Rex Scouten, former White House chief usher, dies

Friday February 22, 2013 5:00 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rex Scouten, who served 10 first families as a Secret Service agent, White House chief usher and chief curator, has died.

The Richard Nixon Foundation says Scouten, who lived in Fairfax, Va., died Wednesday at a local hospital. He was 88.

Scouten's career began during Harry S. Truman's administration and continued through Bill Clinton's presidency. Scouten guarded Truman for four years, then became part of the first Secret Service detail assigned to a vice president with Richard Nixon.

In 1969, Scouten became chief usher, a position he held until 1986. He briefly retired, only to return as White House curator at President Ronald Reagan's request. He left that job in 1997.

The Reagans' dog was named Rex in honor of Scouten.

©2013 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Currently in Columbus
76°
Partly Cloudy

Today

Full schedule
8:00
Two and a Half Men
8:30
Mike & Molly
9:00
Criminal Minds
11:00
10TV News @ 11PM
11:35
Late Show with David Letterman