In 1953, the White House press secretary announced that the President had decided to admit television and radio into his press conferences. West refers to television as "the electronic novelty." The White House had two TV sets, and West recalls that the Eisenhowers embraced TV wholeheartedly. During the Eisenhower administration, West had an inside view of television's role as both a communication tool for the President and a form of entertainment and relaxation for the First Family. West was Assistant Chief Usher at the White House from 1941 to 1957, and Chief Usher from 1957 to 1969. "Largely through television," notes historian William Seale, the White House "is the best known house in the world, the instantly familiar symbol of the Presidency, flashed daily on millions and millions of TV screens everywhere." 1
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