Politics & Government

Photo of the Day: Columbia Boy Pats Obama's Hair

The New York Times recently highlighted the photo of Jacob Philadelphia of Columbia patting the president's head three years ago.

It's an iconic image and it was a young Columbian who made it happen. In the image, President Barack Obama bends down to allow 5-year-old Jacob Philadelphia of Columbia to pat his head.

A recent New York Times article on the photograph, which was captured by White House photographer Pete Souza three years ago this month, called the image "indelible."

The story behind the photo is that in 2009 Jacob's father, Carlton, was leaving the White House after serving on the National Security Council, according to the Times. Each of his three sons had a question for the president, but Carlton did not know what they would ask.

Find out what's happening in Columbiawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Jacob said, "I want to know if my hair is just like yours," according to the Times, and after repeating the comment again so Obama could hear it better, the president lowered his head and told Jacob to "Touch it, dude!"

That's when Souza snapped the photo, which today still hangs in the West Wing.

Find out what's happening in Columbiawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Read more about the image in the full article on the New York Times - "When a Boy Found a Familiar Feel in a Pat of the Head of State"


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here