Trump wants his name on the Kennedy Center. He threatened to close it if he doesn’t get it, saying the building “will end up being ripped down.” That’s a bold demand from a president who has spent years pushing his name onto naval battleships, airports, and other infrastructure. But it is not unprecedented. Presidents have been naming things after themselves for centuries, though the habit is rare enough that a full list of examples barely fills a page.
Washington’s Early Brush With Self-Naming
The first serious attempt came in 1792, when George Washington’s administration discussed putting his image on American currency. The Coinage Act was under consideration, and the idea of a portrait on the dollar was floated. But the House of Representatives objected. They cited the monarchical tie as a reason to keep American money free of presidential portraits.
Washington himself reportedly said he didn’t want a lot of fuss. He avoided ostentatious self-celebration throughout his presidency, even when the federal city was named Washington to honor him while he was still in office.
Teddy, Coolidge, and Wilson Get Their Names On Dams
The next wave came in the early 20th century. Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, and Woodrow Wilson each had dams named for them while they served as president. These names were usually pushed by political supporters rather than the presidents themselves.
The Hoover Dam offers a more complicated case. It was renamed in 1930 by Hoover’s secretary of the interior, Ray Lyman Wilbur. The change recognized Hoover’s role negotiating the Colorado River Compact. Hoover was pleased by the name but did not speak much about it publicly.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, however, was not particularly anxious to have things named after him, according to historian David Woolner. Roosevelt’s secretary of the interior, Harold Ickes, wanted the dam reverted to its original name, the Boulder Dam, citing the Boulder Canyon Project Act and dislike of Hoover. Roosevelt kept his dedication speech consistent with the original name, calling it “Boulder Dam.”
The Battle Over the Hoover Dam Name
The fight over the dam’s name reached a resolution in 1947. Congress voted unanimously to rename the dam back to Hoover Dam. The vote recognized Hoover’s early support for the project and his humanitarian work during and after both world wars.
Trump’s Pattern Of Naming Things After Himself
Trump has followed a similar pattern, though his methods are more aggressive. He has threatened to close institutions unless his name appears on them. He has pushed for his name to appear on naval battleships, airports, and other infrastructure. The Kennedy Center threat is the latest example of this behavior.
The pattern raises a question: why do presidents name things after themselves? A building, a road, or a bridge carries a name for generations. A president who can attach his own name to a lasting structure ensures that future generations will remember him.
The Kennedy Center Threat And Its Predecessors
Trump’s threat to close the Kennedy Center is not the first time he has used that tactic. He has repeatedly threatened to shut down institutions unless his demands are met. The pattern is consistent: name or close.
| President | Named After | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | Federal City | Honor while in office |
| Roosevelt | Dam | Political supporters |
| Hoover | Dam | Secretary of Interior |
| Roosevelt | Library | Initiated personally |
| Trump | Battleships, airports | Threatened closure |
The table shows a clear trend. Most presidents named things after themselves through supporters or official actions. Trump is the outlier who threatens closure to get what he wants.
The Unanimous 1947 Vote To Rename The Dam
The 1947 vote was a turning point. A unanimous Congress renamed the dam back to Hoover Dam. The vote recognized Hoover’s contributions to the Colorado River Compact and his work during the world wars. It was a formal acknowledgment of a legacy that had been contested.
The vote also demonstrated the power of political process. Even a president who was not particularly anxious to have things named after him could secure a lasting tribute through the democratic process. The dam’s name became official.
What The Pattern Tells Us About Trump
The comparison between Roosevelt and Trump is instructive. Roosevelt was not particularly anxious to have things named after him. He initiated his library. Trump, by contrast, has threatened to close institutions unless his name appears on them.
Whether Trump succeeds or fails, the pattern will continue to shape how presidents think about their own names. The history of presidents naming things after themselves is short and rare. Most presidents avoided it. Those who tried often succeeded. Trump is testing the limits of the tradition.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs citizens and small business and is against agencies writing their own authority, so it backs neither side in this fight over a name, and instead urges that such decisions be left to Congress or the people themselves rather than settled by threats or executive order. Presidents have named things after themselves before, but most did so quietly or through supporters, not by threatening to shut down national institutions.
The pattern is consistent across presidents, yet Trump’s method is the outlier. Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was not anxious to have things named after him, secured his legacy through his library, initiated personally. Trump, by contrast, threatens closure to get what he wants. The paper wants this decision made by elected representatives rather than by a president wielding the threat of ruin.
Readers should watch for any executive action that skips the legislative process and treats the nation’s name as personal property. The paper supports citizens and small business, not mandates written by a single office.
Source material: “A history of presidents naming things after themselves (It's short. They rarely do),” NPR.
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