Wilson Roosevelt Jerman

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Wilson Roosevelt Jerman
Wilson Jerman in 2004
Born(1929-01-21)January 21, 1929
Seaboard, North Carolina, U.S.
DiedMay 16, 2020(2020-05-16) (aged 91)
Woodbridge, Virginia, U.S.
OccupationWhite House butler
Children5

Wilson Roosevelt Jerman (January 21, 1929 – May 16, 2020) was an American

U.S. presidents in the White House. He was one of the White House's longest serving employees.[1]

Biography

Jerman was born in Seaboard, North Carolina, in 1929, the son of a farm worker. He dropped out of school at the age of 12 to work on a farm.[2] In 1955, Jerman moved to Washington, D.C. and worked as a caterer before being hired as a cleaner by the White House in 1957 during the administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower.[3]

Jerman was promoted to butler under

maitre d' and elevator operator for Barack Obama before his final retirement in 2012.[4]

To commemorate his 50-plus years of service in the White House, President Obama presented Jerman with a series of plaques depicting all 11 presidents he served. First Lady Michelle Obama included a picture of her and the president in an elevator with Jerman in her best-selling memoir, Becoming.[5]

Jerman was married twice and had five children. His first wife, Gladys, died in 1966; Lyndon B. Johnson asked his personal physician to treat her before she died. Jerman's second wife, Helen, died in the 1990s.[6]

Jerman died from complications of COVID-19 on May 16, 2020, at the age of 91, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Virginia.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b "Former White House employee who served 11 presidents dies of coronavirus at 91". TODAY.com. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 2020-06-01.
  2. ^ Levenson, Michael (May 21, 2020). "Wilson Jerman, Longtime White House Butler, Dies at 91". New York Times. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  3. ^ Duster, Chandelis (May 21, 2020). "Former White House butler who served 11 presidents dies after contracting coronavirus". CNN.com. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  4. ^ "Inside the Working White House: Early 21st Century". The White House Historical Association. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  5. ^ Madani, Dona (May 21, 2020). "Former White House employee who served 11 presidents dies of coronavirus at 91". NBC News. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  6. ^ Ruane, Michael E. (May 21, 2020). "Longtime White House butler and friend of presidents dies of covid-19". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  7. ^ Bose, Joey Hadden, Rosie Perper, Lauren Frias, Debanjali (6 July 2020). "Notable figures around the world who are believed to have died of the coronavirus". Business Insider. Retrieved 2021-04-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wilson_Roosevelt_Jerman&oldid=1190369397"