{"id":6973,"date":"2025-04-08T15:13:18","date_gmt":"2025-04-08T19:13:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/?p=6973"},"modified":"2025-04-08T15:13:19","modified_gmt":"2025-04-08T19:13:19","slug":"quite-the-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/2025\/quite-the-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Quite the History"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n

The first time he visited the White House in Washington, D.C., Will Chriscoe \u201908 wasn\u2019t just a tourist. He was there to understand his work as the newly hired director of development for the White House Historical Association<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEverything there has such historic significance,\u201d he says. \u201cThe first tour I took, the staff historian shared that it only covers about one-third of the building. It\u2019s interesting to get a feel for the amount of land it takes up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything there has such historic significance.<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The White House Historical Association is a nonprofit founded by former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy in 1961, with a mission of collecting and showcasing art and artifacts of American history. Chriscoe\u2019s job is fundraising. \u201cThe short version of what I do is meet strangers, get to know them, build relationships and ask for money,\u201d he says with a laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chriscoe previously worked at NC State and East Carolina University, raising funds for both schools\u2019 athletic departments, as well as the Boys & Girls Club of the Coastal Plain\u2009\u2014\u2009\u201ca great bridge from athletic fundraising to pure philanthropy, investing in the lives of kids,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the White House Historical Association, he manages the Southeast region, chasing different levels of donations up to the occasional six- or even seven-figure gift. Despite the setting, the White House Historical Association stays firmly out of politics. \u201cWe are nonpartisan and apolitical, working with administrations from both parties,\u201d Chriscoe says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A particularly popular White House Historical Association program is the official White House Christmas tree ornament. The organization releases a new ornament with a different theme or subject each year. Jimmy Carter was the 2024 subject, with Ronald Reagan set for 2025, and a commemoration of America\u2019s 250th anniversary is planned for 2026. The association also commissions the official portraits of the president and first lady and assists with renovations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One constant through Chriscoe\u2019s various fundraising endeavors, whether he\u2019s working for athletics or the White House, is the value of relationships over time. \u201cThe power of relationships is so undervalued,\u201d he says. \u201cThere are mentors I met when I was an unpaid intern at the NC State ticket office that I still talk to every week.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Tell Us What You Think<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Do you have a personal connection to this story? Did it spark a memory? Want to share your thoughts? Send us a letter, and we may include it in an upcoming issue of NC State<\/em> magazine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Send a Letter to the Editor<\/span>\n<\/svg>\n<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n

The first time he visited the White House in Washington, D.C., Will Chriscoe \u201908 wasn\u2019t just a tourist. He was there to understand his work as the newly hired director of development for the White House Historical Association<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEverything there has such historic significance,\u201d he says. \u201cThe first tour I took, the staff historian shared that it only covers about one-third of the building. It\u2019s interesting to get a feel for the amount of land it takes up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything there has such historic significance.<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The White House Historical Association is a nonprofit founded by former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy in 1961, with a mission of collecting and showcasing art and artifacts of American history. Chriscoe\u2019s job is fundraising. \u201cThe short version of what I do is meet strangers, get to know them, build relationships and ask for money,\u201d he says with a laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chriscoe previously worked at NC State and East Carolina University, raising funds for both schools\u2019 athletic departments, as well as the Boys & Girls Club of the Coastal Plain\u2009\u2014\u2009\u201ca great bridge from athletic fundraising to pure philanthropy, investing in the lives of kids,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the White House Historical Association, he manages the Southeast region, chasing different levels of donations up to the occasional six- or even seven-figure gift. Despite the setting, the White House Historical Association stays firmly out of politics. \u201cWe are nonpartisan and apolitical, working with administrations from both parties,\u201d Chriscoe says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A particularly popular White House Historical Association program is the official White House Christmas tree ornament. The organization releases a new ornament with a different theme or subject each year. Jimmy Carter was the 2024 subject, with Ronald Reagan set for 2025, and a commemoration of America\u2019s 250th anniversary is planned for 2026. The association also commissions the official portraits of the president and first lady and assists with renovations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One constant through Chriscoe\u2019s various fundraising endeavors, whether he\u2019s working for athletics or the White House, is the value of relationships over time. \u201cThe power of relationships is so undervalued,\u201d he says. \u201cThere are mentors I met when I was an unpaid intern at the NC State ticket office that I still talk to every week.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Tell Us What You Think<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Do you have a personal connection to this story? Did it spark a memory? Want to share your thoughts? Send us a letter, and we may include it in an upcoming issue of NC State<\/em> magazine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Send a Letter to the Editor<\/span>\n<\/svg>\n<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Will Chriscoe \u201908 helps ensure the White House can put the past on display.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6975,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"views\/single-immersive.blade.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"David Menconi","ncst_show_custom_author":true,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-immersive-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"backgroundColor\":\"reynolds_400\",\"displayCategoryID\":9,\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"subtitle\":\"Will Chriscoe \u201908 helps ensure the White House can put the past on display.\"}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10,8,9],"tags":[1789,1788,1791,1015,1256,1790,1787,1786],"_ncst_magazine_issue":[1848],"class_list":["post-6973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-class-act","category-newswire","category-stories","tag-boys-girls-club-of-the-coastal-plain","tag-jacqueline-kennedy","tag-jimmy-carter","tag-ronald-reagan","tag-white-house","tag-white-house-christmas-tree-ornament","tag-white-house-historical-association","tag-will-chriscoe"],"displayCategory":{"term_id":9,"name":"Stories","slug":"stories","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":9,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":268,"filter":"raw"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6973"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6973\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7170,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6973\/revisions\/7170"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6975"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6973"},{"taxonomy":"_ncst_magazine_issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/_ncst_magazine_issue?post=6973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}