social circles

“The next best thing to being wise oneself is to live in a circle of those who are.” — C. S. Lewis

George Washington preferred circular or oval rooms for his presidential levees—formal social gatherings where he stood at the center and greeted guests, with everyone on equal standing and equidistant from him. He ordered curved walls be added to his Philadelphia residence.

Architect James Hoban, influenced by Washington, introduced an “elliptic saloon” into the design of the White House, deemed the Blue Room. Its shape became a model for the Oval Office, which even today symbolizes continuity, openness, and equality in presidential receptions.