William Howard Taft made it into an oval in honor of a symbolic feature of George Washington's Philadelphia residence where the first president would stand surrounded by a circle of guests, allowing him to democratically greet each visitor from the same distance. The office was moved to its current location in the southeast corner of the White House in 1934.
Presidents have made their mark on the Oval Office (except Jimmy Carter, who kept Ford's decor). LBJ installed a bank of televisions. The Resolute desk has been used by 21 of the past 24 presidents. President Truman had his famous "The Buck Stops Here (reverse said "I'm From Missouri")" on this desk. This is also where Nixon made his secret tapes amd Clinton had his Monica Lewinsky trysts in adjoining rooms.
The Oval Office is where presidents bring the country together as Reagan did after the Challenger disaster and Bush did after 9-11.
A Room With a View Next. --Cooter
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