Governance and Goodwill: The Resolute Desk of the Oval Office

Looking forward to election day, we've seen a lot of images and iconography of the American government lately. The White House, the Oval Office, and even the Resolute Desk within the Oval Office. The Resolute Desk might perhaps be the most recognizable pedestal desk in our country and it has an important history as well.

The Resolute Desk is also known as a partner's desk, a versatile piece of furniture that looks good from any angle and in which two people can work simultaneously. Originating in 18th century England, it was designed for partners - legal, banking, or general business. Partners desks are typically made of a high quality hardwood like mahogany or oak, with brass hardware and a leather top, and have drawers on either side. Throughout the centuries, they have allowed partners to keep an eye on each others' work.

The Resolute Desk is named for the HMS Resolute, a British exploration ship that became trapped in Antarctic ice and abandoned in 1852 while searching for Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin and his crew, who disappeared looking for the Northwest Passage. The ship was recovered in 1855 by an American whaling ship and, after being carefully repaired, was returned to Queen Victoria of England as a goodwill gesture during a diplomatically unstable time between the U.S. and U.K. After the HMS Resolute was decommissioned twenty years later, its oak and mahogany timbers were used to build the now iconic presidential desk and gifted by Queen Victoria to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880.

While most partner's desks are characterized by having a spacious leg opening that goes all the way through, the Resolute Desk was modified in 1945 for President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Despite his failing health, he wanted to be discreet about his handicap and a panel was added to the front of the desk to hide his leg braces and wheelchair. The panel was added but President Harry Truman was the first to use the modified version of the desk. President John F. Kennedy was the first to use it in the Oval Office; after his assassination, it was part of a traveling exhibition until President Jimmy Carter requested its return to the Oval Office. Since then, it has remained in the Oval Office at the request of every president except George H.W. Bush, who switched it for the C&O desk in the Executive Office.

The Resolute Desk has been a symbol of diplomacy, strength, and unity since its reception. We associate it with direct communication with our presidents, usually after something momentous has happened. It is literally the seat of power and recognizable to every American citizen. Despite its distinction, it isn't so different from any other partner's desk, establishing trust while keeping all parties accountable.