Real People or not?
Are the characters potraying actual, historical white house staff, other than Maggie,Lillian and Ike Hoover?
shareI believe that most of the other characters are "composites". That is, characteristics of other White House employees of that time, sometimes combined into one character, but not necessarily an actual living person of that time. If you read the book by Lillian Rogers Parks, there is no mention of such people as Butler Dixon, Doorman Jackson, Coates, Frazier, etc. But Ike Hoover, Maggie and Lillian were actual persons who worked in the White House.
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I remember Mays was a real person in the book, because his cause of death was unusual (he always cut off the corns on his feet, and Maggie always fussed at him to see a doctor; he kept doing it and finally died of blood poisoning from not taking care of his feet).
Can anybody find a cheap copy of this book? I say cheap as in "cheaper" because I can't find a USED copy for less than $40!
Mays was real, and had as the miniseries shows, worked as a White House barber in addition to doorman. Mercer though was entirely fictional, and was simply there to give us a character who encompassed the entire time period and was still alive at the end.
shareMost of the staffers were real. If you look at the booklet that comes with the box set, you see a list of head ushers, and Ike Hoover's name is on there. When NBC aired it back in the late 70s, they made an announcement that the show was based on Lillian's book (the book by Bagni and Dubov was based on their screenplay or vice versa) and that some of the characters' names were changed to expand the story.
shareMs Walker was let get by the Kennedys. If you read JB West's "My 30 years backstairs at the White House," you will see and hear many of the same names.
shareI visited Ms. Parks a number of times prior to her death. I do know that the widow of one of the other main characters was still living on the first floor of the two floor home she shared with them at the time. The old home was modified into two separate living quarters and ironically Mrs. Parks lived on the second floor. The stairs were narrow up to her floor but she went up and down them pretty well when I saw her and she was in her 80's at that time. She had autographed pictures of the presidents and first ladies on the walls going up the stairs . She was a very sweet lady and it was a priveledge to have known her.