First Ladies

What Do We Want in a First Lady?

Books by historian Julia Sweig and journalist Karen Tumulty examine the stated and unstated expecations of the role of First Lady through the stories of Lady Bird Johnson and Nancy Reagan. 

The Lost Story of Lady Bird

by Julia E. Sweig

"It is perhaps ironic that so many historians, intent as they are on the president, have missed her sway in the White House, because Lyndon himself was not shy in acknowledging Lady Bird’s crucial role in his administration."

Jill Biden Is a Teacher. And She’s Not About to Change That

Cultural historians Stephanie Coontz, Betty Boyd Caroli and Katherine Jellison discuss the historical roles occupied by First Ladies and the ways the position has and will change. 

First Professor: Jill Biden to Make History as a First Lady with a Day Job

According to her top tags on RateMyProfessors.com, Dr. Jill Biden gives her students “good feedback” and is “respected” and “inspirational,” but she’s also a “tough grader” who gives “lots of homework.”

Eleanor Roosevelt, First Among First Ladies

David Michaelis's new biography is an excellent resource for those unfamiliar with the life and work of Eleanor Roosevelt and her political partnership with FDR.

A gay first lady? Yes, we’ve already had one, and here are her love letters.

 A new book, “Precious and Adored: The Love Letters of Rose Cleveland and Evangeline Simpson Whipple, 1890-1918,” makes it clear that Rose Cleveland and Evangeline Simpson Whipple were more than just friends, according to its editors.

Remembering Jackie Kennedy for More than Her Fashion Sense

by Lisa M. Burns

She was the architect who meticulously crafted President John F. Kennedy’s lasting legacy.

A Brief History Of Spousal Speeches At Political Conventions

It started with Eleanor Roosevelt in 1940.  

American History museum gets Michelle Obama’s second inaugural gown

The National Museum of American History is marking the 100th anniversary of one of its most popular exhibitions, “The First Ladies,” by displaying Michelle Obama’s second inaugural gown.

Jim Downs: The History of Mrs. Obama's Heckler, or Caught Between Civil Rights and a Hard Place

Jim Downs is an associate professor of history and American Studies at Connecticut College, specializing in African-American studies and nineteenth-century American history. His book, Sick from Freedom: African-American Illness and Suffering during the Civil War and Reconstruction, was just published by Oxford University Press.On June 4, 2013, Ellen Sturtz, a gay rights activist, heckled first lady Michelle Obama at a meeting of the Democratic National Convention. Ms. Obama allegedly responded by saying that she would leave if the heckler did not stop. The audience, however, cajoled the first lady to stay and the gay rights activist was purportedly escorted out of the venue. Mrs. Obama continued her speech by talking about the future of children.