Rex W. Scouten

Rex Wayne Scouten was born on September 16, 1924, in Snover, Michigan, on his family’s farm. After attending Michigan State University for two years, he joined the Army and served in World War II. He later completed a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and joined the Secret Service, where he was assigned to White House security during President Harry Truman’s 1949 Inauguration. Scouten then served on the first-ever Secret Service detail for a vice president—Richard Nixon—which took him to forty-two countries. 

Seeking a more stable role, he became assistant to the Chief Usher J.B. West in 1957.¹ In this role, he assisted with coordinating social events and State Dinners and helped manage the arrival of foreign dignitaries, including those attending President John F. Kennedy’s funeral. When Richard Nixon returned to the White House in 1969 as president, he remembered Scouten from his earlier detail and promoted him to chief usher.² Later, Scouten packed the Nixon family’s bags, as First Lady Pat Nixon requested, following President Nixon’s resignation in 1974. As chief usher, Scouten managed a wide range of projects, from supervising the construction of Amy Carter’s treehouse to organizing a State Dinner for approximately 1,400 returning Vietnam prisoners of war. Over the years, he worked under ten presidents and was frequently asked which was his favorite; his answer was always “the current one.” He held the position until January 1986, when he retired.³ 

A few months later, the Reagans asked White House Curator Clement Conger to step down so Scouten could return from retirement and take over the position. Scouten resumed work in May of that year.⁴ As curator, he oversaw many important projects, including First Lady Barbara Bush’s $25 million fundraising effort to refurbish the White House’s public rooms.⁵ Scouten retired for the final time in 1997.⁶ His daughter later shared that he received several offers to publish a memoir but always declined.⁷ Still, Scouten occasionally interviewed with newspapers, offering brief but insightful glimpses into White House life, from State Dinners to curatorial projects.⁸ Rex Scouten passed away on February 20, 2013, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.⁹