An Introduction to Presidential Live Oak Trees

Many U.S. Presidents have visited Sea Island, a luxury resort on the coast of Georgia. Calvin Coolidge was the first to visit in December 1928, two months after the Cloister opened for business. President Coolidge began a tradition then by planting a live oak tree to commemorate his visit and to celebrate the resort's opening. The next Presidential Live Oak was planted after the election of Dwight D. Eisenhower to honor his visit to Sea Island with his wife in 1946. The tradition continued 30 years later when Former President Gerald Ford visited Sea Island for a golf tournament as an honored guest and planted a live oak to his honor. Former Georgia Governor and President Jimmy Carter selected his presidential cabinet at the beach side home of Philip Alston, who was appointed by President Carter as Ambassador to Australia. President Jimmy Carter returned in 1981 after leaving office to plant a double trunked live oak. President George H. W. Bush has visited Sea Island many times beginning with his honeymoon in 1945 with the Former First Lady. He returned in 1991, while in office, and was invited to plant a live oak in tradition. The two vacationed at the Cloister Hotel again in 1995 to celebrate their 50th anniversary. Finally, in 2004 President George W. Bush Planted a live oak in close vicinity to his father's tree while hosting the World's G-8 Summit on Sea Island.