Origin

When the White House was burned down during the War of 1812, the invisible curtain to the afterlife was disturbed, leading to paranormal activity on the White House grounds. This activity increased after the death of Willie, the son of President Abraham Lincoln, however, it wasn't until 1908 when President Theodore Roosevelt assembled a group to "...investigate, exorcise, and end any abnormal or other-worldly entities residing in the People's House." Originally called the White House of Secret, the team was led by famed occultist William Walker Atkinson and was made up of skeptic and illusionist Harry Houdini, horror author H. P. Lovecraft, and co-creator of Tarot Cards, A.E. Waite.

Creation

The Committee of the Spectral Affairs first appears in the Ghost Machine Official Guidebook #1, although, the Guidebook says it makes its first appearance in First Ghost #1, which was not released before the Guidebook due to delays.