President Jimmy Carter’s 1978 Portland sleepover

On May 4, 1978, President Jimmy Carter stayed overnight at the Portland, Oregon home of Janet and Paul Olson during a West Coast tour. This was not an uncommon thing for President Carter. Presidential sleepovers were a continuation of a practice he had adopted while campaigning for governor of Georgia: Staying overnight in the homes of everyday Americans to connect with them more on a personal level. Filmmaker and “Oregon Experience” producer Nora Colie happens to be childhood best friends with the Olsons’ daughter, Kristen. She revisits the memories of President Carter’s stay: How their Irvington neighborhood in Northeast Portland became a hotbed of activity for the Secret Service, the press and local politicians; and more tender moments—like a presidential bedtime story.