The West Wing
Object

Toby Ziegler's Business Card

A small rectangular cardstock business card bearing Toby Ziegler's name and professional contact details. The card is creased and worn from being carried in an inner coat pocket; in the 'In Excelsis Deo' episode it is found damp and folded inside a donated winter coat recovered from a deceased man. Characters treat it as concrete evidence: an officer reads it aloud to establish a connection, Toby recognizes it and reacts with alarm, and the card functions as the evidentiary clue that propels Toby to arrange military honors and forces the administration to confront the moral implications.
7 appearances

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

7 moments
S1E10 · In Excelsis Deo
The Coat, the Card, and a Dead Marine

Toby's business card, found in the donated coat's pocket, is produced or noted by the officer as the link between Toby and the deceased. It serves narratively as the personal trace that pulls a White House aide into responsibility and shame.

Before: Carried in the interior pocket of the donated coat when given to Goodwill; later remains in that pocket while the coat circulates to a new owner.
After: Removed or observed by the officer at the scene and used to contact or reference Toby; remains evidence associating the deceased with Toby's donation.
View full event
S1E10 · In Excelsis Deo
Toby Finds His Donated Coat on a Dead Marine

Toby's business card, found inside the donated coat, functions as the narrative linchpin connecting the White House aide to the anonymous corpse. The officer announces it, which shifts the encounter from incidental to personally implicating for Toby.

Before: Tucked in the donated coat pocket (previously carried by Toby, later donated to Goodwill), then in the deceased's coat pocket.
After: Removed or noted by the officer and used to identify Toby as someone connected; remains as evidentiary provenance.
View full event
S1E10 · In Excelsis Deo
Insisting on Dignity: Toby Confronts Indifference at the Memorial

Toby's business card, found inside the donated coat, functions as the narrative linchpin tying the dead man to Toby and the White House. The officer reads it aloud to explain why Toby was summoned and to establish provenance, unintentionally personalizing the death.

Before: Tucked in the coat pocket (carried after donation), folded and slightly worn.
After: Removed and read by the officer; serves as evidence of the coat's donor and tactile link to Toby.
View full event
S1E10 · In Excelsis Deo
Toby Insists on Dignity for a Dead Marine

Toby's business card, folded and damp in the coat pocket, functions as the forensic link that allowed the dead man's coat to be traced back to Toby; Toby references the card aloud as the explanation for his presence and responsibility.

Before: Folded and damp inside the coat pocket while the coat was on Walter.
After: Used as the identifying clue that prompted Toby's visit; its physical custody is ambiguous in this scene but it has already served its narrative function as the link between Toby and Walter.
View full event
S1E10 · In Excelsis Deo
No PR, Yes Dignity: Bartlet Denies a Pitch and Endorses an Honor Guard

Toby's business card, retrieved from the coat, is cited as the identifying clue that ties the deceased to Toby and to the Goodwill donation chain; it transforms a private donation into a public responsibility.

Before: Was tucked in Toby's donated coat pocket while the coat passed through charity distribution.
After: Pulled from the deceased's possessions and used as the evidentiary link causing Toby to press for an honor guard; likely retained by investigators.
View full event
S1E10 · In Excelsis Deo
An Honor in the Margins

The small folded card (Toby's Card) is the concrete identifying token found in the coat pocket; it anchors the emotional plot by making the donor-invested connection and enabling Toby's claim and consequent actions.

Before: Carried by Toby in his coat pocket; folded and slightly worn.
After: Extracted from the donated coat and read as evidence linking the deceased to Toby, serving as the inciting clue for arranging honors.
View full event
S1E10 · In Excelsis Deo
The Folded Flag — Honor for the Unseen

Toby's business card provides the identifying token that links the coat to Toby; referenced in the Oval Office exchange to explain how the administration found provenance and why Toby felt compelled to act.

Before: Folded and carried in the coat pocket after Toby's donation; physically on the deceased when found.
After: Used as identifying evidence in initial reports; its narrative role shifts from mundane artifact to moral incitement.
View full event