Tag: Second ladies of the United States

The most charming, beautiful First & Second ladies of the United States. The second lady of the United States or second gentleman (SLOTUS or SGOTUS) is the informal title held by the spouse of the vice president of the United States, concurrent with the vice president’s term of office. Coined in contrast to “first lady” – albeit used less commonly – the title “second lady” was apparently first used by Jennie Tuttle Hobart (wife of Garret Hobart, vice president 1897–1899) to refer to herself. The first second gentleman of the United States is Doug Emhoff, the husband of Kamala Harris, the current vice president and first woman in the position, since January 20, 2021.

Twelve second ladies have gone on to become first ladies during their husbands’ terms as president. The first to do this was Abigail Adams, who was married to John Adams, who was the first vice president from 1789 to 1797 and then the second president from 1797 to 1801. Thus, Abigail was the first second lady and the second first lady. The most recent to do this is Jill Biden, who is married to Joe Biden, the 47th vice president from 2009 to 2017 and then the 46th president since 2021.

Since the 1970s, the vice presidential official residence is Number One Observatory Circle in Washington, D.C.

History
The second spouse’s visibility in the public sphere has been a somewhat recent development. Although the role of the first lady as White House hostess dates from the beginning of the republic (and was typically filled by another member of the president’s family if the president was unmarried or a widower), with a few exceptions, it was generally not until the late 20th century and early 21st century that vice-presidential wives took on public roles that attracted significant media attention.

In one notable exception, Floride Calhoun, wife of Vice President John C. Calhoun, was a central figure in the Petticoat Affair, a social-political scandal which involved the social ostracism of Secretary of War John H. Eaton and his wife Margaret O’Neill Eaton, further damaging already-strained relations between Vice President Calhoun and President Andrew Jackson.

Second Lady Pat Nixon, with Vice President Richard Nixon, led a delegation to Ghana in 1957. One historian wrote that Pat Nixon “helped to define this nebulous role for an entire generation of women who would succeed her”.
In 1978, Muriel Humphrey, wife of Vice President Hubert Humphrey, became the only former second lady to hold public office; after her husband, who had returned to the U.S. Senate after his term as vice president, died in office, she was appointed by Minnesota governor Rudy Perpich to continue her husband’s term.

There have been 17 periods of vacancy in the role, the longest of which continued for 16 years between the service of vice presidential spouses Abigail Adams and Ann Gerry when there were three widower vice presidents and a one-year vacancy in the vice presidency. The most recent second lady vacancy was for 132 days in 1974, between the service of Betty Ford and Happy Rockefeller, when the vice presidency was also vacant.

Role in practice
The role of the second lady is unpaid and not formally defined.[2] The wife of the vice president of the United States was traditionally expected to serve as a hostess and appear at society functions.[3][4] Jennie Tuttle Hobart, wife of Vice President Garret Hobart (1897–1899) is often cited as the first woman to style herself as “Second Lady”.[5][4] Hobart took over the hostess duties on behalf of First Lady Ida Saxton McKinley, who had chronic health issues including epilepsy.[4] Starting in 1917, the wife of the vice president took on the unofficial role of convener of the Red Cross Senate Wives, presiding over their lunches; the organization later became known as the Senate Spouses Club.[4] The question of the second lady’s status became a topic of debate in 1929 when Dolly Curtis Gann, the sister of Vice President Charles Curtis (1929–1933), assumed the role of hostess on his behalf, since he was widowed.[6] Gann had waged a public “battle of precedence” against Alice Roosevelt Longworth, the wife of the late speaker of the House.[7]

Doug Emhoff (right), the first and only second gentleman of the United States, standing next to his wife, Kamala Harris (left), the first and only female American vice president, during her inauguration on January 20, 2021.
Over time, the spouse of the vice president started to become more visible as the Office of the Vice President itself gained power and influence, and assumed additional responsibilities.[4] In 2010, Marie Claire magazine described the role of second ladies as being “relegated to roast-chicken charity dinners and sit-and-smile political functions. They cherry-pick a cause or two…and pretty much stay out of the way.”[8] Presidential historian Gil Troy noted that during the Kennedy administration, one of Second Lady Lady Bird Johnson’s roles was to replace First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy when she withdrew from public appearances, often at the last minute; Johnson replaced Kennedy on more than 50 occasions.

Pat Nixon, wife of Vice President Richard Nixon, was the first second spouse to add a great deal of substance to the role of the vice president’s wife. When Nixon assumed the position in 1953, the role’s only official function was to preside over the once-annual Senate Ladies Luncheon.[10] Instead, Nixon launched her own initiatives, sensing great opportunities that her role provided. She established a schedule separate from that of her husband, which often consisted of solo activities. As second lady, Nixon traveled more than 125,000 miles around the world to six continents, including a two-month, 42,000-mile journey through Asia in 1953.[10] As she undertook missions of goodwill across the world, she insisted on visiting schools, orphanages, hospitals and village markets rather than attend tea or coffee functions. In this sense, Nixon essentially created the modern role of the second lady; historian Kate Andersen Brower wrote, “she helped to define this nebulous role for an entire generation of women who would succeed her.”[10] Historian Cormac O’Brien says that Pat Nixon “may have well been the most extraordinary second lady in American history” because of her role in accompanying Vice President Richard Nixon on a tour of the world as a goodwill ambassador.[3] She also traveled independently of the vice president and attended events, including campaign tours, on her own.[6][4] According to O’Brien, Second Lady Nixon proved popular “as a paragon of graciousness, composure, and elegance”, and made a conscious effort to travel to locations where local women were banned, to spread a subtle message for equal rights.[3]

During the Reagan administration, Second Lady Barbara Bush hosted more than one thousand events and traveled over 1.5 million miles at home and abroad over eight years, and championed literacy, a cause she continued to support when she later became First Lady.[3]

Tipper Gore, former wife of Vice President Al Gore, was active in several campaigns to remove material she found objectionable from popular American entertainment like movies, television shows and music, starting when her husband was a senator. She challenged performers over their use of profane lyrics and often debated with her critics, such as Dead Kennedys singer Jello Biafra. Lynne Cheney, wife of Vice President Dick Cheney, championed education reform, citing specific failures of the American public education system during her tenure as second lady. She is a particularly outspoken supporter of American history education, having written five bestselling books on this topic for children and their families.[11] Jill Biden, wife of President Joe Biden, worked as an English professor at Northern Virginia Community College, and is thought to be the first second lady to hold a paying job while her husband was vice president. She has been involved in various causes, including breast cancer awareness and literacy.

Douglas Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, became the first Second Gentleman of the United States when his wife was elected the first female vice president. He is the first attorney,[citation needed] the first Jewish person, and the first husband to assume this ceremonial role.[13] Emhoff is a law professor at Georgetown University Law Center.[14] His priorities in office have been to advocate for food security across the United States, fight antisemitism on the international stage, address climate change, as well as push for equal access to justice. He has traveled to several countries representing the United States, including France, Germany, Poland, Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Thailand, Ghana, Tanzania, and Zambia among others, having met with heads of state and attended inaugurations and state dinners.

The first lady of the United States is the hostess of the White House. The position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, but, on occasion, the title has been applied to women who were not presidents’ wives, such 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. The first lady is not an elected position; it 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. Traditionally, the first lady does not hold outside employment while occupying the office,^[1] although Eleanor Roosevelt earned money writing and giving lectures, but gave most of it to charity,^[2] and Jill Biden has maintained her regular job as an educator during her time in the role.^[3] The first lady has her own staff, including the White House social secretary, the chief of staff, the press secretary, the chief floral designer, and the executive chef. The Office of the First Lady is also in charge of all social and ceremonial events of the White House, and is a branch of the Executive Office of the President.

There have been total of 54 first ladies including 43 official and 11 acting, within 46 first ladyships. This discrepancy exists because some presidents had multiple first ladies. Following Joe Biden‘s inauguration on January 20, 2021, his wife, Jill Biden, became the 43rd official first lady.

There are four living former first ladies: Hillary Clinton, married to Bill Clinton; Laura Bush, married to George W. Bush; Michelle Obama, married to Barack Obama; and Melania Trump, married to Donald Trump. The most recent first lady to die was Rosalynn Carter, married to Jimmy Carter. The first first lady was Martha Washington, married to George Washington. Presidents John Tyler and Woodrow Wilson had two official first ladies; both remarried during their presidential tenures. The wives of four presidents died before their husbands were sworn into office but are still considered first ladies by the White House and National First Ladies’ Library: Martha Wayles Skelton, married to Thomas Jefferson;^[4][5] Rachel Jackson, married to Andrew Jackson;^[6][7] Hannah Van Buren, married to Martin Van Buren;^[8][9] and Ellen Lewis Herndon Arthur, married to Chester A. Arthur.^[10][11] One woman who was not married to a president is still considered an official first lady: Harriet Lane, niece of bachelor James Buchanan. The other non-spousal relatives who served as White House hostesses are not recognized by the First Ladies’ Library.

In 2007, the United States Mint began releasing a set of half-ounce $10 gold coins under the First Spouse Program with engravings of portraits of the first ladies on the obverse.^[12] When a president served without a spouse, a gold coin was issued that bears an obverse image emblematic of Liberty as depicted on a circulating coin of that era and a reverse image emblematic of themes of that president’s life. This is true for the coins for Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, and James Buchanan’s first ladies, but not the coin for Chester A. Arthur’s first lady, which instead depicts suffragette Alice Paul.^[13]

Current living first ladies

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Living first ladies as of January 2025 (from oldest to youngest):

• Laura Bush
  (2001–2009)
  Born November 4, 1946
  (age 78 years, 68 days)
• Hillary Clinton
  (1993–2001)
  Born October 26, 1947
  (age 77 years, 77 days)
• Jill Biden
  (2021–present)
  Born June 3, 1951
  (age 73 years, 222 days)
• Michelle Obama
  (2009–2017)
  Born January 17, 1964
  (age 60 years, 360 days)
• Melania Trump
  (2017–2021)
  Born April 26, 1970
  (age 54 years, 260 days)^[14]

List

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This list includes all persons who served as first ladies, regardless of whether they were married to the incumbent president or not, as well as persons who are considered first ladies by the official White House website and the White House Historical Association. It is sorted by the name the first ladies were commonly known as.

POTUS No.	Portrait	Name	Tenure	Age at tenure start	President (Husband, unless noted)
1		Martha Washington June 2, 1731 – May 22, 1802 (aged 70) [15][16]	April 30, 1789 – March 4, 1797	57 years, 321 days	George Washington m. January 6, 1759
2		Abigail Adams November 22, 1744 – October 28, 1818 (aged 73) [17][18]	March 4, 1797 – March 4, 1801	52 years, 102 days	John Adams m. October 25, 1764
3		Martha Jefferson September 27, 1772 – October 10, 1836 (aged 64) [4][5]	March 4, 1801 – March 4, 1809	28 years, 158 days	Thomas Jefferson Father [A]
4		Dolley Madison May 20, 1768 – July 12, 1849 (aged 81) [19][20]	March 4, 1809 – March 4, 1817	40 years, 288 days	James Madison m. September 14, 1794
5		Elizabeth Monroe June 30, 1768 – September 23, 1830 (aged 62) [21][22]	March 4, 1817 – March 4, 1825	48 years, 247 days	James Monroe m. February 16, 1786
6		Louisa Adams Birth country:  Great Britain (present day  United Kingdom) February 12, 1775 – May 15, 1852 (aged 77) [23][24]	March 4, 1825 – March 4, 1829	50 years, 20 days	John Quincy Adams m. July 26, 1797
7		Emily DonelsonJune 1, 1807 – December 19, 1836 (aged 29) [25]	March 4, 1829 – November 26, 1834	21 years, 276 days	Andrew Jackson Uncle-in-law
		Sarah JacksonJuly 16, 1803 – August 23, 1887 (aged 84) [26]	November 26, 1834 – March 4, 1837	31 years, 133 days	Andrew Jackson Father-in-law
8	Vacant		March 4, 1837 – November 27, 1838	Vacant	Martin Van Buren Widower
		Sarah Van Buren February 13, 1818 – December 29, 1877 (aged 59) [8][9]	November 27, 1838 – March 4, 1841	20 years, 287 days	Martin Van Buren Father-in-law
9		Anna Harrison July 25, 1775 – February 25, 1864 (aged 88) [27][28]	March 4, 1841 – April 4, 1841	65 years, 222 days	William Henry Harrison m. November 25, 1795
		Jane Harrison July 23, 1804 – May 11, 1847 (aged 42) [28]	March 4, 1841 – April 4, 1841	36 years, 224 days	William Henry Harrison Father-in-law
10		Letitia Tyler November 12, 1790 – September 10, 1842 (aged 51) [29][30]	April 4, 1841 – September 10, 1842 †	50 years, 143 days	John Tyler m. March 29, 1813
		Priscilla Tyler June 14, 1816 – December 29, 1889 (aged 73) [31]	September 10, 1842 – June 26, 1844	26 years, 88 days	John Tyler Father-in-law [B]
		Julia Tyler May 4, 1820 – July 10, 1889 (aged 69) [32][33]	June 26, 1844 – March 4, 1845	24 years, 53 days	John Tyler m. June 26, 1844 Married while president
11		Sarah Polk September 4, 1803 – August 14, 1891 (aged 87) [34][35]	March 4, 1845 – March 4, 1849	41 years, 181 days	James K. Polk m. January 1, 1824
12		Margaret “Peggy” Taylor September 21, 1788 – August 14, 1852 (aged 63) [36][37]	March 4, 1849 – July 9, 1850	60 years, 164 days	Zachary Taylor m. June 21, 1810
13		Abigail Fillmore March 13, 1798 – March 30, 1853 (aged 55) [38][39]	July 9, 1850 – March 4, 1853	52 years, 118 days	Millard Fillmore m. February 5, 1826
14		Jane Pierce March 12, 1806 – December 2, 1863 (aged 57) [40][41]	March 4, 1853 – March 4, 1857	46 years, 357 days	Franklin Pierce m. November 19, 1834
15		Harriet Lane May 9, 1830 – July 3, 1903 (aged 73) [42][43]	March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861	26 years, 299 days	James Buchanan Uncle
16		Mary Lincoln December 13, 1818 – July 16, 1882 (aged 63) [44][45]	March 4, 1861 – April 15, 1865	42 years, 81 days	Abraham Lincoln m. November 4, 1842
17		Eliza Johnson October 4, 1810 – January 15, 1876 (aged 65) [46][47]	April 15, 1865 – March 4, 1869	54 years, 193 days	Andrew Johnson m. May 17, 1827
18		Julia Grant January 26, 1826 – December 14, 1902 (aged 76) [48][49]	March 4, 1869 – March 4, 1877	43 years, 37 days	Ulysses S. Grant m. August 22, 1848
19		Lucy Hayes August 28, 1831 – June 25, 1889 (aged 57) [50][51]	March 4, 1877 – March 4, 1881	45 years, 188 days	Rutherford B. Hayes m. December 30, 1852
20		Lucretia Garfield April 19, 1832 – March 14, 1918 (aged 85) [52][53]	March 4, 1881 – September 19, 1881	48 years, 319 days	James A. Garfield m. November 11, 1858
21		Mary McElroy July 5, 1841 – January 8, 1917 (aged 75) [54]	September 19, 1881 – March 4, 1885	40 years, 76 days	Chester A. Arthur Brother
22		Rose Cleveland June 13, 1846 – November 22, 1918 (aged 72) [55]	March 4, 1885 – June 2, 1886	38 years, 264 days	Grover Cleveland Brother
		Frances Cleveland July 21, 1864 – October 29, 1947 (aged 83) [56][57]	June 2, 1886 – March 4, 1889	21 years, 316 days	Grover Cleveland m. June 2, 1886 Married while president
23		Caroline Harrison October 1, 1832 – October 25, 1892 (aged 60) [58][59]	March 4, 1889 – October 25, 1892 †	56 years, 154 days	Benjamin Harrison m. October 20, 1853
		Mary Harrison McKee April 3, 1858 – October 28, 1930 (aged 72) [59]	October 25, 1892 – March 4, 1893	34 years, 205 days	Benjamin Harrison Father
24		Frances Cleveland July 21, 1864 – October 29, 1947 (aged 83) [56][57]	March 4, 1893 – March 4, 1897	28 years, 226 days	Grover Cleveland m. June 2, 1886 Remarried 1913
25		Ida McKinley June 8, 1847 – May 26, 1907 (aged 59) [60][61]	March 4, 1897 – September 14, 1901	49 years, 269 days	William McKinley m. January 25, 1871
26		Edith Roosevelt August 6, 1861 – September 30, 1948 (aged 87) [62][63]	September 14, 1901 – March 4, 1909	40 years, 39 days	Theodore Roosevelt m. December 2, 1886
27		Helen “Nellie” Taft June 2, 1861 – May 22, 1943 (aged 81) [64][65]	March 4, 1909 – March 4, 1913	47 years, 275 days	William H. Taft m. June 19, 1886
28		Ellen Wilson May 15, 1860 – August 6, 1914 (aged 54) [66][67]	March 4, 1913 – August 6, 1914 †	52 years, 293 days	Woodrow Wilson m. June 24, 1885
		Margaret Wilson April 16, 1886 – February 12, 1944 (aged 57) [67][68]	August 6, 1914 – December 18, 1915	28 years, 112 days	Woodrow Wilson Father
		Edith Wilson October 15, 1872 – December 28, 1961 (aged 89) [69][70]	December 18, 1915 – March 4, 1921	43 years, 64 days	Woodrow Wilson m. December 18, 1915 Married while president
29		Florence Harding August 15, 1860 – November 21, 1924 (aged 64) [71][72]	March 4, 1921 – August 2, 1923	60 years, 201 days	Warren G. Harding m. July 8, 1891
30		Grace Coolidge January 3, 1879 – July 8, 1957 (aged 78) [73][74]	August 2, 1923 – March 4, 1929	44 years, 211 days	Calvin Coolidge m. October 4, 1905
31		Lou Hoover March 29, 1874 – January 7, 1944 (aged 69) [75][76]	March 4, 1929 – March 4, 1933	54 years, 340 days	Herbert Hoover m. February 10, 1899
32		Eleanor Roosevelt October 11, 1884 – November 7, 1962 (aged 78) [77][78]	March 4, 1933 – April 12, 1945	48 years, 144 days	Franklin D. Roosevelt m. March 17, 1905
33		Elizabeth “Bess” Truman February 13, 1885 – October 18, 1982 (aged 97) [79][80]	April 12, 1945 – January 20, 1953	60 years, 58 days	Harry S. Truman m. June 28, 1919
34		Mary “Mamie” Eisenhower November 14, 1896 – November 1, 1979 (aged 82) [81][82]	January 20, 1953 – January 20, 1961	56 years, 67 days	Dwight D. Eisenhower m. July 1, 1916
35		Jacqueline “Jackie” Kennedy July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994 (aged 64) [83][84]	January 20, 1961 – November 22, 1963	31 years, 176 days	John F. Kennedy m. September 12, 1953 Remarried 1968
36		Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson December 22, 1912 – July 11, 2007 (aged 94) [85][86]	November 22, 1963 – January 20, 1969	50 years, 335 days	Lyndon B. Johnson m. November 17, 1934
37		Thelma “Pat” Nixon March 16, 1912 – June 22, 1993 (aged 81) [87][88]	January 20, 1969 – August 9, 1974	56 years, 310 days	Richard Nixon m. June 21, 1940
38		Elizabeth “Betty” Ford April 8, 1918 – July 8, 2011 (aged 93) [89][90]	August 9, 1974 – January 20, 1977	56 years, 123 days	Gerald Ford m. October 15, 1948
39		Rosalynn Carter August 18, 1927 – November 19, 2023 (aged 96) [91][92]	January 20, 1977 – January 20, 1981	49 years, 155 days	Jimmy Carter m. July 7, 1946
40		Nancy Reagan July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016 (aged 94) [93][94]	January 20, 1981 – January 20, 1989	59 years, 203 days	Ronald Reagan m. March 4, 1952
41		Barbara Bush June 8, 1925 – April 17, 2018 (aged 92) [95][96]	January 20, 1989 – January 20, 1993	63 years, 226 days	George H. W. Bush m. January 6, 1945
42		Hillary Clinton Born October 26, 1947 (age 77) [97][98]	January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001	45 years, 86 days	Bill Clinton m. October 11, 1975
43		Laura Bush Born November 4, 1946 (age 78) [99][100]	January 20, 2001 – January 20, 2009	54 years, 77 days	George W. Bush m. November 5, 1977
44		Michelle Obama Born January 17, 1964 (age 60) [101][102]	January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017	45 years, 3 days	Barack Obama m. October 3, 1992
45		Melania Trump Birth country:  Yugoslavia (present day  Slovenia) Born April 26, 1970 (age 54) [103][104]	January 20, 2017 – January 20, 2021	46 years, 269 days	Donald Trump m. January 22, 2005
46		Jill Biden Born June 3, 1951 (age 73) [105]	January 20, 2021 – present	69 years, 231 days	Joe Biden m. June 17, 1977

First Lady-designate

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POTUS No.	Portrait	Name	Tenure	Age at tenure start	President-elect (Husband, unless noted)
47		Melania Trump Birth country:  Yugoslavia (present day  Slovenia) Born April 26, 1970 (age 54) [106][107]	To take role on January 20, 2025	54 years, 269 days	Donald Trump m. Janua