These 65 Fantastic First Lady Facts Will Surely Surprise You!

First ladies are the wives of world leaders, and this title is often associated with wives of the president of the United States.

But take note that this title accounts for being more than just the wife to the president. This fact has been proven time and again with some renowned first ladies such as Hillary Clinton, Jacqueline Kennedy, Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, Julia Grant, and Michelle Obama, to name a few.

Let's find out about first lady facts in this article, and discover more about their achievements.

The Role Of The First Lady

FLOTUS is the abbreviation of the first lady of the United States and is a title that is highly regarded. The wife of the current president holds this position in the White House and takes responsibility for many social concerns of the United States. Here's a look at the major roles and responsibilities of a first lady.

• The role of the first lady is merely ceremonial as she is not an elected official; however, American society sees this as a respected position.
• The first lady is regarded as the hostess of the White House, and this role has evolved over the centuries.
• The first lady is tasked with attending official celebrations or ceremonies in the absence of the president or along with him.
• She is also usually the main organizer of official functions and ceremonies of the White House.
• The four main areas of 'first ladyship' as identified by Lisa Burns are political activist, public woman, political celebrity, and political interloper.
• The first lady exercises the power of being an influential and significant political adviser to the president.
• The media often reports on their different fashion trends during their tenure.
• Several first ladies have also been the pioneers and promoters of varied social causes. The first lady usually has a dedicated staff to support and carry out these activities.
• All former first ladies become members of the board of trustees of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts when the president leaves office. This has been a practice since 1964.
• The First Lady has assistants to help her carry out her duties.
• Press secretary, chief floral designer, chief of staff, and White House social secretary are some of the important roles for staff members.

Famous First Ladies

The role of first lady has always been an integral part of the functioning of the White House. Let's find out about some of the most influential and famous first ladies.

• Abigail Fillmore was the wife of President Millard Filmore and was a teacher at New Hope Academy.
• Both Abigail and Millard Filmore shared a passion for learning which resulted in the creation of a library in the White House.
• Abigail Fillmore personally curated the collection of books.
• Officials once feared the president having access to a library in the White House. They believed a library could make a president more powerful than intended.
• Officials resented the Fillmores' decision to create a library but finally agreed to a budget of $2,000 for its inception.
• Betty Ford, born Elizabeth Anne Bloomer, was the wife of President Gerald Ford.
• Betty Ford was one of the first 'first ladies' to discuss psychiatry and her experiences.
• She advocated the legalization of abortion and the equal rights amendment.
• Betty Ford also raised awareness of breast cancer.
• Her open nature and candor were unprecedented for such a high-profile figure but, nevertheless, she was a highly appreciated first lady of the White House.
• Laura Bush was the wife of George Bush and was active in several educational, literacy, and health issues in both national and international domains during her tenure.
• During 1999-2000, she assisted George in a number of campaigns, such as the 2000 Republican National Convention.
• According to the Gallup organization, Laura Bush was one of the most celebrated and popular first ladies.
• Hillary Clinton is the wife of former President Bill Clinton and an extremely influential and powerful first lady.
• She was tasked with a lot of healthcare policies and was also appointed the head of the Task Force on National Health Care Reform.
• Hillary Clinton was highly active in women's and children's welfare and advocated the Adoption and Safe Families Act.
• Hillary was also a junior senator for New York during President Clinton's second term.
• She was selected as President Barak Obama's Secretary of State and ran a Democratic presidential nomination campaign in 2008.
• Florence Harding was the first 'first lady' to cast a vote, and this brought a change in the way first ladies were regarded. She also was known to invite movie stars to the White House.
• Franklin Pierce and his wife Jane were not that interested in politics, probably because they suffered many tragedies, especially the loss of all their children.
• Hannah, the wife of Martin Van Buren, died at the young age of 36. Martin Van Buren resided in the White House as the eighth president of the United States.
• Other female family members often took over the responsibilities of the first lady. The first president to offer roles to his family was Chester Arthur, whose sister Mary stepped in as the first lady after his wife died before he took over the presidency.
• Elizabeth Monroe was the wife of former president James Monroe, and her duties were mostly assumed by her daughter due to her health. James Monroe resided in the White House as the fifth president of the United States.
• Edith Wilson, the wife of Woodrow, controversially took over stewardship of the presidency after he suffered a stroke. She was a direct descendant of famous Native American Pocahontas, as well as being related to Thomas Jefferson, and Martha Washington.

Causes And Initiatives They Were Involved In

The roles and responsibilities of the first lady of the White House are numerous. Here are some initiatives and causes taken up and advocated by former first ladies.

• All through history, the wives of presidents have used their influential position to help the needy and do their bit in changing their nation and world.
• From the mid-20th century, there were many specific social causes that first ladies advocated.
• A dedicated staff was also arranged to support these causes.
• Eleanor Roosevelt advocated civil rights, humanitarian efforts, and woman's rights. She also hosted a weekly radio show.
• Barbara Bush concentrated on several initiatives surrounding childhood obesity.
• Jacqueline Kennedy showed an inclination towards supporting the arts, and White House restoration.
• Claudia Alta Johnson, also known as Lady Bird, showed interest in supporting environmental protection and beautification issues.
• Rosalynn Carter showed farsightedness in supporting mental-health issues when the concept of mental health was seen as something to be hidden and not talked about.
• Pat Nixon stressed the importance of voluntary work in different social causes.
• Nancy Reagan helped raise awareness on drug abuse and ran the 'Just Say No' campaign.
• Hillary Clinton advocated several healthcare-related issues in the United States.
• Michelle Obama campaigned about child obesity and ran the Let's Move campaign.
• Melania Trump raised cyberbullying awareness and ran the Be Best campaign.
• The current first lady, Jill Biden, supports the military and runs the Joining Forces campaign.

First Ladies In Popular Culture

The first lady is America's most influential female figure and hence is the center of attention of the media and public. Let's have an overview of some of these influential first ladies.

• Before the Civil War, the wife of the president was just a local figure, but today the situation is completely different, due to the internet age.
• Many first ladies have grabbed the media spotlight for their keen sense of fashion and dressing style. For instance, Jacqueline Kennedy, during her tenure, became a global fashion icon.
• Several commercial manufacturers copied her fashion sense and style. And many young women imitated her looks.
• In 1965, Jacqueline Kennedy was also given a place in the International Best-Dressed Hall of Fame.
• The New York Dress Institute named Mamie Eisenhower as one of the 12 best-dressed women in the country.
• A standard 'Mamie look' comprised charm bracelets, bobbed banged hair, full-skirted dress, pearls, and little hats, and became extremely popular.
• Michelle Obama's fashion choices were also appreciated by stylists.
• Robin Givhan, a fashion style writer, wrote in the 'Daily Beast' that Michelle Obama's fashion sense had a significant impact on her public image.
• The First Ladies Collection is a popular tourist attraction that was established in 1912 and located at the Smithsonian Institution.
• This exhibition offers a glimpse into the fashion of first ladies and references other contributions to American society made by them.
• This exhibition has a display of a wide range of personal items, dresses, and other objects belonging to famous first ladies like Michelle Obama and Martha Washington.
• Items such as White House china and a collection of first ladies' personal possessions can be found in this exhibition.
• Michelle Obama appeared a lot in the media, made friends with many movie stars, and even went on 'The Late Late Show with James Corden'.
• Jill Biden, the current First Lady, appeared on the January 2021 edition of 'Vogue'.
• Jill Biden has also been working on various teaching initiatives.
• The novel 'American Wife' is based mostly on former first lady Laura Bush's life.
• There have been numerous films, documentaries, and TV series about First Ladies, including Jackie Kennedy and Lady Bird Johnson, and Louisa Adams, who featured prominently in miniseries 'John Adams'.
• To date, there are five living former first ladies, namely, Hillary Clinton, Melania Trump, Laura Bush, Michelle Obama, and Rosalynn Carter. The legacy of many first ladies often remains in the public spotlight for longer than their husbands!

FAQs

What are first ladies known for?

A. A first lady is known to represent the president, champion social causes, and manage the White House.

Who was the original first lady?

A. Martha Washington is still said to be the inaugural 'first lady', even though the title was not used during the Washingtons' tenure in the White House.

When did the term first lady start?

A. Although it had been used since the time of Martha Washington, the title first gained nationwide recognition in 1877, when journalist Mary Ames referred to Lucy Webb Hayes as 'the First Lady of the Land' while reporting on the inauguration of Rutherford Hayes, and was used by her to refer to Lucy in future articles, and by others.

By the 1930s, it was in wide use.

Which US first lady was not the wife of the president?

A. Harriet Lane, who was the niece of James Buchanan, was not the wife of the president.

Who was the first lady of the United States?

A. Martha Washington is considered to be the first first lady of the U.S. as she was the wife of the first president, George Washington. Currently, the first lady is Jill Biden.

 What does the first lady do?

A. The first lady supports the president in his public life and also furthers many initiatives. Since the early 20th century, the first lady has been assisted by official staff, now known as the office of the First Lady, and headquartered in the East Wing of the White House.

How many first ladies have there been?

A. Till now, there have been 54 first ladies.

Why is the first lady called FLOTUS?

A. FLOTUS is an abbreviation for 'first lady of the United States'.

Which first ladies died in the White House?

A. Letitia Christian Tyler, Caroline Harrison, and Ellen Wilson died in the White House.

How many first ladies are still alive?

A. As of 2022, five former first ladies are alive.

Where did Donald Trump meet Melania?

A. Trump met Melania at a party.

What is Donald Trump's background?

A. Former president Trump is from a German-American family.

Which president got married while in office?

A. Grover Cleveland married Frances while he was serving his tenure in the White House.

Has there ever been a first husband in the U.S.?

A. No, there has never been a 'first husband' as the United States has never voted for a female president.