Which organization began presenting live Thanksgiving turkeys to U.S. presidents in 1947?

The National Turkey Federation began presenting live Thanksgiving turkeys to U.S. presidents in 1947.

The presentation arose during a dispute over the Truman administration’s voluntary food-conservation campaign. Officials promoted “Poultryless Thursdays” to conserve grain for overseas aid, but the National Poultry and Egg Board objected because Thanksgiving was celebrated on a Thursday and turkey was central to the holiday meal.

The National Turkey Federation, a trade association representing the turkey industry, helped establish the annual presidential presentation. Early ceremonies were not the modern pardon ritual: the birds were generally intended as food, and presentations could include dressed turkeys as well as a live one. The Poultry and Egg National Board was also involved in the early years, which can make the organization’s role seem less exclusive.

The National Turkey Federation is still best known for the ceremony. The tradition of formally “pardoning” the turkey came much later: Ronald Reagan used the phrase jokingly in 1987, and George H. W. Bush made the practice a regular annual feature beginning in 1989.