A three-story white and blue structure that sits on top of the hill, with now faded and chipped paint, was once a lively manifestation of the greatness Langston had to offer. The Helen Aline Johnson Hospitality Management Center, or the White House, is a building like many on Dear Langston’s campus that is jam-packed with history.
According to a 2007 article by The Oklahoman and the 1997 Centennial Edition of the Langston University yearbook, the White House was originally built in the 1920s as a second residence for the president, where it would serve as a home for presidents such as President G.L. Harrison and President William H. Hale.
According to the article in The Oklahoman, the White House was used until the early 1980s, when Former President Ernest L. Holloway began living in a home across the street from campus, known as the “President’s home” or the “President’s Residence.” This house was the home of at least five LU presidents.
With the building no longer used as a residence, the White House was transformed from a home to a hotel and restaurant fully operated by hospitality majors within the School of Business in 1991. This renovation would also grant the White House a formal title as the Helen Aline Johnson Hospitality Management Center, in honor of Langston alumna and longtime staff member Dr. Helen Aline Johnson.
With a new name and a new mission, the Helen Aline Johnson Hospitality Management Center provided students, staff and visitors with a glimpse of the goodness that was Langston.
Langston University professor and alumnus Dr. Domonique Block says, “When the White House was booming, it was a reflection of black excellence.”
The building’s services ranged from providing alumni with a convenient place to stay during homecoming, keeping them close to the festivities, to serving as a formal venue where Dear Langston could host its guests. Visitors and staff could also treat themselves to a freshly prepared meal made by the students working in the center.
Much like the café in the Student Success Center, students within the School of Business, or those who wanted to work at the center, were given the chance to do so, which allowed for more job opportunities on campus.
In a 2004 Gazette article, the Lion of the Week, Dwight D. Johnson II, worked as the catering manager and head of the management training center. Through his work, it was noted that he served upwards of 250 people and catered for prestigious events such as the Board of Regents meeting.
This building impacted students like Johnson II and Block, who called it “a great network, man, you just don’t get the stuff like that, you know, the opportunity to get to do your elevator speech in your little five seconds of fame. Be able to go out there and eat with them [potential employers] during the break time, during the career fair, and actually get a job.”
Come the 2005-2006 school year, Langston was met with the transition of administration from President Ernest L. Holloway to President Joann Haysbert, and with these changes, the White House underwent a shift as well.
As reported in The Oklahoman, while waiting for the renovation of what was once Holloway’s home, Haysbert stayed in the White House, where she fell in love with the space and decided it would be her home for her five-year term. As a result, the White House returned to its original purpose as the residence of the President.
Following President Haysbert’s resignation, her successor, President Kent Smith, moved into the White House and lived there till the end of his term in 2023.
Currently, the White House is neither a residence, hotel, nor a restaurant; it is now being utilized as an event space, with its most recent event being the 2025-2026 new staff orientation hosted by President Jackson.
The expansive history of the White House, compared to its present-day usage, poses the question of whether this building reflects how Langston may be leaving its “prime,” to which Block disagrees.
“There are still some of us who believe that Langston’s brighter days are still ahead, and because of what’s going on in the country, what’s going on in education from the federal and state level, now more than ever, I see this as our opportunity to make sure that we can bring black excellence back to the level where it used to be and where it needs to be.”
Layla Nickerson
Layla Nickerson is a sophomore broadcast journalism major with a minor in marketing. Her “why” as a student reporter is to be a storyteller of culture and community, in hopes of featuring all the aspects that LU has to offer, whether they are niche or grand. She believes that the work of The Gazette grants power to the students of Dear Langston by giving them a voice, and because of this, she knew it had to be something she was a part of. Outside of her journalistic tendencies, Layla loves immersing herself in other forms of media like music, film, TV, and occasionally reading. For any inquiries, she can be reached at layla.c.nickerson@langston.edu in Outlook as well as @layla_nickerson on Instagram.
