John McKenna
Cite this Page
"John McKenna," White House Workers History Project, White House Historical Association, 2026, https://whitehouseworkers.org/Detail/workers/495.
- Position
- Doorkeeper
- Years in President's House
- circa 1887
- Gender
- Male
- Presidency
- Grover Cleveland First Term
- Biography
John McKenna was born in New York. Little information is currently known about his life.
At this time, the only known reference to McKenna’s White House career is the 1887 Official Register of the United States listing all federal government employees; the register records him working as a doorkeeper, earning $1,200 per year. In this role, he coordinated the president’s schedule, managed access to the White House, and helped maintain order within the Residence. 1- There were many individuals named John McKenna living in or near Washington, D.C. around this time. Without further information, it is difficult to determine the correct person. Official Register of the United States Containing a List of the Officers and Employees in the Civil, Military, and Naval Service, 1887, (Government Printing Office, 1887), 21, https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.c109287304&seq=7&q1=John+McKenna.
- Birthplace
- New York, USA
- Burial Place
- Unclear from Context
- Blue markers indicate birthplaces and green markers indicate burial places. Black markers are used for places of both birth and burial.
- External Content