Washington State Dinner Procedure

The question of official rank and procedure upon occasions of receptions and more especially at dinner parties, is one of the most perplexing, as well as one of the most necessary, for newcomers in Washington to master in an understanding manner. 

The President's place at table on the occasion of a State Dinner is the middle seat on the north side of the table. The place for his wife is directly facing him across the board on the south side of the table. The seats on the right and left of the President and his wife, are the especial places of honor. It is etiquette for the guests to remain standing until the President and his wife are seated. At a State Dinner it is the duty of the President’s wife to make the move to indicate that the dinner is at an end. Until such move has been made the guests must remain seated. 

The question of official rank and procedure upon occasions of receptions and more especially at dinner parties, is one of the most perplexing, as well as one of the most necessary, for newcomers in Washington to master in an understanding manner. At a State Dinner given by the President to the Cabinet, the place of honor is given the Vice-President, and the second to the Secretary of State. At a dinner at which the guests include the members of the Cabinet and the Chief Justice, the latter can, with propriety, be seated between the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture. 

Generally, this is not done, but if so desired, the seating at the dinner can be thus arranged, for the reason that the law regulating the Presidential succession was passed prior to the creation of the office of Secretary of Agriculture. As a consequence the latter is not in the line of Presidential succession, and at a dinner to the Cabinet the Chief Justice is entitled to rank him. The Vice President ranks the Chief Justice at a dinner party, as well as upon all other state occasions. Should it happen that at a Cabinet dinner, at which the President, the Vice President and the Secretary of State were present, the guests including an Ambassador, the foreigner is entitled to rank the Secretary of State. 

At an unofficial party at which a member of the Cabinet or of the Supreme Court is present, the place of honor must be given the official as a mark of proper respect for the office represented. Too much care cannot be exercised in this respect. In the event of a host or a hostess being perplexed on this subject, a plan of the table should be drawn, and, together with a list of the guests, submitted to one of the officials of the private secretaries at the White House.

The President of the United States when entering a carriage, irrespective of who may be his companion, must always enter the carriage first and occupy the seat at the right hand. This etiquette is exactly the reverse of that for any other official of the United States. Should the President be accompanied by his wife and a third person, the wife must occupy the seat beside the President, and the third person ride upon the opposite seat. The President’s wife in driving with a friend, irrespective of the official or social standing of that friend, must always follow the rule for the President in entering the carriage first and of occupying the seat of honor on the right. 

It is etiquette to remain standing in the presence of the President or the mistress of the White House, as long as either of them stands. When, however, the mistress of the White House invites a guest to sit or to remain after a reception and take part in any informal entertainment that may follow, such invitation is in the nature of a command. In addition to the state receptions, it is customary for the wife of the President to designate certain Saturday afternoons during the season upon which, from 3 to 5 oclock, the general public is received. These receptions are not obligatory upon the wife of the President, and can, upon her discretion, be altogether omitted from the season’s program. – Sacramento Daily News, 1897

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia