When George Washington took office as the first president of the United States in 1791, he had one man to manage his schedule.

Today the White House is filled with an army of staff members who keep track of the president's schedule down to the minute.

To highlight the importance of time in a president's life, the National Watch and Clock Museum in Columbia is presenting a special exhibition called "Time in Office: Presidential Timepieces."

The exhibition, which opens today, features 30 watches and clocks from 20 presidents, from Washington to Gerald Ford.

Noel Poirier, director of the National Watch and Clock Museum, said the staff has been working for almost a year to gather rarely seen memorabilia from museums and collections around the country.

"We wanted people to have an opportunity to think about time and to see the timepieces that these presidents relied on to mark their time," Poirier said.

An opening ceremony was held at the museum Thursday night, featuring impersonators of Abraham Lincoln and Mamie Eisenhower and colonial music from the Central York Middle School Fife and Drum Corps.

Attendees got a first glimpse of the exhibit, admiring numerous pieces including two watches owned by Washington.

The first Washington watch was given to Thomas Johnson, the former governor of Maryland, shortly after the Battle of Trenton in 1777 for his service. Johnson nominated Washington to be the commander in chief of the Continental Army in 1775, and later Washington nominated Johnson to serve on the Supreme Court.

This is the first time Washington's watch has been put on display, Poirier said. It was discovered in the archives of the New York Historical Society, and the Columbia museum did conservation work on the watch to make it displayable.

There is a banjo clock that hung in the office of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton during the Civil War. Lincoln would often visit Stanton in the office, located beside the White House.

A shelf clock that was in the room when Theodore Roosevelt was inaugurated in Buffalo, N.Y., after the assassination of William McKinley is on display.

One of the most interesting timepieces is Warren G. Harding's Masonic pocket watch, which has gold detailing and uses Masonic symbols for the hours.

Lancaster history is part of the exhibit, thanks to a Pulsar watch, which was made by the city's Hamilton Watch Co., similar to the one President Ford wore. One of the first digital watches, the Pulsar originally cost $2,100.

The Pulsar was worn by Ford during an appearance before Congress testifying about his pardon of President Richard Nixon. An article appeared in the Washington Post at that time highlighting his watch.

Hamilton dealers across the country started displaying the article and photo to advertise the Pulsar, but Ford disliked the attention and stopped wearing the watch after the article appeared.

Jeannine Coup of Leola and her husband, Bob, loaned the museum items of presidential memorabilia they have collected for more than 40 years.

The couple, who are former history teachers, are members of the American Political Items Collectors association. Items from their collection on display include a ticket to the 1936 presidential inauguration and Teddy Roosevelt campaign souvenirs.

"To be able to see a watch that George Washington carried in his pocket — how much better does it get than that?" Coup said. "It really is living history."

"Time in Office: Presidential Timepieces" opens today and runs through Dec. 31 at the National Watch and Clock Museum, 514 Poplar St., Columbia. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Call 684–8261 for more information.

The opening ceremony for the exhibition.

E-mail: myoder@lnpnews.com