Samuel Bricker

Samuel Bricker was born on April 2, 1843, in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.¹ Bricker worked as a shoemaker and then served in the 187th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment during the Civil War.² Afterward, he returned to the shoe business and later moved to Washington, D.C. where he worked as a guard in the Treasury Department.³ 

Bricker was transferred to the White House around 1891 and worked there until 1911.Throughout his tenure at the White House, records listed him as a watchman, guard, doorman, and usher– all of these roles were responsible for managing the flow of visitors and ensuring that the premises was secure.⁴ According to his obituary, he was a pallbearer at the funeral of First Lady Caroline Harrison in 1892 and a “great favorite with President Roosevelt, and particularly with the Roosevelt children.”⁵ In 1901, Bricker sent a note to President Theodore Roosevelt’s Secretary George B. Cortelyou requesting to have his salary “equaled with other employees (ushers)” explaining that his income made it difficult to “keep a family, pay rent… and keep a respectable appearance.” It is unclear if Cortelyou granted his request.⁶ Bricker remained on staff during William Howard Taft’s presidency, but in 1911, he was unexpectedly relieved of his position. Bricker wrote to former President Roosevelt about the decision: “I was the last old soldier on duty in the House. My record was a clean one. I can’t help but feel I was badly treated… I do so hope you will return to reoccupy the White House in 1913.”⁷ Outside of work, Bricker was active in the Grand Army of the Republic (a Union veteran organization) and enjoyed tending to his garden. He died on August 22, 1929, and was buried at Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, D.C.⁸