Camp David: The President's Private World
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Few places in America are more shrouded in mystery than Camp David, the presidential retreat nestled in the Maryland mountains that has served every president since Franklin Roosevelt. Far more than a diplomatic venue, Camp David is where presidents go to think, grieve, pray, recover, and simply be human, away from the constant scrutiny of Washington. Each commander-in-chief has used the retreat differently, and those choices reveal something deep about their character and approach to leadership. Drawing from his experience as Director of Administration at Camp David, where he served three years under Presidents Bush and Obama and briefly returned under President Trump, instructor Sean Lawler takes students inside the gates for a scholarly yet personal look at the retreat's history, its lasting traditions, and the presidents who called it their sanctuary.