John Quincy Adams liked to swim. During his time there was no swimming pool in the White House so swimming meant finding a lake, pond or river to take a dip. There were also no bathing suits. Swimming meant skinny-dipping. One day while out on a walk, Adams felt like taking a dip in the Potomac River. He stripped down and jumped in.
Anne Royall’s grave. Unfortunately there are no pictures of her around.
There was no Secret Service or anything similar at the time. Adams was by himself, or so he thought. He had been noticed by a newspaper reporter named Anne Royall. Royall sat down on Adams’ clothes and refused to give them to him until he granted her an interview. Adams had no choice but to give her the interview, the first time a president had ever given an interview to a female reporter.
Text © 2017 Gary J. Sibio. All rights reserved.
This is a legend with a long history, but it’s just that — a legend. It never actually happened. http://ploddingthroughthepresidents.blogspot.com/2017/02/john-quincy-adams-skinny-dipping.html
He was probably into a keg of his cousin’s beer. Good on Ms. Royall
A possibility 🙂
That is too funny! 🙂
It’s one of those gems from history that they don’t teach us about in school. Can you imaging if this had happened today. Megyn Kelly gets interview with Donald Trump.
Megan Kelly will be out of job soon if things don’t change. Just sayin’.
True. I don’t know what was going on in her head that made her want to interview Alex Jones. I wouldn’t want to be in the same room as that creep.
I know it surprised me too.
Great story! But I don’t understand the bit about “Anne Royall’s grave”?
I couldn’t find an image of her so I just used her grave. No significance.
very interesting, she was one demanded lady to get that interview
She had spunk.
Yes l heard of this ?