White House Historical Association

Raymond T. Helmuth

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"Raymond T. Helmuth," White House Workers History Project, White House Historical Association, 2026, https://whha.whirlihost.com/Detail/workers/862.
Position
Gardener
Years in President's House
circa 1929 – 1931
Legal Status
Free Person
Gender
Male
Race/Ethnicity
White
Presidency
Herbert Hoover
Biography
Raymond Titus Helmuth was born on July 27, 1892, in Washington, D.C. Helmuth was a private in the U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps during World War I. (1) He worked as a gardener for the Office of Public Buildings and Parks, and from at least 1929-1931, he was assigned to the White House. He may have worked on the White House Grounds or been assigned to the White House greenhouses, located near the Bureau of Engraving and Printing on the National Mall. (2) Helmuth continued to work for National Capital Parks; it is possible that his tenure at the White House extended beyond these years but information is limited. Helmuth died on April 25, 1958, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. (3)
(1) “Helmuth, Raymond T.,” Army Cemeteries Explorer, https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/index.html#/arlington-national/search/results/1/CgdIZWxtdXRoEgdSYXltb25k/; Raymond Titus Helmuth in the U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942, National Archives at St. Louis; St Louis, MO, USA; World War II Draft Cards (Fourth Registration) For the District of Columbia; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147; Box or Roll Number: 031, Ancestry.com.
(2) Employees on Duty at the Executive Office, 1929, Lou Henry Hoover Papers, Subject Files, White House Christmas 1929, Herbert Hoover Presidential Library; Xmas List 1931, Lou Henry Hoover Papers, Subject Files, White House Christmas 1931, Herbert Hoover Presidential Library.
(3) “Helmuth, Raymond T.,” Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), April 27, 1958, pg. 78; “Helmuth, Raymond T.,” Army Cemeteries Explorer, https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/index.html#/arlington-national/search/results/1/CgdIZWxtdXRoEgdSYXltb25k/.
Birthplace
Washington, D.C., USA