White House/Pete Souza

The little boy who appears in the iconic photo touching President Obama's head says the opportunity three years ago has left him feeling "amazed" to this day. 

The texture of the presidential pate "felt the same" as his own hair, Jacob Philadelphia recounted to MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell on Wednesday night.

Jacob, 5-years-old at the time, was visiting the West Wing with his parents when the photo was snapped by White House photographer Pete Souza. The child's father, Carlton, was there for the meet and greet because he was leaving the White House after serving two years with the National Security Council. 

Carlton told O'Donnell that every time his son went to get his haircut, he told the barber that he wanted it to look just like the president's.  

He told his sons before the visit that they could ask Obama any question, but he wasn't expecting Jacob to ask if he could touch the president's dome. Obama encouraged Jacob to feel his hair, eventually bending down and exclaiming "touch it, dude!"

"It was surprising that he actually raised that question," the former Marine said of his son. "It was memorable. I never expected a president to bend over and let him touch his hair."

The photo hangs in the White House to this day,  and has come to symbolize the importance of Obama's presidency to African-Americans.

"It makes me feel amazed that it's still there," said Jacob.