History— The Sequoia was the scene of some of America’s most historic events: It was used during the Harding administration to enforce Prohibition; Herbert Hoover promoted his use of the Sequoia during the Depression in a misguided effort to elevate the spirit of a starving public;
ADMIRAL FOOTE SELLERS, SUPT. OF THE U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY BIDS THE PRESIDENT FAREWELL WHEN HE BOARDED THE YACHT SEQUOIA AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY THIS AFTERNOON FOR A CRUISE ON THE BAY. HE WILL RETURN TO THE ACADEMY TOMORROW NIGHT
They didn’t keep it…
(1935) THE PRESIDENT’S YACHT, THE ELECTRA, THE NEWEST TYPE OF COAST GUARD PATROL BOAT, WAS TURNED OVER TO PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT TO USE AS HIS YACHT. IT REPLACES THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE INSPECTION BOAT SEQUOIA, WHICH WAS TURNED BACK TO THE DEPARTMENT. THE ELECTRA IS 165 FEET LONG WITH A 35-FOOT BEAM. IT IS LARGE ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE THE PRESIDENTIAL PARTY AND SECRET SERVICE DETAIL. IT WILL BE BROUGHT TO WASHINGTON EARLY NEXT WEEK AND FORMALLY TURNED OVER TO THE WHITE HOUSE
British man of war at Washington, D.C. H.M.S. York, flagship of the British West Indian Fleet, docks at the Navy Yard at Washington, D.C. She brought Vice Admiral, the Hon. Sir Matthew R. Best, K.C.B., D.S.O., M.V.O., R.N., to Washington where he will be the guest of honor at a round of social functions. This photograph was made from the Sequoia deck, the yacht President Roosevelt used. 10/30/35
Entering Bermuda, Captain Charles L. Freeman, Commander Bartos, Commander Stirwalt, and Bermuda pilots on the U.S.S. Williamsburg bridge. From the album: The President’s Vacation Cruise. August 1946
The presidential yacht, the U.S.S. Williamsburg, was underway off Key West, Florida. President Harry S. Truman used the yacht during a post-election vacation in Florida. November 1948
The USS Sequoia accompanies the USS Williamsburg underway from the anchorage off Blakiston Island, enroute to the Naval Gun Factory, Washington D.C., July 2, 1950. From: Naval Photo Center, sent to the Truman Library by the National Archives.
FDR and Eisenhower planned D-day; Truman decided to drop the bomb on Hiroshima and later conducted the world’s first nuclear arms control summit; Eisenhower entertained Korean War veterans; Kennedy celebrated his last (46th) birthday party; LBJ lobbied for civil rights legislation, and planned Vietnam War strategy;
Nixon negotiated the first arms control treaty with the Soviet Union, and later decided to resign; Gerald Ford conducted cabinet meetings on board; President Ronald Reagan once met the nation’s Governors at the Sequoia in Richmond. Reagan later wrote in his diary: “I think before I leave, I should get the craft back for future Presidents. Virginia. Emperor Haile Selassie and other world leaders have also sailed on Sequoia.
Distinguished Foreign Visitors:
Many distinguished foreign visitors have been entertained by Presidents or conducted serious business with Presidents on the Sequoia. During World War II, presidents Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower planned European war strategy with Winston Churchill and Field Marshall Montgomery, respectively. Churchill also enjoyed relaxing on deck while FDR fished in the Potomac River. A year after Truman decided, on the Sequoia, to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Truman hosted the first nuclear arms control treaty conference with Clement Attlee, the British Prime Minister, and Mackenzie King, the Canadian Prime Minister, who served throughout World War II. Eisenhower allowed Britain’s Queen Elizabeth to use the Sequoia during her visit.
The Voyage to an NHL Designation
Ultimately, it was President Jimmy Carter who decided to dispose of USS Sequoia and sell the yacht as a part of his efforts to have a less “extravagant” presidency. On May 18, 1977, the USS Sequoia was sold at public auction to a private owner. The vessel had a series of private owners and underwent a 1977-1978 rehabilitation.
Sequoia was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987, as a space used by the presidential office for politics, diplomacy, and social events for almost five decades. It was also witness to some of the most important decisions and actions of United State’s leaders in the last 100 years.
Since 1987, the Sequoia has passed through the hands of several private owners and has served various purposes. Today (2024), the USS Sequoia is privately owned and is undergoing restoration with the goal of reopening the vessel for public access.
Sources:
USS Sequoia National Historic Landmark