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Presidents who have visited the Triad while in office

Several presidents have visited the Greensboro area during their campaign runs, but what about after they were elected? A look at the history of presidential visits.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Several past presidents have visited the Piedmont while campaigning for the Oval Office, but what about after they were elected? Here's a look at the Commanders in Chief who visited our area during their presidential terms. 

1951: Harry Truman attends Wake Forest College groundbreaking ceremony

President Harry Truman visited Wake Forest College in Winston-Salem on October 15, 1951, where he spoke at the school's groundbreaking ceremony. We now know the school as Wake Forest University. 

Credit: NC Dept. of Cultural Resources
President Harry Truman (pictured with shovel) attends groundbreaking ceremony for Wake Forest College in Winston-Salem on October 15, 1951.

Watch and listen to the news reel from that day. 

1976: President Gerald Ford visits Guilford County and Hanes Mall

President Gerald Ford visited Guilford County and Winston-Salem on March 13, 1976. 

He made stops at Guilford College and Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, and he also addressed a crowd at Hanes Mall in Winston-Salem. 

Check out more photos of President Ford's visit to the Triad here. 

Credit: Kennerly, White House Archives
President Gerald F. Ford speaks to a crowd at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park in Guilford County on March 13, 1976.
Credit: Kennerly, White House Archives
President Gerald R. Ford visits Hanes Mall in Winston-Salem on March 13, 1976.

Here's our article from that day. 

1978: Jimmy Carter speaks at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem

President Jimmy Carter visited Winston-Salem on March 17, 1978. 

That morning, President Carter addressed a crowd of about 2,200 people on Wake Forest University's campus. He spoke on the administration's National Defense Policy. Here's a look at the script. 

Here's a look at his White House diary from that day. 

2006: George W. Bush stops by Stamey's Barbecue

President George W. Bush made a trip to the Triad on Oct. 18, 2006. 

He started the day greeting diners at Stamey's Barbecue in Greensboro. 

Credit: White House photo by Paul Morse
President George W. Bush shakes the hand of a patron at Stamey's in Greensboro, N.C., during a lunch with community leaders Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2006.

President Bush's next stop was at Waldo C. Falkener Elementary School. 

Then the president visited Victory Junction in Randleman, a camp for sick children. 

Here's our article from that day.

2011: Barack Obama visits Jamestown

President Barack Obama visited the Ragsdale community on October 18, 2011. 

He was in town as part of his promotional campaign for the American Jobs Act. GCS teachers were in the audience at the Ragsdale YMCA to hear the president speak. 

Ragsdale teacher Linda Phillips introduced the president to a full gym of people, Guilford County School's archives noted. 

That day, President Obama also held a roundtable with teachers at Guilford Technical College in Jamestown to discuss his concerns over cuts to education. 

Credit: Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson
President Barack Obama holds a roundtable meeting with teachers at Guilford Technical Community College in Jamestown, N.C., during the American Jobs Act Bus Tour, Oct. 18, 2011.

Here's a White House blog article from that day. 

2016: Barack Obama visits A&T

President Barack Obama made a quick stop in Greensboro at North Carolina A&T State University on October 11, 2016. 

He was in town participating in a forum called "My Brother's Keeper" which was helping boys and young men of color stay on the right path. 

ESPN broadcasted the forum Tuesday night which touched on topics including race, sports, and achievement.

Obama said today's young people of color are the workers, taxpayers, and business customers of the future. He says it's will be bad for everyone, not just the young people themselves, if they are unemployed, underemployed, or in prison.

Here's a picture of students who attended the forum. 

Credit: WFMY
Students who attended the forum with President Obama.

2022: President Joe Biden speaks at North Carolina A&T State University

During his visit, President Biden lauded the nation's largest historically black university on its efforts toward preparing students for jobs in STEM and clean energy. 

"You're making Greensboro a place where the future is being written," Biden said. 

He also spoke about NC A&T's relevance to educating and preparing students for the workplace of the future.

"A&T is an extraordinary university with a great tradition. HBCU tradition with more than 80 years of excellence delivering on that sacred promise, that every American of every race, background, zip code should go as far as their God-given talents can take them," Biden said.

Credit: WFMY News 2
President Joe Biden delivers speech at Greensboro NC A&T State University

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