The White House Fellows program is a non-partisan fellowship established via Executive Order 11183 by President Lyndon B. Johnson in October 1964. The fellowship is one of USA's most prestigious programs for leadership and public service, offering exceptional US Citizens first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the federal government. The fellowship was founded based upon a suggestion from John W. Gardner, then the president of Carnegie Corporation and later the sixth secretary of health, education, and welfare.
White House Fellows spend a year working as a full-time, paid special assistant or advisor to senior White House staff, cabinet secretaries, the Vice President, or the head of an independent Executive Branch agency. Fellows also participate in an education program consisting of roundtable discussions with leaders from the private and public sectors. These roundtables are augmented through observation of policy in action, including domestic and international engagements with foreign dignitaries, industry executives, elected officials, and civil servants.
The selection process to become a White House Fellow is very competitive, with fellowships awarded on a strictly non-partisan basis. Each year after the application period closes, the staff of the President's Commission on White House Fellowships (PCWHF) processes the applications and former fellows screen the applications to identify approximately one hundred of the most promising candidates. These selected individuals are then interviewed by several regional panels, which are composed of prominent local citizens. Based on the results of these interviews, the regional panelists and the director of the PCWHF select approximately thirty candidates to proceed as national finalists. The PCWHF will then interview these finalists, recommending between 11 and 19 of them to the president for a one-year appointment through the White House Office. The program can receive more than 2,000 applicants per year, with a selection rate often of 1% or less.[1][2][3][4] Selected civilians serve as Schedule A presidential appointees,[5] while military members will be assigned to duty at the PCWHF at 712 Jackson Place, Washington, D.C.[6][7]
Once fellows complete their year of service, they join hundreds of other fellows as alumni of the program. The White House Fellows Foundation and Association is the organization that represents the White House Fellows alumni efforts, leadership events and fundraising activities.[not verified in body]
When the White House Fellows program was established in 1964, the program required that all fellows meet the following criteria:[8]
Have demonstrated unusual ability, high moral character, outstanding motivation, and a broad capacity for leadership.
Show exceptional promise of future development.
Are dedicated to the institutions of the United States and the values of American civilization.
Will have attained the age of twenty-three but not the age of thirty-six prior to the beginning of their service.
Shall be selected by the President without discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, creed, national origin, or political affiliation.
Citizens of the United States.
These initial criteria have been slightly modified over the years. In 1976, criteria were modified to disqualify regular federal employees and reaffirm that military personnel remained eligible. This same Executive Order decreased the term of the fellowship from 15 months to 12 (though EO 12653 again revised the duration to be extended at the Commission's discretion back up to 15 months).[9][10]
In 1977, President Jimmy Carter revised the criteria again under Executive Order 12012. In this case, the explicit age requirement was removed. Instead, an emphasis was added such that fellows must be, "...early in their chosen careers..."[11]
President Lyndon B. Johnson, who created the Fellowship program in 1964, visits with three White House Fellows in the Oval Office.White House Fellows receive an address at the Leningrad Polytechnical Institute, U.S.S.R. (1970s).White House Fellows visit a teaching hospital in the People's Republic of China (1970s).
Since the inception of the program, White House Fellows have come from a variety of backgrounds.
A total of 251 women have been selected as White House Fellows since the program’s creation in 1964. They represent 28% of the 879 people who have served as White House Fellows. The percentage of women has increased over time, as shown by the statistics below:
1960s: 7 of 86 – 8% women
1970s: 36 of 158 – 23% women
1980s: 33 of 135 – 24% women
1990s: 52 of 159 – 33% women
2000s: 38 of 131 – 29% women
2010s: 54 of 145 – 37% women
2020s: 31 of 63 – 49% women
A broad range of career backgrounds are represented. Fellows' professions include physicians, lawyers, teachers, military officers, scientists, non-profit leaders, engineers, CEOs, entrepreneurs, academics, and many more.
Earned a graduate degree from an Ivy League university: 41%
Notable alumni
U.S. Representative Sharice Davids (KS-03) served as a White House Fellow from 2016-2017.U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (AK) served as a White House Fellow from 2002-2003.U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty (TN) served as a White House Fellow from 1991-1992.
1965–1966 Tom Johnson; Former Chairman/CEO, CNN, Former Publisher Los Angeles Times
1981–1982 Paul V. Applegarth; CEO, Value Enhancement International; former Founding Managing Director, The Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund; former Founding CEO, The Millennium Challenge Corporation.
1988–1989 Charles Patrick Garcia; chairman, Board of Visitors, United States Air Force Academy; former CEO, Sterling Financial Group of Companies; best-selling author of A Message From Garcia and Leadership Lessons of the White House Fellows[14]
1993–1994 W. Scott Gould; Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
1993–1994 Jami Floyd; Journalist and media personality.
1994–1995 Wifredo Ferrer; U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida
1994-1995 David Iglesias, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico; U.S. Navy Captain and Judge Advocate General (Ret); and Director of the Wheaton Center for Faith, Politics & Economics.
The Presidents Commission on White House Fellowships (PCWHF) consists of the program office (the Director, staff, and White House Fellows) and the Commission (the commissioners and their Chairperson). The White House Fellows program is a subunit of the White House Office[16][17][18][19] and is located on the 18 acres of the White House grounds.[20][21] The Director of the PCWHF is appointed by the President, serves as the Designated Federal Officer for the Commission, and is supported by a team of staff members.[22] The Director is responsible for administering all aspects of the program.[23] The Commission meets twice a year and reports to the President of the United States through the Executive Office of the President.[22][24] The Commission's responsibility is to recommend candidates to the President for selection as White House Fellows. The commissioners help recruit a diverse group of applicants, screen the applicants, and makes recommendations to the President.[25]
Chairs of the commission overseeing the White House Fellows Program include
2021-Present: Demetra Lambros
2017-21: Robert M. “Mike” Duncan
2014-16: Mary Zients
2009-14: John R. Phillips
2006-09: Myrna Blyth
2003-06: Julie Nixon Eisenhower
2001-03: Bradford Freeman
1994-2001: Marjorie Benton
1993-94: Nancy Bekavac
1990-93: Ronna Romney
1981-89: James B. Stockdale
1977-81: John W. Gardner
1975-77: Miles W. Kirkpatrick
1972-75: Francis L. Dale
1971-72: Charles B. Thornton
1969-71: Arthur S. Flemming
1968-69: William H. Hastie
1966-68: C. Douglas Dillon
1964-66: David Rockefeller
Commissioners overseeing the White House Fellows Program include:
Demetra Lambros, chairwoman and former counsel to President Joe Biden
Karen R. Adler, Senior Vice President of The Adler Group
The White House Fellows Foundation & Association (WHFFA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to “supporting the White House Fellows educational program financially, to broaden the foundation members’ understanding of government and the problems confronting government, and to encourage members’ contribution to public service and the education of the public.” Activities funded by the WHFFA support alumni and current cohort members. This includes supporting a portion of seminar costs for the White House Fellows' educational program, an annual meeting of alumni, and recruiting applicants for the White House Fellows program.
The WHFFA is governed by a board of directors who are voted on by dues paying members. The board has the authority to hire an executive director to conduct affairs on behalf of the WHFFA. Only White House Fellows alumni are eligible to join the WHFFA. The WHFFA revenue is derived from member dues, investment income, and donations.[34]
Programs inspired by the White House Fellows
Due to the successes and longevity of the White House Fellows program, latter administrations have introduced other distinct fellowships with similar names. Though the White House Fellows program is the only dedicated to service at the highest levels of government and the only administered from within the White House, these more recent programs have succeeded in serving their unique objectives over the years.
Presidential Management Fellows
The Presidential Management Fellows program exists to recruit recent college graduates and graduate students in order to develop a core of future government leaders. Those selected are hired at federal pay grades starting at GS-9 and serve for a period of two years.[35] Presidential Management Fellows are administered via the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. More than 500 Presidential Management Fellows may be selected annually, with a selection rate of approximately 10%.[36] The Presidential Management Fellows Program was initially established as the Presidential Management Intern Program in 1977.
Presidential Innovation Fellows
The Presidential Innovation Fellows Program seeks to embed industry’s top technologists and innovators within federal agencies for a period of one year. The program typically recruits 20-35 fellows for each new cohort[37] and charges them with helping to solve the nation’s toughest challenges and emerging issues. The program was initiated by President Barack Obama in 2012 and later codified via the TALENT Act in 2017. It is administered by the General Services Administration.
White House Leadership Development Program Fellows
^Garcia, Charles P. (April 9, 2009). Leadership Lessons of the White House Fellows: Learn How To Inspire Others, Achieve Greatness and Find Success in Any Organization: Charles P. Garcia: 9780071598484: Amazon.com: Books. Mcgraw-hill. ISBN978-0071598484.
