President Bill Clinton said the handshake inspired a life of public service. It was 1963, the summer before Clinton’s senior year at Hot Springs High School in Arkansas. He was selected as one of two students to go to Boys Nation, a program created in 1946 by the American Legion to bring students to Washington D.C. for a week to meet with elected officials and hold mock legislative sessions. 

President John F. Kennedy addressed the group in the Rose Garden on the South Lawn, and spoke of the importance of public service. Clinton said that he, “sort of muscled my way up” to meet the president. It was a meeting he never forgot. “Someday I’m going to have that job,” he told a fellow student.

The South Lawn is used for state arrival ceremonies, the White House Easter Egg Roll, concerts, and other events. The South Lawn is part of the White House Grounds, which include several decorative and functional gardens, a tennis court, putting green, and swimming pool. Because the White House Grounds are a national park, the National Park Service oversees their care, maintenance, and improvement.