Doorkeeper to the President of the United States

White House Chief Usher
Incumbent Timothy Harleth since June 23, 2017
Executive Residence
Appointer	President of the United States
Formation	1887; 131 years ago (1887)
First holder	Edson S. Densmore
Website	www.whitehouse.gov

The White House Chief Usher is the head of household staff and operations at the White House, the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States of America. Timothy Harleth was appointed the current Chief Usher by President Donald Trump on June 23, 2017.

Although the White House has had staff since it opened, the head of household operations for most of the 1800s was the First Lady of the United States. The informally recognized chief servant was often called the steward or stewardess, sometimes the doorkeeper, and beginning with President James Buchanan, the usher. The position of Chief Usher was not established until 1891, in the administration of President Benjamin Harrison. However, the title "Chief Usher" was not formalized until later. The term "chief usher" had been used by the press as early as August 1887. The official title, "Chief Usher", was not created until 1897.William Dubois was the first to use the official title, but it applied only for the last four of his five years in the role. Thomas E. Stone was the first individual to have the official title of "Chief Usher" bestowed on him throughout his tenure.

The average length of service for a Chief Usher is 10 years. The longest serving White House Chief Usher is Irwin H. "Ike" Hoover, who served as Chief Usher for 24 of his 42 years in the White House. The second-longest serving Chief Usher is Gary J. Walters, who spent 21 years in the position.

Administratively, the Office of the Chief Usher resides within an agency known as The Executive Residence, which in turn was made part of the Executive Office of the President (EOP) in 2002. Within The Executive Residence are three offices: The Office of the Chief Usher, the Office of the White House Curator, and the Office of Calligraphy.