In 1969, Pat Nixon’s Meatloaf was likely served in Government Services, Inc.’s (GSI’s) numerous cafeterias in Washington, DC. When the American public became aware that President Nixon was quite fond of his wife’s meatloaf, the White House was inundated with inquiries about the recipe and copies were printed on White House stationery, along with other Nixon family favorites, in response to the thousands of requests. President Nixon favored simple American and ethnic fare, possibly reflecting his Quaker heritage.
At that time, Government Services, Inc. was for the most part a local entity, with accounts concentrated in the Washington, DC area. The company held contracts with the National Park Service, the Department of Interior, the Library of Congress, the General Services Administration and the National Gallery of Art, among others. GSI’s one out-of-market contract was with the Tennessee Valley Authority for the operation of Fontana Village Resort in North Carolina, which was originally built to house the workers who constructed the Fontana Dam in the early 1940s.