George W. Harding
Cite this Page
"George W. Harding," White House Workers History Project, White House Historical Association, 2026, https://whha.whirlihost.com/Detail/workers/824.
- Position
- Gardener
- Years in President's House
- circa 1932 – 1959
- Legal Status
- Free Person
- Gender
- Male
- Race/Ethnicity
- White
- Biography
- George Warren Harding was born on November 27, 1904, in Washington, D.C. (1) He worked as a laborer and gardener for the Office of Public Buildings and Parks and in 1932, he was included on First Lady Lou Hoover’s annual White House staff Christmas list as a laborer on assignment at the White House. According to one obituary: “Much of the structure of plantings on the White House Grounds and that of other parks, small and large, in the Washington area was established by Mr. Harding during his 28 years of service.” (2)
In the years that followed, he continued to work for the National Capital Parks, eventually becoming chief of the horticulture division in 1939. (3) His role included predicting peak bloom for D.C.’s beloved cherry blossoms, as well as managing pests, overseeing a large team of laborers, and supervising the capital’s public parks. (4) He played an important role in events on the White House Grounds– from managing clean up after the White House Easter Egg Roll to selecting the National Christmas Tree for the Ellipse. (5) His expertise was vast; as his obituary noted: “He was one of the foremost azaleas experts in the country and one of the founders of the Azalea Society of America.” (6)
Harding retired in 1959. He died on February 21, 1990, and was buried at Parklawn Memorial Park and Menorah Gardens in Rockville, Maryland. (7) - (1) George Warren Harding in the U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For Maryland, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 215, Ancestry.com.
(2) White House Employees, 1932, Lou Henry Hoover Papers, Subject Files, White House Christmas 1932, Herbert Hoover Presidential Library; “In Memoriam: George W. Harding,” The Azalean, March 1990, https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JARS/v45n1/v45n1-memoriam.html. His obituary states that he worked for National Capital Parks for 28 years; it is possible he started at the White House in 1931, rather than 1932.
(3) “Harding Named to Parks Post,” Times Herald (Washington, D.C.), June 16, 1939, pg. 48.
(4) George Warren Harding in the U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For Maryland, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 215, Ancestry.com; Harold J. Flecknoe, “Why Park Grass is Better,” Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), June 17, 1951, pg. 139; John P. Plum, “Cherry Blossoms to Open on Time, Says Park Expert,” Times Herald (Washington, D.C.), March 30, 1947, pg. 27; “City Residents Urged to Report Signs of Dutch Elm Disease,” Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), July 8, 1948, pg. 32; “Mr. Fix It: Rats are Getting Out of Hand,” Washington Daily News, June 9, 1951, pg. 8.
(5) “Nation’s Christmas Tree Again to Glow on Ellipse,” Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), November 11, 1956, pg. 42; Harriet Griffiths, “Wail of White Wings,” Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), April 12, 1959, pg. 199.
(6) “In Memoriam: George W. Harding,” The Azalean, March 1990, https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JARS/v45n1/v45n1-memoriam.html.
(7) “George Warren Harding,” Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/195643539/george-warren-harding; “In Memoriam: George W. Harding,” The Azalean, March 1990, https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JARS/v45n1/v45n1-memoriam.html. - Birthplace
- Washington, D.C., USA