12. Grace Coolidge’s raccoon
From serving presidential turkey dinners to having unusual pets, the White House has seen it all. One such peculiar pet was Rebecca, a raccoon who found her home in the executive mansion during the presidency of Calvin Coolidge and his First Lady, Grace Coolidge.
The story of Rebecca’s arrival at the White House is an interesting one. Hailing from Mississippi, she was sent to the White House to be part of the Thanksgiving feast in 1926. But President Coolidge, having no inclination to dine on raccoon, decided to keep her as a pet. The raccoon, quite out of the ordinary, was welcomed into the Coolidge family and was even gifted an embroidered collar that Christmas, proudly inscribed “White House Raccoon”. Rebecca’s diet was a mix of shrimp, persimmons, and eggs, which were her favorite. More than just a pet, she was a participant in White House events, including the annual Easter egg roll.
Despite being a raccoon, Rebecca made herself quite at home in the White House. She was allowed to roam freely indoors, and outdoors, she walked on a leash. However, Rebecca wasn’t always a well-behaved guest. Known for her mischief, she had a habit of unscrewing light bulbs, opening cabinets, and unpotting houseplants. She had her own treehouse inside a fenced area for protection, but indoors, she was given liberty. According to First Lady Grace Coolidge, Rebecca was a fan of baths and could entertain herself for hours with a cake of soap in a tub of water.
When the Coolidges temporarily moved to a Dupont Circle mansion during a White House renovation, Rebecca was a part of the entourage. She even accompanied the family on their vacation to the Black Hills, travelling in a basket alongside their dogs, Rob Roy and Prudence Prim, and five canaries on an 1,800-mile railroad journey. Sadly, upon the end of Coolidge’s presidential term in 1929, Rebecca was donated to the zoological quarters in Rock Creek Park, now the National Zoo. Unfortunately, she failed to adapt to the zoo environment and passed away shortly thereafter. Despite her short and adventurous life, Rebecca remains a unique chapter in the history of presidential pets.
