In life, presidents are limited to two terms.
But the Constitution says nothing about occupying
the White House in the afterlife.
For NPR, I'm Ron Elving.
Welcome to my office hours ... of horror.
Tradition tells us the White House is haunted
by several of its former occupants:
Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson 
and even John Tyler.
Although, in all honestly, it's hard to imagine
anyone recognizing the ghost of John Tyler.
By far the most famous of these apparitions
is former President Abraham Lincoln,
who's been reported so often in the White House
it's not even newsworthy anymore.
Lincoln did not die in the White House, but
allegedly his spirit has been hanging around
ever since nonetheless.
Sometimes he's reported to even wear his trademark
shawl and top hat.
In 1942, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
was staying at the White House and reported
that as she was trying to get some sleep in
the Lincoln Bedroom, she heard a knock
at the door, she walked to the door, slowly opened
it -- and there he stood,
top hat, shawl and all.
But before he could speak, the queen fainted.
Which apparently the queen did from time to time.
Prime Minister Winston Churchill also reported
an encounter with former President Abraham
Lincoln when he was spending the wee hours
of a White House night.
He had just had his usual hot bath, and he
emerged with his usual glass of scotch and
trademark cigar and found the former president
leaning on a mantelpiece, gazing into a fireplace
lost in his ghostly thoughts.
Churchill spoke, and the apparition vanished.
Now, it is of course possible that was not
Sir Winston's first glass of scotch that evening,
and it's also possible he was just having
a bit of fun with his American ghosts --
uh, hosts.
And look, let's be honest about it.
Washington, D.C., is known for a lot of strange
goings-on in any season.
I'm Ron Elving; thank you for coming to my
office hours.
