ALBERT J. MENENDEZ

Theodore Roosevelt provoked an outcry when he banned Christmas Trees from the White House as a conservationist measure, but he relented when convinced that his position was untenable.

Calvin Coolidge inaugurated the lighting of the National Christmas Tree in 1923. The reasons for it were completely secular. The Electric Companies wanted to encourage electric lights on Christmas trees. So did the insurance companies since so many fires occurred as a result of lighted candles [on trees].

Theodore Roosevelt provoked an outcry when he banned Christmas Trees from the White House as a conservationist measure, but he relented when convinced that his position was untenable.

Calvin Coolidge inaugurated the lighting of the National Christmas Tree in 1923. The reasons for it were completely secular. The Electric Companies wanted to encourage electric lights on Christmas trees. So did the insurance companies since so many fires occurred as a result of lighted candles [on trees].