Cabinet Room
The Cabinet Room, re-created at the Center, has been the center of presidential decision-making since 1902, when it was added to the West Wing of the White House by President Theodore Roosevelt.
President Clinton's cabinet in the Cabinet Room, 1993
Gathered around the long table, the President, cabinet secretaries, and other officials make tough choices about the nation’s future. It was here, in the Cabinet Room, that President John F. Kennedy and his advisers worked to resolve the Cuban Missile Crisis. It was also here that President Clinton gathered senior officials to develop economic strategy, to plan military missions in Bosnia and Kosovo, and to develop peace agreements for Northern Ireland and the Middle East.
The tallest chair, bearing a brass plaque marked “The President,” sits in a position of honor at the table’s center. Following tradition, President Clinton selected portraits of Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt for the walls. He also included a personal favorite: the likeness of George Washington.
