Summary
Overview
In this episode of Stuff You Should Know, Josh and Chuck explore the history and operations of Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland's Blue Ridge Mountains. From its origins as a New Deal project to its role as a diplomatic venue for historic peace negotiations, they cover how this rustic 150-acre compound has served presidents since FDR, including its facilities, security measures, and the Navy personnel who keep it running.
Origins and FDR's Transformation
Camp David began as part of a 1930s New Deal program to rehabilitate damaged land in the Catoctin Mountains. Originally called Camp Hi-Catoctin and used as a recreational area for federal workers, it caught FDR's attention in 1942 when he needed a retreat closer than his presidential yacht. He renamed it Shangri-La, made it wheelchair accessible, and established it as a presidential retreat, even hosting Winston Churchill there to plan parts of the D-Day invasion.
- In 1936, the government purchased 10,000 acres of sub-marginal land in Catoctin Mountains as part of New Deal conservation efforts
- FDR took over Camp Hi-Catoctin in April 1942, seeking relief from sinus problems and a safer alternative to his yacht during WWII
- FDR renamed it Shangri-La after a Himalayan utopia in the novel 'Lost Horizon' and called his cabin the Bear's Den
- Churchill and FDR allegedly planned D-Day invasion from the cabin porch and visited a local restaurant where Churchill marveled at a jukebox
" He said, all right, I came up with Shangri-La. Let's keep this roll I'm on going. I'm going to call the presidential cabin the Bear's Den. And everyone was like, you're president again. And they called it the Bear's Den. "
Eisenhower's Modernization and Name Change
When Eisenhower became president in 1953, he initially wanted to eliminate Camp David as wasteful, but was convinced to keep it by his attorney general who loved the place. Eisenhower transformed the retreat by renaming it Camp David after his grandson, adding modern amenities like a helicopter pad, golf hole, bowling alley, and screening room, and establishing the tradition of naming cabins after trees.
- Eisenhower thought Shangri-La was 'just a little fancy for a Kansas farm boy' and renamed it Camp David after his five-year-old grandson
- He built a helicopter pad to reduce travel time from 55 miles by car to 30 minutes by air
- Eisenhower added amenities including a one-hole golf course, bowling alley, and screening room
- A bomb shelter was constructed during the Cold War that could accommodate up to 150 defense staffers in case of nuclear war
" Eisenhower thought the name Shangri-La was, quote, just a little fancy for a Kansas farm boy. So he renamed it Camp David. "
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