The Obama White House: East Room is most important all-purpose room

WASHINGTON - Sure, the West Wing gets the glory. But the East Room gets the action.

Indispensable, yet overshadowed by more famous rooms like the Oval Office, the roomy space at the end of the White House's first floor is more than a hub of activity. It's the most important all-purpose room in America. And has been for more than two centuries.

Consider that in U.S. President Barack Obama's first two months in office, this was just a slice of his East Room lineup: two news conferences, two policy summits, four signings of bills and orders, a Cabinet announcement, a dinner for lawmakers, a reception for governors, a speech for mayors, an online town hall, and a performance by Stevie Wonder.

Oh, and a conga line.

By now Obama and his wife, Michelle, have used the chandeliered room more than 60 times for a remarkably diverse string of events. Like that stretch in May when the room held a naturalization ceremony, a Cinco De Mayo celebration, a poetry slam and the introduction of a Supreme Court nominee.

The first occupant of the not-really-finished White House set the anything-goes tone in 1800. First lady Abigail Adams, wife of President John Adams, ended up hanging out laundry in this room built to host elegant public gatherings because she had no other good options.

If the White House has one room to count on, this is it.

Union troops encamped here. The Civil Rights Act was born here. Gerald Ford ended the "long national nightmare" here as he succeeded Richard Nixon after Watergate.

The Cold War even did some of its thawing here, when Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev signed a disarmament deal.

Today's East Room visitors stand where Abraham Lincoln's son Tad played with his pet goats, Teddy Roosevelt arranged a wrestling match for his guests, Susan Ford held her senior prom and Amy Carter roller-skated.

This is where presidents party: Reagan once cut in when his wife, Nancy, was dancing with Frank Sinatra.

This has been a room of opera, poetry, jazz, rock, country music, ballet and Shakespeare. And it has marked moments of national sorrow. Seven presidents have lain in state in the East Room, including John F. Kennedy.

"It is just massively important, as far as I'm concerned, to the history of the country," said Gary Walters, who worked at the White House for more than 30 years, including two decades as the mansion's chief usher. "The more I think about it, the more spectacular the activities that have taken place in that room."

Why the East Room? Well, where else?

In a building with more than 130 rooms, none is as big and flexible as this one - at about 24 metres long and 12 metres wide, it's almost the size of a high school basketball court. For a gathering of notable size, the gold-and-white East Room often is the only option, especially if dicey weather rules out the Rose Garden and the South Lawn.

"The fact that it's large, and usually empty, makes it so practical," said White House curator William Allman. "It doesn't need to be reconfigured. It's already waiting to be configured."

History will show that the East Room is the place where Barack Obama loosened restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, expanded health coverage for poor children, launched his first efforts to limit greenhouse gases, and signed legislation to help workers sue for pay discrimination. With some rearranging, the Obama White House also has used the East Room for black-tie entertainment, holiday celebrations, and a foot-stomping concert for 200 school children.