Russell F. Free

Russell Franklin Free was born on February 16, 1924, in Washington, D.C.¹ During World War II, he served in the U.S. Coast Guard and during the Korean War, he served in the U.S. Navy.² When he was not on active duty, he worked as a steamfitter in the District of Columbia.³ 

In 1973, Free began working at the White House as an operating engineer.⁴ He recalled: “When you first go to work at the White House, you are all eyeballs. Honestly, for the first month, your eyes are as big as teacups. . . . You’re actually drinking in history and current events.”⁵ He managed air conditioning and heating systems, lighting wood fires for President Nixon and keeping every room in the White House exactly 78 degrees in the summer.⁶ The role required long hours and constant attention; he recalled: “If at 2 o’clock in the morning something breaks down, you fix it right then and there… You don’t wait for parts.”⁷ 

Russell Free worked at the White House until April 1986.⁸ He passed away on February 6, 2000, and was buried at National Memorial Park in Idylwood, Virginia.⁹