Last week a media-hungry, Virginia couple crashed the Obama Administration’s first State Dinner. Anyone who possesses even a dash of good manners recognizes this act as one of exceedingly bad taste. Who knew, however, that the Salahis were not the first White House party crashers?

 

In Tuesday’s New York Times, Henry Morgenthau III shares his knowledge about two earlier White House intruders. Apparently, on December 31, 1938, two teenagers, challenged by a dare to secure the autographs of President and Mrs. Roosevelt, walked unimpeded into the White House. (The Secret Service erroneously assumed the teenagers were Henry Morgenthau, his brother, and a female friend, all of whom were expected at a White House New Year’s Eve party.) The President was reportedly amused by the prank; The First Lady was decidedly not.

 

A few days later, in her newspaper column “My Day,” Mrs. Roosevelt expressed her annoyance at the “rather unfortunate incident which a thoughtless boy and girl brought about by their intrusion.” She continued, noting that their “rude and unmannerly behavior” could have resulted in unfortunate consequences. In her closing remarks, Mrs. Roosevelt added that she “would not wish to have in my employ any young people who acted with so little thought and consideration for others.”

 

The 1938 incident serves as a good reminder of the likelihood of unintended consequences. Former First Lady Roosevelt could not have been more correct: An action intended as a harmless prank may quite unintentionally affect one’s employment options for years to come.