Chester M. Burkett

Chester Marl Burkett was born on March 27, 1912, in Mann’s Choice, Pennsylvania.¹ By 1950 he lived in Bedford, Pennsylvania, and worked as a refrigerator repairman.²

It is currently unclear when he began working at the White House The first known record of his work there is a 1954 Washington, D.C. city directory that identifies him as an employee at the White House.³ He worked as an engineer, a job that entailed maintaining White House systems including HVAC, plumbing, and refrigeration. He eventually rose to be chief engineer. 

In 1973, Burkett appeared in a newspaper article about how President Richard M. Nixon wanted to light the various fireplaces in the White House, but Burkett discovered they were mostly inoperable. “We’ve got a problem,” Burkett was quoted as stating. “Virtually every chimney in the place smokes . . . and the President likes to have a fire going in the fireplace. We don’t know what to do.” Burkett called in a chimney sweep to get the fireplaces working again.⁴ 

Burkett does not appear on a White House staff list compiled in December 1974, suggesting he retired either that year or in late 1973.⁵ Burkett passed away on September 10, 1981.⁶