White House Historical Association

George D. Blackwell

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"George D. Blackwell," White House Workers History Project, White House Historical Association, 2026, https://whha.whirlihost.com/Detail/workers/931.
Position
Pantryman
Years in President's House
circa 1940
Legal Status
Free Person
Gender
Male
Race/Ethnicity
Black or African American
Presidency
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Biography
George Dewey Blackwell was born on January 11, 1911, in Washington, D.C. (1) He worked as an elevator operator in D.C. prior to joining the White House staff. (2) The exact years of his service there are unclear, but he appears on First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt’s 1940 staff Christmas list as a pantry employee. (3) The duties of a pantryman included managing food supplies, cleaning and organizing the pantry spaces, and assisting with some food preparation. (4) The 1950 Census listed Blackwell’s occupation as messenger at the Pentagon, suggesting he had left White House service by that time. (5) George Blackwell died on August 22, 1992, and was buried at Lincoln Memorial Cemetery in Suitland, Maryland. (6)
(1) George Dewey Blackwell 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 District of Columbia, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 19.
(2) George Blackwell in the 1930 United States Federal Census, Year: 1930; Census Place: Washington, District of Columbia, District of Columbia; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 0297; FHL microfilm: 2340035, Ancestry.com.
(3) “Colored Regular Employees of the White House Christmas, 1940," Folder: Christmas Subject File, Grace Tully Papers, Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Hyde Park, New York.
(4) Dictionary of Occupational Titles (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1949), pg. 940.
(5) George Blackwell in the 1950 United States Federal Census, National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Washington, Washington, District of Columbia; Roll: 2137; Page: 8; Enumeration District: 1-98, Ancestry.com.
(6) “George D. Blackwell,” Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/68272973/george-d-blackwell.
Birthplace
Washington, D.C., USA