Camp David: U.S. Presidential Retreat Quiz

Answer: Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Roosevelt's doctors wanted him to find a place close to the capital where he could find relief from the Washington heat and humidity. The Secret Service sought a place that was more secure than the yacht FDR was using for his short "getaways". In April of 1942, FDR went on a secret visit to the site of what would become Camp David.

The place was within a 100 miles of Washington DC and was at a high enough elevation that would be less humid and cooler than the capital city.

Answer: Maryland

The retreat is located in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains. The camp selected had six cabins, a swimming pool and recreation hall already constructed. It was a two hour drive from Washington, D.C. The president selected one of the lodges as the presidential lodge and immediately began renovations including adding bedrooms, baths and a hinged wall that would allow the wheelchair bound FDR to quickly escape in the case of a fire.

Answer: Shangri-la

Reportedly when FDR first arrived at the site he referred to the area as "Shangri-la" which was a reference to a fictional mountain kingdom found in the James Hilton novel "Lost Horizon".

Answer: President Eisenhower's grandson

Ike thought about closing Shangri-la as part of his policy to reduce presidential perks. However, four months after his inauguration Ike visited the retreat and liking what he saw decide to leave it open. He led a major remodeling project, financed by the U.S. Navy, and renamed the camp "Camp David" in honor of his grandson.

Some of the improvements included the addition of a motion picture projection booth, a three hole golf course and the construction of a bomb shelter. Ike was also the first president to travel to the camp by helicopter, shortening the journey from two hours to thirty minutes.

Answer: Richard Nixon

Nixon, known for his paranoia, installed the microphones in the spring of 1972. They were hidden in his Camp David study. A year earlier he installed similar recording equipment at the White House. The microphones were removed in 1973 shortly after Nixon aide Alexander Butterfield revealed their existence to a Senate Watergate Committee. During his administration Nixon spent more time at Camp David than any other previous president.

While president, he added a two lane bowling alley to Camp David as well as a new heated swimming pool.

Answer: An agreement that led to the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty

In 1978, President Jimmy Carter persuaded Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to meet at Camp David for talks. After almost two weeks of intense negotiations, the two men reached an accord that led to the signing of a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt in 1979 and to the two men being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

The fact that these accords were reached at Camp David is ironic because Carter thought the facilities were a waste of tax payers' money, but it became the site of his greatest presidential victory.

Answer: Winston Churchill

In 1943, after meetings at the White House, FDR and Churchill went to Camp David to relax as they continued to plan the Normandy Invasion. The two leaders fished for trout, and enjoyed cigars on the veranda as they discussed the future of postwar Europe and other important topics. Many world leaders have been guests at Camp David since Churchill's visit.

Answer: U.S. Naval Support Facility at Thurmont

The Naval Support Facility at Thurmont is staffed year round by the U.S. Navy and Marine personnel. Thurmont is the name of a town close to the 143 acre facility.

Answer: Bill Clinton

Clinton knew he was going against the odds, but using Carter's earlier Middle East negotiations as a model, he brought Arafat and Barak to Camp David in July of 2000, hoping that the tranquility of the facility would be a factor in achieving peace. The two week effort led to some concessions being made regarding security, the return of refugees and borders for a Palestinian state, but disagreement over the control of Jerusalem's holy sites could not be overcome and a disappointed Clinton left without the treaty he had sought.

Answer: A family camp for federal employees

The site that became known as Camp David was built in 1938-1939 as part of a New Deal program designed to show how eroded mountain land could be recycled and used for recreational purposes. The facility with its six cabins was named Camp Hi-Catoctin and used for three years as a family camp for federal employees before FDR chose the camp as the place for a presidential retreat.