The White House Fellows program is a non-partisan fellowship established via Executive Order 11183 by President Lyndon B. Johnson in October 1964. The fellowship is one of USA's most prestigious programs for leadership and public service, offering exceptional US Citizens first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the federal government. The fellowship was founded based upon a suggestion from John W. Gardner, then the president of Carnegie Corporation and later the sixth secretary of health, education, and welfare. White House Fellows spend a year working as a full-time, paid special assistant or advisor to senior White House staff, cabinet secretaries, the Vice President, or the head of an independent Executive Branch agency. Fellows also participate in an education program consisting of roundtable discussions with leaders from the private and public sectors. These roundtables are augmented through observation of policy in action, including domestic and international engagements with foreign dignitaries, industry executives, elected officials, and civil servants. The selection process to become a White House Fellow is very competitive, with fellowships awarded on a strictly non-partisan basis. Each year after the application period closes, the staff of the President's Commission on White House Fellowships (PCWHF) processes the applications and former fellows screen the applications to identify approximately one hundred of the most promising candidates. These selected individuals are then interviewed by several regional panels, which are composed of prominent local citizens. Based on the results of these interviews, the regional panelists and the director of the PCWHF select approximately thirty candidates to proceed as national finalists. The PCWHF will then interview these finalists, recommending between 11 and 19 of them to the president for a one-year appointment through the White House Office. The program can receive more than 2,000 applicants per year, with a selection rate often of 1% or less. Selected civilians serve as Schedule A presidential appointees, while military members will be assigned to duty at the PCWHF at 712 Jackson Place, Washington, D.C. Once fellows complete their year of service, they join hundreds of other fellows as alumni of the program. The White House Fellows Foundation and Association is the organization that represents the White House Fellows alumni efforts, leadership events and fundraising activities.

Demographics

When the White House Fellows program was established in 1964, the program required that all fellows meet the following criteria: These initial criteria have been slightly modified over the years. In 1976, criteria were modified to disqualify regular federal employees and reaffirm that military personnel remained eligible. This same Executive Order decreased the term of the fellowship from 15 months to 12 (though EO 12653 again revised the duration to be extended at the Commission's discretion back up to 15 months). In 1977, President Jimmy Carter revised the criteria again under Executive Order 12012. In this case, the explicit age requirement was removed. Instead, an emphasis was added such that fellows must be, "...early in their chosen careers..." Since the inception of the program, White House Fellows have come from a variety of backgrounds.

Undergraduate education

Graduate education

Notable alumni

The President's Commission on White House Fellowships

The Presidents Commission on White House Fellowships (PCWHF) consists of the program office (the Director, staff, and White House Fellows) and the Commission (the commissioners and their Chairperson). The White House Fellows program is a subunit of the White House Office and is located on the 18 acres of the White House grounds. The Director of the PCWHF is appointed by the President, serves as the Designated Federal Officer for the Commission, and is supported by a team of staff members. The Director is responsible for administering all aspects of the program. The Commission meets twice a year and reports to the President of the United States through the Executive Office of the President. The Commission's responsibility is to recommend candidates to the President for selection as White House Fellows. The commissioners help recruit a diverse group of applicants, screen the applicants, and makes recommendations to the President. Chairs of the commission overseeing the White House Fellows Program include Commissioners overseeing the White House Fellows Program include: Former commissioners overseeing the White House Fellows Program include:

Directors of the President's Commission on White House Fellowships

The White House Fellows Foundation & Association

The White House Fellows Foundation & Association (WHFFA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to “supporting the White House Fellows educational program financially, to broaden the foundation members’ understanding of government and the problems confronting government, and to encourage members’ contribution to public service and the education of the public.” Activities funded by the WHFFA support alumni and current cohort members. This includes supporting a portion of seminar costs for the White House Fellows' educational program, an annual meeting of alumni, and recruiting applicants for the White House Fellows program. The WHFFA is governed by a board of directors who are voted on by dues paying members. The board has the authority to hire an executive director to conduct affairs on behalf of the WHFFA. Only White House Fellows alumni are eligible to join the WHFFA. The WHFFA revenue is derived from member dues, investment income, and donations.

Programs inspired by the White House Fellows

Due to the successes and longevity of the White House Fellows program, latter administrations have introduced other distinct fellowships with similar names. Though the White House Fellows program is the only dedicated to service at the highest levels of government and the only administered from within the White House, these more recent programs have succeeded in serving their unique objectives over the years.

Presidential Management Fellows

The Presidential Management Fellows program exists to recruit recent college graduates and graduate students in order to develop a core of future government leaders. Those selected are hired at federal pay grades starting at GS-9 and serve for a period of two years. Presidential Management Fellows are administered via the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. More than 500 Presidential Management Fellows may be selected annually, with a selection rate of approximately 10%. The Presidential Management Fellows Program was initially established as the Presidential Management Intern Program in 1977.

Presidential Innovation Fellows

The Presidential Innovation Fellows Program seeks to embed industry’s top technologists and innovators within federal agencies for a period of one year. The program typically recruits 20-35 fellows for each new cohort and charges them with helping to solve the nation’s toughest challenges and emerging issues. The program was initiated by President Barack Obama in 2012 and later codified via the TALENT Act in 2017. It is administered by the General Services Administration.

White House Leadership Development Program Fellows

The White House Leadership Development Program is designed to provide senior level federal employees (GS-15 and equivalent) with exposure to cross-agency priority challenges. It was established by President Barack Obama on December 9, 2014. The program is sponsored by the Executive Office of the President and is administered by the General Services Administration.