John H. Whitlow

John Henry Whitlow was born in the District of Columbia around 1836.¹ He is first listed as a servant at the White House in the 1870 Federal Census. According to the Papers of Ulysses S. Grant, he was a “General Service man on duty at the Executive Mansion.”² In 1871, he replaced Valentino Melah as steward and remained in the role until Grant left office in 1877, making $2,000 per year.³ 

As steward, Whitlow managed household expenses, oversaw White House staff, and executed important events for the first family, including First Daughter Nellie Grant’s 1874 White House wedding. This role is a precursor to the modern chief usher, and one that has been held by only a few Black Americans throughout history, including Whitlow. He may have been related to Grant’s body servant, Ferdinand Whitlow, who is also listed on the White House staff.⁴ In 1876, he reportedly became involved in a physical altercation with White House Cook Lucy Fowler, who defended herself with a rolling pin.⁵

By 1880, he was listed in the Federal Census as a worker at a hotel in D.C.⁶ Whitlow died on January 30, 1903 and was buried at Columbian Harmony Payne Cemetery in Washington, D.C. Burials there were later disinterred during Metro construction, and moved to National Harmony Memorial Park Cemetery in Maryland.⁷