USS Sequoia (presidential yacht) facts for kids
Sequoia in Washington Marina in 2008
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Quick facts for kids History |
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| Name | Sequoia II |
| Namesake | Sequoyah |
| Owner |
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| Builder | Mathis Yacht Building Co., Camden, New Jersey |
| Cost | $200,000 |
| Laid down | 1924 |
| Launched | 1925 |
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| Name | Sequoia |
| Owner | United States Department of Commerce |
| Acquired | by purchase, 24 March 1931 |
| In service | 1931 |
| Out of service | 1933 |
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| Name | USS Sequoia (AG-23) |
| Owner | United States Navy |
| Commissioned | 25 March 1933 |
| Decommissioned | 1936 |
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| Name | Sequoia |
| Owner | Secretary of the Navy |
| In service | 1936 |
| Out of service | 1977 |
| Stricken | 1 October 1968 |
| Fate | Sold at auction 18 May 1977 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Yacht |
| Displacement | 90 long tons (91 t) |
| Length | 104 ft (32 m) |
| Beam | 18 ft 2 in (5.54 m) |
| Draft | 4 ft 5 in (1.35 m) |
| Speed | 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
| Complement | 10 |
| Armament | None |
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USS Sequoia (yacht)
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_travels_down_the_Potomac_River_near_Washington_D.C.jpg)
USS Sequoia
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 Location in Maine
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| Location | French & Webb, 21 Front St. Belfast, Maine |
| Built | 1925 |
| Architect | Trumpy, John; Mathis Yacht Building Co. |
| NRHP reference No. | 87002594 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | 23 December 1987 |
| Designated NHL | 23 December 1987 |
The USS Sequoia is a famous former presidential yacht. It was used by many US presidents, starting with Herbert Hoover and ending with Jimmy Carter. President Carter decided to sell the yacht in 1977 to save money.
People often called the Sequoia the "floating White House." It gave presidents and their families a place to relax. It also hosted many important meetings and decisions in American history. In 1987, the Sequoia was named a National Historic Landmark. This means it is a very important historical site.
Contents
- Building the Sequoia: A Special Yacht
- The Sequoia Joins the U.S. Government
- Presidents and the Sequoia: A Floating White House
- President Hoover's Use of the Yacht
- President Roosevelt and the Sequoia
- President Truman's Important Meetings
- President Eisenhower's Defense Strategy
- President Kennedy's Time on Board
- President Johnson's Use of the Yacht
- President Nixon's Frequent Trips
- President Ford's Cabinet Meeting
- President Carter Sells the Yacht
- Presidents and the Sequoia: A Floating White House
- Private Ownership of the Sequoia
- Restoring the Sequoia
Building the Sequoia: A Special Yacht
The Sequoia was designed by John Trumpy. It was built by the Mathis Yacht Building Co. in Camden, New Jersey. The yacht was finished in 1925 and cost about $200,000. Its first name was Sequoia II. It was the second of four yachts built for Richard and Emily Cadwalader.
The Sequoia II was 104 feet long. Its body was made of strong yellow pine and white oak. The deckhouse used mahogany and teak wood. It could sleep eight guests and had rooms for the crew. It also had a dining area for 22 people.
The Cadwalader Family and Their Yachts
Richard Cadwalader was a banker from Philadelphia. His wife, Emily Roebling Cadwalader, came from a wealthy family. Her grandfather, John A. Roebling, designed the Brooklyn Bridge. Emily was very involved in building the four yachts for her family. The last one was the huge 446-foot Savarona II.
First Trips of the Sequoia II
Newspapers reported that Emily Cadwalader christened the Sequoia II on October 26, 1925. She broke a bottle against the front of the boat. The Cadwaladers used the yacht for trips to Florida in 1925 and 1926.
Later, in 1928, the Sequoia II was sold to William Dunning. He was an oil executive from Houston. He used the yacht for trips to Cuba and along the Mexican coast. Dunning had to sell the yacht during the Great Depression.
The Sequoia Joins the U.S. Government
On March 24, 1931, the U.S. government bought the Sequoia II for about $40,000. It was first used by the Department of Commerce. The yacht patrolled the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays. It acted as a decoy to catch people illegally selling alcohol. Bootleggers would approach what looked like a rich family's yacht, only to be arrested.
Presidents and the Sequoia: A Floating White House
The Sequoia became a special place for many US presidents. It was used for important meetings, decisions, and also for relaxation.
President Hoover's Use of the Yacht
President Herbert Hoover liked yachts like the Sequoia. He had used a similar yacht for fishing trips before becoming president. The previous presidential yacht, The Mayflower, was no longer in service. So, Hoover started using the Sequoia II for official business and pleasure trips from 1931 to 1933. He even spent Christmas and New Year's Eve on the yacht in 1932.
President Roosevelt and the Sequoia
President Franklin D. Roosevelt used the yacht often, with over 50 trips between 1933 and 1935. On March 25, 1933, the yacht, now called just Sequoia, became the official presidential yacht. It moved from the Department of Commerce to the Navy. An elevator was added for President Roosevelt, who used a wheelchair. He enjoyed fishing and held important meetings on board.
In April 1933, Roosevelt hosted British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald on the Sequoia. They talked about the Great Depression and avoiding a new war with Germany. As war became more likely, the wooden Sequoia was thought to be unsafe for the president. So, in December 1935, the Sequoia was given to the Secretary of the Navy. A stronger, steel-hulled yacht, the USS Potomac, became the new presidential yacht.
President Truman's Important Meetings
Even though the Sequoia was no longer the main presidential yacht, presidents still used it. President Harry S. Truman used the Sequoia for the first talks about controlling atomic weapons. This happened in November 1945, after the atomic bombs were dropped. Truman met with the leaders of Great Britain and Canada on the yacht.
In 1946, General Dwight D. Eisenhower met with military leaders on the Sequoia. These secret talks helped lead to the creation of the Western European Union and later NATO. Eisenhower later became the first Supreme Commander of NATO.
President Eisenhower's Defense Strategy
When Dwight D. Eisenhower became president, he ordered his military leaders to meet on the Sequoia. They worked on his "New Look" defense plan. This plan aimed to reduce military costs and rely more on nuclear weapons. The leaders stayed on the yacht until they all agreed on the "Sequoia Report" on August 8, 1953. This report changed US military strategy during the Cold War.
President Kennedy's Time on Board
President John F. Kennedy also used the Sequoia. In October 1962, he held important meetings on the yacht to discuss the Cuban Missile Crisis.
On May 29, 1963, the Kennedys hosted a party on the Sequoia for the President's 46th birthday. It was his last birthday. Friends and family enjoyed dancing and dinner. Photos from that night were taken by a Navy officer with his own camera.
President Johnson's Use of the Yacht
President Lyndon B. Johnson used the Sequoia frequently. He made over 35 trips during his five years in office. In 1964, President Johnson had Roosevelt's elevator removed and a bar installed. Johnson used the Sequoia to talk with members of Congress about important laws, like civil rights. He also met with advisors to discuss the Vietnam War. Foreign leaders and ambassadors were often hosted on the yacht. President Johnson also enjoyed watching movies on board.
President Nixon's Frequent Trips
President Richard Nixon was the most frequent presidential passenger. He took more than 80 trips on the yacht. In June 1973, Nixon met with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev on the Sequoia. They discussed an agreement to prevent nuclear war. This agreement was signed two days later. It was also on the Sequoia that President Nixon decided to resign from office. He told his family about his decision there.
President Ford's Cabinet Meeting
After President Nixon resigned, Gerald Ford became president. He used the Sequoia less often. In May 1975, Ford held a Cabinet meeting on the yacht. They discussed many issues, including Vietnamese refugees and the US energy program.
The Sequoia also hosted important guests during Ford's time. These included the wife of the Japanese Prime Minister and Emperor Hirohito of Japan. Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau also had a working dinner with President Ford on the yacht. President Ford celebrated his 62nd birthday on the Sequoia. His daughter, Susan Ford, also had a pre-prom party and her 19th birthday party on board.
President Carter Sells the Yacht
After 46 years of government service, President Jimmy Carter ordered the Sequoia to be sold. He said it cost taxpayers about $800,000 each year. Carter later said selling the yacht was a mistake. He realized that people liked the traditions and symbols of the presidency. In his autobiography, he wrote that he wanted to save money and set an example. But he learned that the public valued the "pomp and ceremony" of the presidency.
Private Ownership of the Sequoia
Since the US government sold the Sequoia in 1977, it has had seven different owners. Some owners rented out the yacht to help with costs. Others were non-profit groups who wanted to keep it for historical reasons or return it to presidential service.
Thomas Malloy bought the Sequoia in May 1977 for $286,000. He sold it three months later for $355,000. The yacht was then sold to The Ocean Learning Institute in 1980.
A non-profit group called The Presidential Yacht Trust bought the Sequoia in 1980. They brought it back to Washington, D.C. for the President and his cabinet to use. President Ronald Reagan did not use the yacht much himself. But he allowed his cabinet members to use it.
In 1984, the Sequoia went on an eight-month tour across the country. It traveled 6,000 miles. In 1986, the Sequoia had a $2 million restoration. It then took part in the celebration for the Statue of Liberty's 100th birthday in July 1986.
Vice President George H.W. Bush used the Sequoia in May 1987. He hosted meetings with Yang Shangkun, who later became the President of China. The Sequoia was named a National Historic Landmark in March 1988.
Later, the yacht faced financial problems and was stored for six years. In 1993 and 1994, the Clinton White House worked to have Kuwait buy the Sequoia. Kuwait then gave the yacht to the Trust as a gift to the American people. This was to thank the US for helping to free Kuwait after the 1990 invasion.
In September 2000, The Sequoia Presidential Yacht Group LLC bought the yacht. They made it available for private rentals in Washington, D.C. until 2014. President Bill Clinton attended an event on the Sequoia in October 2000. This made him the tenth US president to be on the yacht.
In 2005, The Mystic Seaport Museum tried to buy the Sequoia. But they could not raise the $20 million needed to buy and restore it.
The Sequoia is now owned by FE Partners. This company bought the yacht in October 2016 for $7.8 million. They are restoring the Sequoia in Belfast, Maine. The owner, L. Michael Cantor, plans to bring the Sequoia back to Washington. He wants it to teach American presidential history and promote ocean protection.
Restoring the Sequoia
The restoration of the Sequoia is a big project. It requires careful planning before the actual repairs begin. The team is finding special woods to replace or add to the yacht's original materials. These include long-leaf yellow pine, mahogany, and teak.
