
Tuesday, July 11, 1961
President John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy hosted a state dinner at Mount Vernon in honor of President Mohammad Ayub Khan of Pakistan and his daughter, Naseem Akhtar Aurangzeb.
Open 365 days a year, Mount Vernon is located just 15 miles south of Washington DC.
From the mansion to lush gardens and grounds, intriguing museum galleries, immersive programs, and the distillery and gristmill. Spend the day with us!
Discover what made Washington "first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen".
The Mount Vernon Ladies Association has been maintaining the Mount Vernon Estate since they acquired it from the Washington family in 1858.
Need help with homework? Our Digital Encyclopedia has all of the answers students and teachers need.
The Washington Library is open to all researchers and scholars, by appointment only.
President John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy hosted a state dinner at Mount Vernon in honor of President Mohammad Ayub Khan of Pakistan and his daughter, Naseem Akhtar Aurangzeb.
Held on July 11, 1961, in honor of Muhammad Ayub Khan. Photographs courtesy of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
It was First Lady Jackie Kennedy's idea to host the dinner on the east lawn of Mount Vernon. The heads of state and guests dined under a tent overlooking the Potomac River. This was the first state dinner ever to take place outside of Washington, D.C.
On the evening of July 11, 1961, guests traveled the Potomac on a fleet of four boats, including the President’s yacht. After docking, they were driven by limousine to the Mansion. Francis Beirne, Regent of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, presented President Khan with a bust of George Washington. There was then a military drill by the U.S. Army’s Colonial Color Guard and Fife and Drum Corps.
Jackie Kennedy wore a sleeveless white organza and lace evening gown, with a chartreuse silk sash. President Ayub Khan's daughter Naseem Akhtar Aurangzeb wore a white silk sari.
The dinner was held in an elegant 30-by-50-foot tent decorated by Tiffany's of New York. White House Chef Rene Verdon and his team whipped up avocado and crabmeat mimosa as an appetizer, while the main course was Poulet Chasseur—hunter-style chicken. Twenty-two White House butlers served the guests this gourmet meal.
Mr. President, we feel a special satisfaction because you are our guest tonight and because we feel that what Mount Vernon stands for is understood by you. Mount Vernon means to us not merely a beautiful home, but it also is, we hope, the symbol of the United States—in the past, the present, and we hope the future.
- John F. Kennedy's Toast to President Ayub Khan of Pakistan
Read the Entire ToastLetitia Baldrige, Social Secretary of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, recounts the day's events of the official state dinner with John F. Kennedy and Ayub Khan, the President of Pakistan.
1st President of the United States. Mount Vernon was Washington's home from 1754 until his death in 1799.
3rd President of the United States. Visited Mount Vernon on January 3, 1801 to pay a condolence call on Martha Washington who was greiving the recent death of her husband.
7th President of the United States. Visited in November of 1815.
11th President of the United States. Came to Mount Vernon in June 1845 with his wife, Sarah Childress Polk and former First Lady, Dolley Payne Madison.
15th President of the United States. Visited Mount Vernon in 1860 with the Prince of Wales.
16th President of the United States. In 1862, during the Civil War, Lincoln came to Mount Vernon via steam boat down the Potomac River.
19th President of the United States. Visited Mount Vernon on Saturday, May 18, 1878 with his wife.
23rd President of the United States. Visited Mount Vernon in May of 1889.
25th President of the United States. Visited Mount Vernon on Thursday, December 14, 1899 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of George Washington's death.
26th President of the United States. Visited Mount Vernon many times with his family.
27th President of the United States. Visited Mount Vernon in 1912 to place a wreath at Washington's tomb.
28th President of the United States. Visited several times, including a grandiose Independence Day celebration in 1918.
30th President of the United States. Visited Mount Vernon twice during his administration.
31st President of the United States. Visited Mount Vernon on Washington's 198th birthday in 1930, and again, two years later, on the 200th.
32nd President of the United States. Visited Mount Vernon on May 15, 1933 and many other occasions.
35th President of the United States. Hosted a state dinner at Mount Vernon for President Ayub Khan of Pakistan on Tuesday, July 11, 1961.
38th President of the United States. Visited Mount Vernon in 1961 as a Congressman and again in 1976 during his presidency.
40th President of the United States. Came to Mount Vernon on Monday, February 22, 1982 with First Lady Nancy Reagan to commemorate the 250th birthday of George Washington.
41st President of the United States. Landed the presidential helicopter on the Bowling Green on Wednesday, April 19, 1989.
43rd President of the United States. Paid a visit with Mrs. Bush on the Presidents’ Day holiday in 2007; came back in November of the same year to meet with the new president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy.
The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association welcomed President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, and Emmanuel Macron, the President of the French Republic, and his wife, Brigitte, for a private tour and dinner at George Washington’s Mount Vernon on Monday, April 23, 2018.
President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden visited Mount Vernon on Sunday, January 30, 2022, to address the National Governors Association (NGA). They traveled to Mount Vernon by Marine One and landed on the 12-acre field overlooking the Mansion. The previous evening’s wintery mix provided a snowy ground cover, and George Washington’s iconic Mansion was illuminated for the occasion.
Many Presidents of the United States have visited Mount Vernon before, during, and after their time in office. Explore some of the most notable visits from our Commanders in Chief.
Learn More