First Ladies
Chronological order of all First Ladies
Research Maniacs list of First Ladies shows name of the First Lady, when she
was First Lady, and which President was her husband. We also include some
First Lady trivia along the way to make it more interesting.
Note that President James Buchanan was never married and did not have a
First Lady. Since a couple of Presidents had more than one wife, there have actually
been more First Ladies that there have been presidents.
Martha Washington
Martha Washington was President George Washington's wife and First Lady from
1789 to 1797. Mrs. Washington was not only the First Lady; she was the very
first First Lady. George Washington was Martha Washington's second husband.
Abigail Adams
Abigail Adams was President John Adams's wife, third cousin, and First Lady from 1797 to
1801. Interesting to note that Abigail Adams is also the mother of the 6th
President of the United States: John Quincy Adams.
Martha Skelton Jefferson
Martha Skelton Jefferson was President Thomas Jefferson's wife and First
Lady from 1801 to 1809. Thomas Jefferson was Martha Skelton Jefferson's
second husband.
Dolley Madison
Dolley Madison was President James Madison's wife and First Lady from 1809
to 1817. Dolley Madison outlived both her first husband John Todd, and her second
husband James Madison.
Elizabeth Monroe
Elizabeth Monroe was President James Monroe's wife and First Lady from 1817
to 1825. Elizabeth Monroe had three children with President Monroe.
Louisa Catherine Adams
Louisa Catherine Adams was President John Quincy Adams's wife and First Lady
from 1825 to 1829. To date, she is the only First Lady that was born outside
of the United States. She was born in London, England.
Rachel Jackson
Rachel Jackson was President Andrew Jackson's wife and First Lady from 1829
to 1837. President Andrew Jackson was Rachel Jackson's second husband. She divorced
her first husband.
Hannah Hoes Van Buren
Hannah Hoes Van Buren was President Martin Van Buren's wife and First Lady
from 1837 to 1841. She is considered a First Lady, but she did not actually
live when Martin Van Buren was President. President Van Buren's sweetheart
died in 1819 and he never remarried.
Anna Harrison
Anna Harrison was President William Henry Harrison's wife and First Lady in
1841. Anna Harrison was not First Lady for very long, because her husband died of
pneumonia after being President for only 32 days. She was about to move into
the White House just as President Harrison died. She never set foot in the
White House. Anna and Henry Harrison had 10 children together.
Letitia Christian Tyler
Letitia Christian Tyler was President John Tyler's first wife and First Lady
from 1841 to 1842. Letitia Christian Tyler was the first wife to die while
being a First Lady. John Tyler remarried before his four year term ended.
Julia Gardiner Tyler
Julia Gardiner Tyler was President John Tyler's second wife and First Lady
from 1844 to 1845. President John Tyler had two First Ladies during his four
years in office. Julia Gardiner Tyler is therefore John Tyler's second,
First Lady. She was 30 years younger that President Tyler.
Sarah Childress Polk
Sarah Childress Polk was President James K. Polk's wife and First Lady from
1845 to 1849. President James K. Polk died just three months after he left
office, but Sarah Childress Polk lived for another 42 years.
Margaret Mackall Smith Taylor
Margaret Mackall Smith Taylor was President Zachary Taylor's wife and First
Lady from 1849 to 1850. She did not perform many of the regular duties of a
First Lady, such as being a White House host. She stayed secluded on the 2nd
floor of the White House during most of the short presidency. We have not
found a single picture of Margaret Mackall Smith Taylor. There is not even a
picture in the Library of Congress.
Abigail Powers Fillmore
Abigail Powers Fillmore was President Millard Fillmore's wife and First Lady
from 1850 to 1853. Abigail Powers Fillmore was Millard Fillmore's teacher
before they got married. Millard Fillmore was her oldest student at the New
Academy in New Hope. She died less than 30 days after leaving the White
House.
Jane M. Pierce
Jane M. Pierce was President Franklin Pierce's wife and First Lady from 1853
to 1857. Jane M. Pierce did not like politics, she did not want her husband to be
president, and she did not want to be First Lady. She spent most of her time
as First Lady on the second floor of the White House away from the public.
Mary Todd Lincoln
Mary Todd Lincoln was President Abraham Lincoln's wife and First Lady from
1861 to 1865. Ironically, her family owned slaves. There were many public
episodes of anger, outbursts, and so on, so people in retrospect guessed
that she was bipolar. She was at her husband's side when he was shot.
Eliza McCardle Johnson
Eliza McCardle Johnson was President Andrew Johnson's wife and First Lady
from 1865 to 1869. Due to poor health, she spent most of her time away from
the public on the second floor of the White House. She got married earlier
than any other First Lady. She was only 16 years old when she married Andrew
Johnson.
Julia Dent Grant
Julia Dent Grant was President Ulysses S. Grant's wife and First Lady from
1869 to 1877. Julie Dent Grant was famous for being cross-eyed and she
performed her duties well as the hostess of Washington and the White House.
Lucy Webb Hayes
Lucy Webb Hayes was President Rutherford Hayes's wife and First Lady from
1877 to 1881. Lucy and Rutherford Hayes celebrated their twenty-fifth
wedding anniversary in the White House where they repeated their vows.
Lucretia Rudolph Garfield
Lucretia Rudolph Garfield was President James A. Garfield's wife and First
Lady in 1881. She was a very hands-on wife and was on President Garfield's
side in all matters. When President Garfield died, she dedicated the rest of
her 36 years to preserving and honoring the memory of her late husband.
Ellen Lewis Herndon Arthur
Ellen Lewis Herndon Arthur was President Chester A. Arthur's wife and First
Lady. Unfortunately, she died before Chester A. Arthur became President, but
she is still considered to be a First Lady.
Frances Folsom Cleveland
Frances Folsom Cleveland was President Grover Cleveland's wife and First
Lady from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Frances Folsom Cleveland was
the youngest ever to be First Lady at 21 years old. She is also the only
First Lady to serve two non-consecutive terms. She was well liked and a
great hostess after she got married in the White House.
Caroline Lavinia Scott Harrison
Caroline Lavinia Scott Harrison was President Benjamin Harrison's wife and
First Lady from 1889 to 1892. Caroline Lavinia Scott Harrison died in 1892
while being a First Lady. Her husband Benjamin Harrison was President until
1894 and married his second wife Mary Lord Harrison in 1896. Of course, Mary
Lord Harrison was never a First Lady.
Ida Saxton McKinley
Ida Saxton McKinley was President William McKinley's wife and First Lady
from 1897 to 1901. She suffered from epilepsy and had regular seizures. Both
her children died very early and she seemed to have lived a very sad and
subdued life.
Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt
Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt was President Theodore Roosevelt's wife and
First Lady from 1901 to 1909. She grew up next door to President Theodore
Roosevelt and was his second wife. She turned the White House into the
social center of Washington D.C.
Helen Herron Taft
Helen Herron Taft was President William H. Taft's wife and First Lady from
1909 to 1912. Helen Herron Taft stood by her husband and was very supportive
in his political career. Unfortunately, as they finally made it to the top
as President and First Lady, she suffered a stroke and was impaired for the
rest of her life.
Ellen Axson Wilson
Ellen Axson Wilson was President Woodrow Wilson's wife and First Lady from
1913 to 1914. Interesting to note that Ellen and Woodrow Wilson first met
when she was a baby and he was three years old. They got married 25 years
later. Ellen Axson Wilson died in 1914 while being a First Lady.
Edith Bolling Galt Wilson
Edith Bolling Galt Wilson was President Woodrow Wilson's second wife and
First Lady from 1915 to 1921. During this time, President Woodrow Wilson had
a stroke and many believed the country was run by First Lady Edith Bolling
Galt Wilson. Many consider her the first female President.
Florence Kling Harding
Florence Kling Harding was President Warren G. Harding's wife and First Lady
from 1921 to 1923. Some believe that she was 'wearing the pants' in the
White House, running the country and telling President Harding what to do in
many important matters.
Grace Goodhue Coolidge
Grace Goodhue Coolidge was President Calvin Coolidge's wife and First Lady
from 1923 to 1929. Grace Goodhue Coolidge was a great politician and a great
hostess in the White House. Many credit her for most of her husband's
success.
Lou Henry Hoover
Lou Henry Hoover was President Herbert Hoover's wife and First Lady from
1929 to 1933. Interestingly, she was the first First Lady to regularly be on
radio. She is also the brain behind what is now called Camp David.
Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt was President Franklin D. Roosevelt's wife and First Lady
from 1933 to 1945. Eleanor Roosevelt was First Lady longer than any other
First Lady. She died in 1962.
Bess Wallace Truman
Bess Wallace Truman was President Harry S. Truman's wife and First Lady from
1945 to 1953. She was born in 1885 and died in 1982, at 97 years old. She is
the longest living First Lady.
Mamie Doud Eisenhower
Mamie Doud Eisenhower was President Dwight D. Eisenhower's wife and First
Lady from 1953 to 1961. Mamie Doud Eisenhower was a happy and fine hostess
of the White House.. Maybe too happy - some people may suggest that she was
drinking.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was President John F. Kennedy's wife and First
Lady from 1961 to 1963. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was a very popular First
Lady. White House guests especially liked her.maybe because she served
alcohol to the guests?
Lady Bird Johnson
Lady Bird Johnson was President Lyndon B. Johnson's wife and First Lady from
1963 to 1969. She had a great business mind with success in owning a radio
station and TV stations. She was the first First Lady to make millions of
dollars on her own.
Pat Nixon
Pat Nixon was President Richard M. Nixon's wife and First Lady from 1969 to
1974. She represented America well when she traveled around the world as First
Lady. She even visited Vietnam during the war, being the first First Lady to
ever go into a combat zone.
Betty Ford
Betty Ford was President Gerald R. Ford's wife and First Lady from 1974 to
1977. She lived a very active political life during and after being First Lady.
She was also the founder of the infamous Betty Ford Clinic.
Rosalynn Carter
Rosalynn Carter was President Jimmy Carter's wife and First Lady from 1977
to 1981.
She was politically active in the White House and even sat in on Cabinet
meetings.
Nancy Reagan
Nancy Reagan was President Ronald Reagan's wife and First Lady from 1981 to
1989.
Her love and devotion to her husband was always present. Many think she made
the White House more 'classy.' She is also the brain behind the "Just Say No"
drug campaign.
Barbara Bush
Barbara Bush was President George H.W. Bush's wife and First Lady from 1989
to 1993.
She is the second First Lady to be the mother of a future President. She is
the founder of the Barbara Bush Foundation, working towards universal literacy.
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton was President Bill Clinton's wife and First Lady from
1993 to 2001. She was very dedicated to the political life. After being a
'hands on' First Lady, she became a United States Senator and the United
States Secretary of State.
Laura Bush
Laura Bush was President George W. Bush's wife and First Lady from 2001 to
2009.
She was a very popular First Lady and her political interests included
education and literacy, and of course, Woman's Health.
Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama was President Barack Obama's wife and First Lady from 2009 to
2015. Michelle Obama is the first African American First Lady. She worked hard
behind and in front of her husband's campaign to become President. She was
very motivated to make her husband President.
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