Fun Facts About the First Ladies – Part 3

The First Ladies of the United States have been many things—trailblazers, influencers, advocates, and, on occasion, the unfortunate recipients of some truly wild conspiracy theories. In third installment of our ongoing series (see Part 1 and Part 2), we take a look at the next 12 women who graced the White House with their presence, proving yet again that behind every great man is a woman who often deserves way more credit than she gets.

28. Frances Cleveland (1886–1889, 1893–1897)

Frances Cleveland holds the distinction of being both the youngest First Lady in history—just 21 years old when she married 49 year old President Grover Cleveland—and the only First Lady to be married and give birth in the White House. Before their nuptials, the role of White House hostess was filled by Cleveland’s sister, Rose Elizabeth Cleveland, making it possibly the most high-profile temp job in history. She also has the possibly-creepy distinction of marrying her legal guardian. Grover was her guardian from the time she was 11 years old. When asked by the press why he hadn’t yet married, he responded, “I’m waiting for my bride to grow up.”

29. Caroline Harrison (1889–1892)

Caroline Harrison, wife of Benjamin Harrison, had a knack for firsts—she was the first to use electricity in the White House (a bold move, considering people of the era were still a little unsure about this whole “electricity” thing) and the first to have a White House Christmas tree. Sadly, she was also the second First Lady to die in the White House. Her husband later remarried her social secretary—and niece—Mary Dimmock Harrison.

30. Ida McKinley (1897–1901)

Ida McKinley was the only First Lady who had prior experience as a bank teller and manager, a role she held before becoming the nation’s leading lady. She also played a major role in convincing her husband, William McKinley, to retain the Philippines after the Spanish-American War, proving that financial acumen wasn’t her only skill. She was the first sitting first lady to visit a foreign country.

31. Edith Roosevelt (1901-1909)

Theodore Roosevelt’s first wife, Alice, tragically passed away in 1884—17 years before he became president. Her death was so devastating that Roosevelt rarely, if ever, spoke of her again. A year later, he remarried, and it was his second wife, Edith Roosevelt, who became First Lady after President McKinley’s assassination. She oversaw the relocation of the president’s office to a newly-constructed West Wing and converted the old office space into living quarters. This doubled the size of the residential portion of the mansion — a necessary change to accomodate the large family.

32. Helen “Nellie” Taft (1909–1913)

Nellie Taft was nothing if not a trendsetter. She was the first First Lady to own and drive a car, the first to ride in her husband’s (William Howard Taft) inaugural parade, the first to support women’s suffrage, the first to publish her memoirs, and the first to smoke cigarettes in public. Oh, and she also successfully lobbied for better workplace safety standards in federal jobs. She was also instrumental in bringing the cherry blossom trees to Washington, D.C. A true multitasker.

33. Ellen Wilson (1913–1914)

Woodrow Wilson’s first wife, Ellen, was the only professional artist to become First Lady, leaving behind a legacy of paintings. She was involved in promoting legislation to improve housing and sanitation for African-American neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. She became the third first lady to die in the White House, dying of Bright’s Disease on August 6, 1914.

34. Edith Wilson (1915–1921)

A little more than one year after Ellen Wilson’s death, Woodrow Wilson married Edith Bolling Galt, a direct descendant of Pocahontas. So if you were ever wondering which First Lady had the most legendary ancestor, Edith wins that contest hands down.When her husband suffered a debilitating stroke in 1919, Edith Wilson essentially took over running the country—without ever being officially elected to anything. While the White House claimed the president was still in charge, Edith decided what issues were “worthy” of his attention and personally managed communication between him and the government. Some historians refer to her tenure as the “Petticoat Government,” but Edith preferred to call herself her husband’s “steward.” Either way, she’s probably the closest thing the U.S. has ever had to a female president—whether Congress liked it or not.

35. Florence Harding (1921–1923)

Florence Harding brought a whole new level of modernity to the role. She was the first First Lady to vote, fly in an airplane, operate a movie camera, own a radio, and invite Hollywood stars to the White House. She was also accused of poisoning her husband, Warren G. Harding, when he mysteriously died in office—something that has almost universally been dismissed as a wild conspiracy theory.

36. Grace Coolidge (1923–1929)

Grace Coolidge worked as a teacher for deaf students and became the first First Lady to speak in sound newsreels. It was a fitting milestone, considering her husband, Calvin Coolidge, was famous for saying very little. Someone in that household had to do the talking. She was a devout fan of baseball — particularly of Babe Ruth, earning her the title “First Lady of Baseball.”

37. Lou Hoover (1929–1933)

Lou Hoover was the first woman to graduate from Stanford University with a degree in geology, proving that rock-solid intelligence ran in the family. She also spoke fluent Chinese, making her and Herbert Hoover the only presidential couple to have full conversations in Mandarin—possibly just to confuse eavesdroppers. Under her leadership, the Girl Scouts developed their national cookie sales fundraising campaign.

38. Eleanor Roosevelt (1933–1945)

One of the most influential First Ladies in history, Eleanor Roosevelt shattered every mold possible. She was the first First Lady to hold regular press conferences, write a daily newspaper column, contribute to a monthly magazine, and host a weekly radio show. In other words, she was basically the first presidential spouse to master multitasking long before the term became trendy. Since Franklin D. Roosevelt was unable to travel as much as he would have liked because of his paralysis, Eleanor served as his eyes and ears around the country, keeping him informed about what the people thought.

39. Bess Truman (1945–1953)

Bess Truman played things a little differently. While she worked as a salaried Senate aide for her husband, Harry S. Truman, during his time in Congress, she took a much quieter approach as First Lady. She gave a grand total of one press conference. When asked why she did not want to give press conferences she replied “I am not the one who is elected. I have nothing to say to the public.” Sometimes, less is more.

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And there you have it—another round of fascinating, fun, and occasionally eyebrow-raising facts about America’s First Ladies. Stay tuned for the next installment, because if history has taught us anything, it’s that the women of the White House always keep things interesting.

To learn more about the First Ladies, visit the White House Historical Association.

Read Fun Facts About the First Ladies — Part 4 as we enter the modern era and conclude this series.

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