The National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation is a ceremony that takes place at the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
every year shortly before
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden ...
. The
president of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...
is presented with a live
domestic turkey
The domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo domesticus) is a large fowl, one of the two species in the genus '' Meleagris'' and the same species as the wild turkey. Although turkey domestication was thought to have occurred in central Mesoamerica ...
by the
National Turkey Federation
The National Turkey Federation (NTF) is the non-profit national trade association based in Washington, D.C., United States, representing the turkey industry and its allies and affiliates. NTF advocates for all segments of the turkey industry, p ...
(NTF), usually males of the
Broad Breasted White
The Broad Breasted White is commercially the most widely used breed of domesticated turkey. These birds have shorter breast bones and larger breasts, sometimes rendering them unable to breed without human assistance (typically via artificial inse ...
variety. The early years also included a joint presentation with the Poultry and Egg National Board. The ceremony dates back to the 1940s; these turkeys were usually slaughtered and eaten (with some exceptions) prior to the 1970s, when it became standard practice to spare the turkey. During the Presidency of
George H. W. Bush, it became a tradition (since carried on by all of Bush's successors) for the president to issue a ceremonial "
pardon
A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the j ...
" to the turkey.
[Hesse, Monica. 2007]
Turkey Pardons, The Stuffing of Historic Legend
''The Washington Post'', November 21. (accessed November 22, 2007). It is a tradition that the turkeys be picked from the chairperson of the NTF's home state, occasionally from the chair's own farm.
History
Turkeys had been donated to the President as gifts from private citizens. Horace Vose, a Rhode Island turkey farmer, presented a dressed turkey to the President each year from 1873 until his death in 1913.
[Kirkpatrick, Melanie]
The turkey pardoning tradition may have started with a raccoon
''The New York Post'' (November 20, 2016). Retrieved November 21, 2016. In 1913,
South Trimble, a Kentucky farmer and
Clerk of the United States House of Representatives
The Clerk of the United States House of Representatives is an officer of the United States House of Representatives, whose primary duty is to act as the chief record-keeper for the House.
Along with the other House officers, the Clerk is elec ...
, presented a turkey to then-President
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...
that year, convinced that his red pepper-fed but smaller turkey tasted better than Vose's; no record survives of which turkey Wilson chose. This, along with Vose's death that December, set off a free-for-all in which numerous farmers tried to be the one to supply the annual holiday turkeys to the President.
[ The rivalry escalated in the ]Roaring Twenties
The Roaring Twenties, sometimes stylized as Roaring '20s, refers to the 1920s decade in music and fashion, as it happened in Western society and Western culture. It was a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in th ...
, with a group of women Warren G. Harding supporters from Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
sending Harding turkeys (including in 1920 when he was still President-Elect and at the Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone ( es, Zona del Canal de Panamá), also simply known as the Canal Zone, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the Isthmus of Panama, that existed from 1903 to 1979. It was located within the ter ...
; the turkey was delivered by train), while Cuero, Texas
Cuero ( ) is a city in and the county seat of DeWitt County, Texas, United States. Its population was 8,128 at the 2020 census.
History
The city of Cuero had its start in the mid-19th century as a stopping point on the Chisholm Trail cattle rout ...
also sent Wilson and Harding turkeys. The Cuero turkeys were notable for being the first to be sent while still alive; the Wilson administration slaughtered and ate the bird. Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a Republican lawyer from New England who climbed up the ladder of Ma ...
, alarmed at the number of turkeys being offered to the President at the time, briefly stopped the tradition upon assuming office in 1923 and chose to buy his own turkey; he relented in 1925 and was soon bombarded with an unusual array of animals to eat, including Rebecca
Rebecca, ; Syriac: , ) from the Hebrew (lit., 'connection'), from Semitic root , 'to tie, couple or join', 'to secure', or 'to snare') () appears in the Hebrew Bible as the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. According to biblical ...
, a live raccoon that Coolidge received in 1926 and, unwilling to eat it, designated as a White House pet.
The official presentation of a turkey to the President each year began in 1947 under President Harry S. Truman. The presentation was partially born out of a lobbying
In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying, whic ...
campaign: the Truman Administration, in an effort to conserve grain for foreign aid campaigns, began promoting " Meatless Tuesdays" and "Poultryless Thursdays" in the autumn of 1947. Not only did American citizens quickly grow frustrated with the (voluntary, but strongly encouraged) restrictions and begin disregarding them in short order, the National Poultry and Egg Board, incensed at the attack on their industry, noted that not only was Thanksgiving on a Thursday (thus making the annual Thanksgiving turkey a taboo), but Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
and New Year's Day
New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Whi ...
also landed on a Thursday that year. A truce was called in the dispute in early November, before the Thanksgiving holiday, but "Eggless Thursdays" continued to be promoted for the rest of the year, meaning that pumpkin pie
Pumpkin pie is a dessert pie with a spiced, pumpkin-based custard filling. The pumpkin and pumpkin pie are both a symbol of harvest time, and pumpkin pie is generally eaten during the fall and early winter. In the United States and Canada it is u ...
, another Thanksgiving staple, was still on the forbidden foods list. Records on file at the Truman Library show that Truman publicly admitted eating at least some of the turkeys.[Edwards, Cynthia. 2003. Did Truman pardon a Turkey? http://www.trumanlibrary.org/trivia/turkey.htm (accessed November 24, 2007).]
The Eisenhower Presidential Library
The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home is the presidential library and museum of Dwight David Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States (1953–1961), located in his hometown of Abilene, Kansas. The m ...
says documents in their collection reveal that President Dwight Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War I ...
ate the birds presented to him during his two terms. President John F. Kennedy spontaneously spared a turkey on November 19, 1963, just three days before his assassination
Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...
. The bird was wearing a sign reading, "Good Eating Mr. President". Kennedy returned the massive turkey to the farm, saying "we'll let this one grow."[Bruce, Mary (November 22, 2013)]
Obama pardons turkeys ... then they die
''ABC News''. Retrieved November 23, 2013. Scattered reports in ''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...
'' and ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'' referred to it as a pardon, but Kennedy did not refer to it as such. Likewise, Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
also spared some of the turkeys given to him during his time as president. During the Carter administration, First Lady Rosalynn Carter
Eleanor Rosalynn Carter ( ; née Smith; born August 18, 1927) is an American writer and activist who served as First Lady of the United States from 1977 to 1981 as the wife of President Jimmy Carter. For decades, she has been a leading advocate ...
arranged to have the turkeys sent to petting zoos, and no public ceremonies were held.
The first President on record issuing a "pardon" to his turkey was Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
. Reagan had been sending the turkeys presented to him to farms and zoos since at least 1982,[ and 1987's turkey, Charlie, was likewise headed to a ]petting zoo
A petting zoo (also called a children's zoo, children's farm, or petting farm) features a combination of domesticated animals and some wild species that are docile enough to touch and feed. In addition to independent petting zoos, many genera ...
. At the time, Reagan was facing questions over the Iran-Contra affair, on whether or not he would consider pardoning Oliver North
Oliver Laurence North (born October 7, 1943) is an American political commentator, television host, military historian, author, and retired United States Marine Corps lieutenant colonel.
A veteran of the Vietnam War, North was a National Secu ...
(who had yet to be tried for his involvement in the affair); Reagan conjured the notion of the turkey pardon as a joke to deflect those questions. Reagan did not make any pardon references in the 1988 presentation, but his successor, George H. W. Bush, instituted the turkey pardon as a permanent part of the presentation beginning his first year in office, 1989.[ The phrase "presidential pardon" in that ceremony was apparently inserted by a speechwriter; Bush initially was indifferent to the terminology, saying Reprieve', 'keep him going', or 'pardon': it's all the same for the turkey, as long as he doesn't end up on the president's holiday table."][
For many years the turkeys were sent to Frying Pan Farm Park in ]Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is part of Northern Virginia and borders both the city of Alexandria and Arlington County and forms part of the suburban ring of Washington, D. ...
. From 2005 to 2009, the pardoned turkeys were sent to either the Disneyland
Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney initially envisio ...
Resort in California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
or the Walt Disney World
The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, ...
Resort in Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
, where they served as the honorary grand marshals of Disney's Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden and ...
Parade. In 2010, 2011 and 2012, the turkeys were sent to live at Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...
, the estate and home of George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
; Mount Vernon stopped displaying and accepting the turkeys due to the fact that they violated the estate's policy of maintaining its own historical accuracy (Washington never farmed turkeys). The 2013, 2014 and 2015 turkeys were sent to Morven Park Morven, or Mhoirbheinn, is a given name and may also refer to:
Places Australia
* Morven, Queensland, a town and locality in the Shire of Murweh
* Morven, New South Wales
* Electoral district of Morven, Tasmania
Canada
* Morven, community in Loy ...
in Leesburg, Virginia
Leesburg is a town in the state of Virginia, and the county seat of Loudoun County. Settlement in the area began around 1740, which is named for the Lee family, early leaders of the town and ancestors of Robert E. Lee. Located in the far northeas ...
, the estate of former Virginia governor
The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia serves as the head of government of Virginia for a four-year term. The incumbent, Glenn Youngkin, was sworn in on January 15, 2022.
Oath of office
On inauguration day, the Governor-elect takes the ...
(and prolific turkey farmer) Westmoreland Davis.[Merica, Dan (November 27, 2013)]
Where pardoned turkeys go to die
''CNN''. Retrieved March 24, 2014. Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also has educational facilities in six re ...
has housed the turkeys from 2016 to 2019; Virginia Tech was chosen because of the college's poultry science program, and the National Turkey Federation wanted to begin a tradition of cooperation between the turkey industry and universities. After four successful years at Virginia Tech, the '' alma mater'' of the chairman of the NTF at the time, the federation chose to begin housing the turkeys at universities closer to the turkeys' home towns.[ The 2020 turkeys were sent to be housed at ]Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of th ...
, the 2021 turkeys reside at Purdue University
Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and ...
and the 2022 turkeys will live at North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The univers ...
.
Selection process
The turkeys are raised in the same fashion as turkeys designated for slaughter and are fed a grain-heavy diet of fortified corn and soybeans to increase the birds' size.[ A flock of between 50 and 80 birds, typically from the farm of the current National Turkey Federation chairperson, are selected to be acclimated to handle loud noises, flash photography and large crowds; from the flock, the 10 to 20 best-preened and best-behaved are chosen and eventually narrowed down to two finalists, whose names are chosen by the White House staff from suggestions by school children from the state where they were raised. The two finalists are then transported to Washington, where they stay at the ]Willard InterContinental Washington
The Willard InterContinental Washington, commonly known as the Willard Hotel, is a historic luxury Beaux-Arts hotel located at 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Downtown Washington, D.C. It is currently a member oHistoric Hotels of America the off ...
Hotel at National Turkey Federation expense before being pardoned in a ceremony at the White House. Turkey hens are usually marketed at 14 weeks and weigh when processed. This compares to the tom, which takes 18 weeks to reach a market weight of . The turkeys for the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation are usually 21 week-old toms (males) weighing by the time of their White House visit, compared to the shorter growing period for turkeys destined for market.
Broad Breasted White turkeys are bred for large size, are sedentary animals and have a predilection for overeating,[ making them prone to health problems associated with obesity such as heart disease, respiratory failure, joint damage and reduced life spans compared to ]wild
Wild, wild, wilds or wild may refer to:
Common meanings
* Wild animal
* Wilderness, a wild natural environment
* Wildness, the quality of being wild or untamed
Art, media and entertainment Film and television
* ''Wild'' (2014 film), a 2014 A ...
or heritage turkey
A heritage turkey is one of a variety of strains of domestic turkey which retains historic characteristics that are no longer present in the majority of turkeys raised for consumption since the mid-20th century. Heritage turkeys can be different ...
s. For many years, the pardoned turkeys were documented to have very short lives after their pardoning, frequently dying within a year of being pardoned;[Fox, Lauren (November 23, 2011)]
2010 Turkeys Pardoned By Obama Died This Year
''U.S. News''. Retrieved November 23, 2011. for comparison, heritage turkey breeds have lifespans on par with those of wild turkeys, at least five years. The lifespans of the pardoned turkeys have steadily improved in recent years, frequently having lifespans of over two years and occasionally reaching three years of age, an improvement attributed to better choices of homes after the pardons; rather than serving solely as tourist attractions, the turkeys are now placed in the care of experts who make conscious efforts to maintain the turkeys' health for as long as possible.
List of turkeys pardoned
Reagan Presidency
* 1984: "Robust and Juicy" (R.J.), a 53-pound turkey grown by John Hendricks of Shelby, North Carolina
Shelby is a city in and the county seat of Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States. It lies near the western edge of the Charlotte combined statistical area. The population was 20,323 at the 2010 census.
History
The area was originally ...
.
* 1987: "Charlie", the first "pardoned" turkey, was sent to a petting zoo
A petting zoo (also called a children's zoo, children's farm, or petting farm) features a combination of domesticated animals and some wild species that are docile enough to touch and feed. In addition to independent petting zoos, many genera ...
in 1987.
* 1988: "Woody", a National Turkey Federation
The National Turkey Federation (NTF) is the non-profit national trade association based in Washington, D.C., United States, representing the turkey industry and its allies and affiliates. NTF advocates for all segments of the turkey industry, p ...
turkey raised in Story City, Iowa
Clinton Presidency
* 1994: Tom, a turkey from Harrisonburg, Virginia
Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is also the county seat of the surrounding Rockingham County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. At the 2 ...
.[
* 1996: Carl, a turkey.][
* 1997: An unnamed turkey from ]Raeford, North Carolina
Raeford is a city in Hoke County, North Carolina, United States. Its population was 4,611 at the 2010 census, and in 2018, the estimated population was 4,962. It is the county seat of Hoke County.
History
John McRae and A.A. Williford operated ...
.[
* 1998: An unnamed turkey.][
* 1999: "Harry the Turkey".
* 2000: "Jerry the Turkey", a bird from ]Barron, Wisconsin
Barron is a city in Barron County (of which it is the county seat), in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 3,423 at the 2010 census. The city is surrounded by the Town of Barron.
History
Originally named Quaderer's Camp after local ...
. The pardoned turkey (the eighth in Clinton's presidency) and its unnamed alternate were both sent to Kidwell Farm's petting zoo in Herndon, Virginia.
George W. Bush Presidency
* 2001: Liberty and his back-up Freedom, so named in the wake of the 9/11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerci ...
. They weighed , respectively.
* 2002: Katie, the first-ever female turkey pardoned. The bird bred by Ron Prestage, chairman of the National Turkey Federation
The National Turkey Federation (NTF) is the non-profit national trade association based in Washington, D.C., United States, representing the turkey industry and its allies and affiliates. NTF advocates for all segments of the turkey industry, p ...
, as well as alternate bird Zack. The turkeys were named after Prestage's children.
* 2003: Stars and backup Stripes.
* 2004: Biscuits and backup Gravy.
* 2005: Marshmallow and alternate bird Yam, raised in Henning, Minnesota. Beginning in 2005 pardoned birds were sent to Disneyland to live, and serve as the "honorary grand marshal" of that year's Thanksgiving's Day parade, following concerns raised by animal rights groups that the birds had not survived for long. For the previous 15 years they had been sent to Frying Pan Farm Park near Herndon, Virginia
Herndon is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area of the United States. The population was 23,292 at the 2010 census. In 2020, the population was estimated to be 24,532, which makes it the largest of three i ...
. Names were generally chosen in online votes taken at the White House website.
* 2006: Flyer and alternate bird Fryer, raised in Missouri
Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
.
* 2007: May and backup Flower, raised in Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...
.
* 2008: backup "vice" turkey named Pumpkin, after the number one turkey Pecan fell ill the night before the ceremony. Both turkeys were allowed to live.
Obama Presidency
* 2009: Courage, a 45-pound turkey provided by the National Turkey Federation
The National Turkey Federation (NTF) is the non-profit national trade association based in Washington, D.C., United States, representing the turkey industry and its allies and affiliates. NTF advocates for all segments of the turkey industry, p ...
, and alternate bird Carolina, raised in North Carolina
North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
. Passing away in 2016, Courage lived to be over 6 years of age, an unusual feat for any turkey but especially commercial breeds. A spokesperson for Disneyland, where Courage was sent to spend his remaining years, credits his long life to changing the bird's diet from the typical soy- and corn-heavy feed of commercial farms to a more balanced natural diet, allowing him to lose much of the excess weight that causes strain to both the limbs and organs of these birds.[Montanaro, Domenico (November 25, 2015)]
Ahead of Thanksgiving, Obama to Pardon Another Turkey. The Strange Truth Behind the Odd Event
''National Public Radio''. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
* 2010: Apple, a 45-pound turkey from Foster Farms
Foster Farms is an American poultry company. The company has been privately owned since 1939. It was operated by the Foster family since 1939 until recently, now operated and owned by Atlas Holdings, after their purchase of the company in 2022. ...
in Modesto, California
Modesto () is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,464 at the 2020 census, it is the 19th largest city in the state of California and forms part of the Sacramento-Stockton- ...
; and alternate bird Cider. Both had died of natural causes by Thanksgiving 2011.[
* 2011: A 45-pound turkey named Liberty and an alternate bird named Peace, both of which were raised in ]Willmar, Minnesota
Willmar is a city in, and the county seat of, Kandiyohi County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 21,015 at the 2020 census.
History
Agricultural expansion and the establishment of Willmar as a division point on the Great Northern ...
. Peace survived until shortly before Thanksgiving 2012, when he was euthanized. Liberty survived until being euthanized April 26, 2013 at the age of 2.[Schwab, Nikki
(November 19, 2013)]
All of President Obama's pardoned turkeys are dead
''U.S. News''. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
* 2012: Cobbler and Gobbler, both turkeys from Rockingham County, Virginia
Rockingham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 83,757. Its county seat is the independent city of Harrisonburg.
Along with Harrisonburg, Rockingham County forms the Harrisonbur ...
. Gobbler died suddenly in February 2013; Cobbler was euthanized on August 22 of that year.[
* 2013: Popcorn, a turkey from Badger, Minnesota. Popcorn won an online contest over its identically sized stablemate Caramel, which was also spared. Popcorn died of ]heatstroke
Heat stroke or heatstroke, also known as sun stroke, is a severe heat illness that results in a body temperature greater than , along with red skin, headache, dizziness, and confusion. Sweating is generally present in exertional heatstroke, b ...
in summer 2014. Caramel survived much longer; it outlived one of the next year's turkeys and did not die until October 2015, spending most of its two years of life at Morven Park as the companion of a brown heritage turkey
A heritage turkey is one of a variety of strains of domestic turkey which retains historic characteristics that are no longer present in the majority of turkeys raised for consumption since the mid-20th century. Heritage turkeys can be different ...
named Franklin.[Klein, Kerry (November 25, 2015)]
The Post-Pardon Life of the Presidential Turkey
''The Atlantic''. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
* 2014: Cheese and alternate bird Mac, both of which were turkeys from Fort Recovery, Ohio
Fort Recovery is a village (United States)#Ohio, village in Mercer County, Ohio, Mercer County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,501 at the United States Census 2020, 2020 census. The village is near the location of Fort Recovery, first e ...
. Mac died of suspected heatstroke in July 2015; Cheese remained alive as of November 2015, with the surviving Franklin as its companion.[ Cheese was implied dead some time before November 2017, as the Morven Park website mentioned only housing the 2015 turkeys by that time.]
* 2015: Abe, a turkey again presented by Foster Farms. The alternate was Honest. Morven Park reported that both were still alive as of November 2016 and were still listed as alive on Morven Park's Web site in November 2017.[ In 2018, Morven Park's website mentioned the final departure of the 2015 pardoned turkeys happening in December 2017; by January 2019, they had removed all mention of them on their Turkey Hill Farm page.]
* 2016: Tater and Tot, 40-pound and 39½-pound (18 kg respectively) turkeys from Storm Lake, Iowa. Both were reported as still alive and healthy but showing signs of old age as of November 2017.[Dziemanowicz, Joe]
Presidential turkey pardon prep underway and last year’s survivors ‘doing well’
''New York Daily News''. Retrieved November 14, 2017. The birds died some time before November 2018; Tater was later revealed to have been euthanized for a leg problem at age .
Trump Presidency
* 2017: Drumstick, a turkey, who was chosen over alternate Wishbone, a turkey; both were from Alexandria, Minnesota
Alexandria is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Minnesota, United States. First settled in 1858, it was named after brothers Alexander and William Kinkead from Maryland. The form of the name alludes to Alexandria, Egypt, a center ...
.[ There are conflicting reports regarding the fate of the turkeys: ]Fox News
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is o ...
claimed both turkeys were still alive and living a "lavish life" as of November 2018, while ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'' claimed that both were dead. CNN confirmed that both had died by November 2019.[ Two pre-slaughtered turkeys from ]Orefield, Pennsylvania
Orefield is a small unincorporated community in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. The community is split between North Whitehall and South Whitehall townships. Orefield is part of the Lehigh Valley, which has a population of 861,899 and is the 68 ...
were also presented, with those turkeys being donated to Martha's Table.
* 2018: Peas, a turkey with a height of 30", chosen over Carrots, a turkey with a height of 32", both from Huron, South Dakota
Huron is a city in Beadle County, South Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Beadle County. The '' Huron Daily Plainsman'', also referred to as the ''Plainsman'', is the newspaper. The first settlement at Huron was made in 1880. The cit ...
were pardoned in 2018. Both were hatched on June 28, 2018.[ Both Peas and Carrots were still alive in November 2020.]
* 2019: Butter, a turkey with a height of 31", chosen over Bread, a turkey with a height of 32". Both were from Butterball
Butterball is a brand of turkey and other poultry products produced by Butterball LLC. The company manufactures food products in the United States and internationally — specializing in turkey, cured deli meats, raw roasts and specialty ...
contract farmer Wellie Jackson of Clinton, North Carolina
Clinton is a city in, and the county seat of, Sampson County, North Carolina, United States. The population of Clinton is 8,639 according to the 2010 Census. Clinton is named for Richard Clinton, a Brigadier General of the North Carolina milit ...
. The pre-slaughtered turkeys again came from Orefield, Pennsylvania. Both Bread and Butter were still alive in November 2020.[
* 2020: Corn, chosen over Cob, owned by Ron and Susie Kardel of ]West Liberty Foods
West Liberty Foods, Limited liability company, L.L.C. is a farmer-owned food company headquartered in West Liberty, Iowa. Recognized as one of the top 50 protein processors in North America, the company has the capacity to produce over 650 millio ...
in West Liberty, Iowa
West Liberty is a city in Muscatine County, Iowa, United States. The population was 3,858 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Muscatine micropolitan area.
West Liberty is located five miles south of Interstate 80 on Historic Highw ...
.[ Both were still alive in November 2021.
]
Biden Presidency
* 2021: Peanut Butter and Jelly, both turkeys raised by Andrea Welp of Jasper, Indiana
Jasper is a city in, and the county seat of, Dubois County, Indiana, United States, located along the Patoka River. The population was 16,703 at the 2020 census making it the 48th largest city in Indiana. On November 4, 2007, Dubois County retur ...
. As of June 2022, both were still alive, with Purdue stating that the birds had made a "smooth adjustment" to retirement.
* 2022: Chocolate, a turkey, chosen along with Chip, a turkey, both raised by NTF chairman Ronnie Parker at Circle S Ranch in Monroe, North Carolina
Monroe is a city in and the county seat of Union County, North Carolina, United States. The population increased from 32,797 in 2010 to 34,551 in 2020. It is within the rapidly growing Charlotte metropolitan area. Monroe has a council-manager ...
.
State ceremonies
A number of U.S. states have similar turkey-pardoning events, including Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...
. The pardoning ceremonies have also been extended to other holidays; for instance, Erie County, New York
Erie County is a county along the shore of Lake Erie in western New York State. As of the 2020 census, the population was 954,236. The county seat is Buffalo, which makes up about 28% of the county's population. Both the county and Lake Erie w ...
's county executive facetiously pardons a butter lamb
The butter lamb, also known as a buttered lamb, is a traditional butter sculpture accompanying the Easter meal for many Russian, Slovenian and Polish Catholics. Butter is shaped into a lamb either by hand or in a lamb-shaped mold. The butter lamb ...
during Holy Week
Holy Week ( la, Hebdomada Sancta or , ; grc, Ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη Ἑβδομάς, translit=Hagia kai Megale Hebdomas, lit=Holy and Great Week) is the most sacred week in the liturgical year in Christianity. In Eastern Churches, w ...
.Erie County Executive Pardons Butter Lamb
''WGRZ'' (April 16, 2014). Retrieved April 16, 2014.
Popular culture
In ''The West Wing
''The West Wing'' is an American serial political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. The series is set primarily in the West Wing of the White Hous ...
'' episode "Shibboleth," when C.J. learns the alternate turkey is to be slaughtered, she appeals to President Bartlet to save it. He points out that he cannot pardon a turkey, as it had committed no crime and he has no "judicial jurisdiction over birds". So, he drafts the turkey into military service to spare its life. In real life, both the turkey and the alternate are spared.
The animated film ''Free Birds
''Free Birds'' is a 2013 American computer-animated science fiction comedy film. The film follows two turkeys travelling back in time to the first Thanksgiving to get turkey off the menu. It was produced by Reel FX Creative Studios as its fir ...
'' centers around a turkey who was pardoned, then is recruited to go back in time in an attempt to change history and remove turkey from the menu of the first Thanksgiving dinner at Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony (sometimes Plimouth) was, from 1620 to 1691, the first permanent English colony in New England and the second permanent English colony in North America, after the Jamestown Colony. It was first settled by the passengers on the ...
.
In David Mamet's play ''November
November is the eleventh and penultimate month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars, the fourth and last of four months to have a length of 30 days and the fifth and last of five months to have a length of fewer than 31 days. Nov ...
'', an incumbent president losing his bid for reelection uses the yearly tradition to extort the turkey farmers to add to his lacking campaign fund.
In the ''Rick and Morty
, creator = Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon
, developer =
, voices = {{plainlist,
* Justin Roiland
* Chris Parnell
* Spencer Grammer
* Sarah Chalke
* Kari Wahlgren
, composer = Ryan Elder
, count ...
'' episode " Rick & Morty's Thanksploitation Spectacular", Rick turns himself into a turkey in an effort to receive a presidential pardon from the President.
Gallery
File:Truman2 thanksgiving.jpg, President Harry Truman
Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...
receiving a turkey (this one a Bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids suc ...
) from the turkey industry, 1949
File:President John F. Kennedy receives the 16th White House Thanksgiving Turkey 1963.jpg, President John F. Kennedy spares the turkey presented to him, 1963, only three days before his assassination
File:Turkey and President Johnson 1967.jpg, President Lyndon Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...
accepting a non-pardoned turkey, 1967
File:Richard Nixon, turkey pardon.jpg, President Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
sparing the turkey presented to him, 1971
File:Pat Nixon turkey 7844-26a.jpg, First Lady Pat Nixon
Thelma Catherine "Pat" Nixon (''née'' Ryan; March 16, 1912 – June 22, 1993) was First Lady of the United States from 1969 to 1974 as the wife of President Richard Nixon. She also served as Second Lady of the United States from 1953 to 1961 w ...
accepting a turkey on behalf of her husband, 1973
File:Ford Pardoned Turkey.jpg, President Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...
accepting a non-pardoned turkey, 1975
File:Ronald Reagan, turkey pardon.jpg, President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
accepting a turkey, 1983
File:President George H. W. Bush at the Annual Presidential Pardoning of the Thanksgiving Turkey.jpg, President George H. W. Bush at the 3rd annual pardoning of the Thanksgiving turkey, 1991
File:Bill Clinton, turkey pardon.jpg, President Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...
at the 11th annual pardoning of the Thanksgiving turkey, 1999
Image:President George W. Bush pardons a turkey 2008.jpg, President George W. Bush at the 20th annual pardoning of the Thanksgiving turkey, 2008
File:Obama ThanksGiving Turkey Pardon 2009.jpg, President Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
pardoning a turkey called "Courage" on November 25, 2009
File:The 2019 National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation (49129602166).jpg, President Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
pardoning a turkey called "Butter" on November 26, 2019
File:Biden Turkey Pardon 2021.jpg, President Joe Biden pardoning a turkey called "Peanut Butter" on November 19, 2021
References
External links
Information about the presidential turkey
at the National Turkey Federation website
* ttp://www.trumanlibrary.org/trivia/turkey.htm Truman Trivia: Did Truman pardon a Turkey?
The Ungobbled Gobbler
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