Bush Gives Reagan’s Desk the Boot, Brings In His Favorite One

WASHINGTON — Moving to put his own mark on the Oval Office, President Bush is putting aside a presidential desk that dates back to Rutherford B. Hayes.

Press Secretary Marlin Fitzwater said Bush ordered his own desk installed in the Oval Office this week. “He had it as vice president, and he got used to it, found it comfortable, thought it was attractive,” Fitzwater said.

Bush’s desk was one of four made to order about 1920 for the owners of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Co. It was placed in the company’s office in Ohio.

Later, the CSX Corp., parent company of C&O; Railway, donated the desk to the White House. After his inauguration, Bush used the desk in his residential quarters.

Fitzwater said the desk replaces the one “used there by Presidents Kennedy, Carter and Reagan.” The old desk has been returned to White House storage.

The old desk is known as the “Resolute” desk because it was made from timbers of the ship Resolute and was given to President Hayes by Queen Victoria.