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Joseph Patrick Tumulty
1879-1954
Joseph Tumulty was President Woodrow Wilson's long-serving and most trusted aide. Their remarkable relationship began during Woodrow Wilson's campaign for Governor of New Jersey in 1910. Tumulty, then 31 years old, served in the New Jersey legislature, advised Wilson's campaign, and agreed to become Governor Wilson's "Secretary" (a role that we might call "Chief of Staff" today). Tumulty was to serve in that role for Wilson's two years as Governor and all eight years as President of the United States.
Joe Tumulty helped guide Woodrow Wilson's meteoric rise form political neophyte in 1910 to election as President a mere two years later. President Wilson was the first President to have regular press conferences, and Joe Tumulty was essentially the first presidential Press Secretary. In addition to managing the Oval Office, Tumulty was a keen political advisor, kept up with public opinion, and handled relations with Congress.
When Woodrow Wilson was in Europe for the better part of six months in 1919 to participate in the Paris Peace Conference at the end of World War I. Joe Tumulty stayed behind in Washington to manage the operations of the White House. After President Wilson suffered a debilitating stroke in October of 1919, Joe Tumulty was one of a handful of aides who enabled the White House to continue to function.
Over their long relationship, Woodrow Wilson and Joseph Tumulty had their ups and downs. A signal of their closeness is that, in their personal conversations, Joe Tumulty referred to Woodrow Wilson as "Governor," even after Wilson became President.
A special thanks to the Tumulty descendants for lending artifacts for this display. |