First Lady of the United States

Former first ladies (from left to right) Rosalynn Carter, Senator Hillary Clinton, and Barbara Bush stand with then First Lady Laura Bush at the dedication of the William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park in 2004.

First Lady of the United States is the unofficial title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the President of the United States, the title is sometimes taken to apply only to the wife of a sitting President. However, several women who were not Presidents' wives have served as First Lady, as when the President was a bachelor or widower, or when the wife of the President was unable to fulfill the duties of the First Lady herself. In these cases, the position has been filled by a female relative or friend of the President.

To date, no woman has served as President. While a female President could theoretically serve as her own official hostess, it is not known what title would be applied to a President's husband, who might also serve as the host of the White House. There have been many female governors of U.S. states over the years; their husbands are typically referred to as the First Gentleman.

The current first lady is Michelle Obama. As of January 2009, there are six living former first ladies: Laura Bush, Betty Ford, widow of Gerald Ford; Rosalynn Carter, wife of Jimmy Carter; Nancy Reagan, widow of Ronald Reagan; Barbara Bush, wife of George H. W. Bush; and Hillary Rodham Clinton, wife of Bill Clinton.

Origins of the title

The use of the title first lady to describe the spouse or hostess of an executive began in the United States. In the early days of the republic, there was no generally accepted title for the wife of the President. Many early first ladies expressed their own preference for how they were addressed, including the use of such titles as "Lady", "Mrs. President", and "Mrs. Presidentress," Martha Washington was often referred to as "Lady Washington."

Former First Ladies Nancy Reagan, Lady Bird Johnson, Rosalynn Carter, Betty Ford and Barbara Bush with then First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton at the National Garden Gala, A Tribute to America's First Ladies, May 11, 1994. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was unable to attend due to illness, and died a week after this photograph was taken.

According to legend, Dolley Madison was referred to as "first lady" in 1849 at her funeral in a eulogy delivered by President Zachary Taylor. However, no written record of this eulogy exists.

Sometime after 1849, the title began being used in Washington, D.C. social circles. The earliest known written evidence of the title is from the November 3, 1863 diary entry of William Howard Russell, in which he referred to gossip about "the First Lady in the Land."

The title first gained nationwide recognition in 1877, when newspaper journalist Mary C. Ames referred to Lucy Webb Hayes as "the First Lady of the land" while reporting on the inauguration of Rutherford B. Hayes. Mrs. Hayes was a tremendously popular First Lady, and the frequent reporting on her activities helped spread use of the title outside Washington.

A popular 1911 comedic play by playwright Charles Nirdlinger titled The First Lady in the Land popularized the title further. By the 1930s it was in wide use. Use of the title later spread from the United States to other nations.

The acronym FLOTUS is sometimes used for "First Lady of the United States," by analogy to the more well-known acronym "POTUS" for "President of the United States."

The wife of the Vice President of the United States is sometimes referred to as the Second Lady of the United States, but this title is much less common. The term "first lady" is also used to describe the wife of other government chief executives or a woman who has acted as a leading symbol for some activity, for example, Aretha Franklin has been called "the First Lady of Soul."

Role of the First Lady

First Ladies Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush (standing, left to right), Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon, Rosalynn Carter, and Betty Ford (seated, left to right) at the dedication of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, November 1991

"First Lady" is not an elected position, carries no official duties, and receives no salary. Nonetheless, she attends many official ceremonies and functions of state either along with, or in place of, the President. There is a strong tradition against the First Lady holding outside employment while occupying the office. The first lady frequently participates in humanitarian and charitable work; over the course of the 20th century it became increasingly common for first ladies to select specific causes to promote, usually ones that are not politically divisive. It is common for the first lady to hire a staff to support these activities. Additionally, many have taken an active role in campaigning for the President with whom they are associated. Hillary Rodham Clinton, wife of Bill Clinton took the role one large step further when she was, for a time, given a formal job in the Clinton administration to develop reforms to the health care system. She continued to lead policy proposals on various domestic issues, travel abroad as a representative of the State Department, and advise the President while keeping West Wing offices for herself and her staff. She became a United States Senator from New York in 2000 and is the only spouse of a President to be elected to the United States Congress to date. She was also a leading contender in the 2008 U.S. Presidential election. She has also been put up for confirmation to be President-elect Barack Obama's Secretary of State, being the first First Lady ever to be in a President's cabinet.

If the United States were to have a female President, it is commonly presumed that the husband of a female President would act as an analogous "First Gentleman". This was the situation portrayed in the fictitious television series Commander In Chief, in which President Mackenzie Allen's husband Rod Calloway was titled as "First Gentleman", but President Allen's mother ultimately joined the First Family and acted as the official hostess at the White House.

Office of the First Lady

The Office of the First Lady of the United States is accountable to the First Lady of the United States for her to carry out her duties as hostess of the White House, and is also in charge of all social and ceremonial events of the White House. The First Lady has her own staff that includes the White House Social Secretary, a Chief of Staff, Press Secretary, Chief Floral Designer, Executive Chef, etc. The Office of the First Lady is a branch of the Executive Office of the President (EOP).

First Ladies of the United States

For a complete list of the first ladies, see List of First Ladies of the United States

The First Ladies National Historic Site.

See also

• First Lady - Use of the title outside the United States.
• Wife of the Vice President of the United States, or Second Lady
• First Ladies National Historic Site - In Canton, Ohio.
• List of United States First Ladies by Longevity

External links

• http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/058_flal.html
• "Office of the First Lady". Retrieved October 7. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
• "First Lady's Gallery". The White House. Retrieved October 7. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
• "The National First Ladies' Library". Retrieved October 7. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
• Paper on the role of the first lady and the influence she holds over the President