By creating the Oval Office in the centre of the West Wing, Taft showed his wish for the President to be the centre of the administration.

Interestingly, Franklin Roosevelt later relocated the Oval Office to the south east corner of the West Wing. Therefore the circle or oval became a symbol of democracy. Taft also chose an olive green colour scheme (a colour scheme which has been changed many times by different presidents).

Answer: HMS Resolute

The desk was made from the timbers of HMS Resolute, which was abandoned at sea in 1854. She was discovered by a United States sea-captain and sent back to England as a gift from the President and the American people. When the ship was decommissioned, a desk was built from the ship's timbers.

The desk was given to President Rutherford Hayes by Queen Victoria. Many Presidents have been photographed or filmed at the desk. One of the most famous photographs of the desk shows John Kennedy's young son (John Junior) peeking out from behind the central panel while his father worked at the desk.

Answer: False

The Roosevelt Room was originally Theodore Roosevelt's office. Franklin Roosevelt referred to it as the Fish Room as he kept an aquarium in the room. John Kennedy continued the nautical theme by mounting a sailfish that he had caught in Acapulco, Mexico. Richard Nixon renamed it in 1969 to honour Theodore Roosevelt for building the West Wing and Franklin D Roosevelt for expanding it. The room is now used for conferences and also has a multi-media centre for presentations.

Answer: Herbert Hoover

The fire (caused by an electrical fault) which occurred on Christmas Eve 1929 led to restoration and renovations which displaced Herbert Hoover and his staff for several months while new improved facilities were built.

Answer: Swimming pool

The swimming pool was for Franklin Roosevelt who was disabled due to polio. The campaign was successful and the pool was built between the White House and West Wing. It had arched ceilings and rows of half-moon windows, with French doors opening into the Rose Garden. It was a showcase of the technology of the time, featuring underwater lighting and the latest gadgets.

Answer: Harry Truman

On 12 April 1945 Eleanor Roosevelt sent a message to Vice President Harry Truman asking him to come to the White House. When he arrived, she told him that Franklin Roosevelt had died. Truman was then sworn in as 33rd President in a one minute ceremony in the Cabinet Room.

Answer: The Bay of Pigs invasion

The Situation Room was created in 1962 by President Kennedy after the Bay of Pigs invasion which allegedly failed because of lack of up-to-the-minute information. The room has communications systems built into it and the walls contain panels that hide different audio and video systems. It is in the basement of the West Wing and is administered by the National Security Council.

Answer: Press Briefing Room

Technological changes put pressure on the President to create a work space for the media. Richard Nixon arranged for a press briefing room to be built above the pool to accommodate the growing demand for television news. Since 1970 the press have assembled this room to listen to the White House press secretary's briefings and reports.

The deep end of the pool is underneath the press secretary's podium, and the shallow end is underneath the camera crews.

Answer: James S Brady

The Press Briefing Room was renamed the James S Brady Press Briefing Room on February 11, 2000 in honour of James Brady, the White House press secretary who was shot and seriously injured following an assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan in 1981.