Category: First Lady

First Lady Undergoing Surgery to Remove Skin Lesion

BETHESDA, Md.—On Wednesday, a small skin lesion above First Lady Jill Biden’s right eye is being removed at a military hospital. The issue was discovered during a routine skin cancer screening last week, the White House said. The surgery to remove the potentially cancerous lesion above her right eye was “proceeding well and as expected,”…


First Lady Abigail Adams Was a True Helpmate to America’s First Vice President and Second President

Abigail Adams has been lauded by historians and at least one president, Harry Truman, for her grit and keen insight. As the second of the first ladies, Abigail experienced firsthand the fight for a nation and the establishment of America. In fact, it was perhaps the Revolutionary War that shaped who she would become as…


‘Lady Presidentess’ Dolley Madison: Gregarious, Influential, and Cool-Headed

Dolley Madison, wife of the fourth president, James Madison, had more than a few things in common with the “first” first lady, Martha Washington. Dolley, like Martha, was a young, widowed mother when she married the man who was to become president of the United States. She was born in Guilford County, North Carolina, to…


Jill Biden Visits Homeboy Bakery, Homegirl Cafe, Speaks at DNC Fundraiser

LOS ANGELES—Jill Biden visited Homeboy Bakery and Homegirl Café in Chinatown for about a half-hour and spoke at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser for approximately 10 minutes during her second trip to Los Angeles as the first lady. Homeboy Industries enrollee Johanna Carbajal told Biden she got pregnant at the age of 15, then attended…


Steadfast in the Face of Challenges, First Lady Julia Dent Grant Was an Anchor for Our 18th President

Slavery, distance, family animosity, and a war conspired against Julia Dent’s courtship and then marriage to Ulysses S. Grant, but she soldiered on steadfastly. Julia Dent Grant traveled to be with her husband, Ulysses, more than 10,000 miles during the four years of the Civil War—4,000 of those during the first year alone. Carriages, ferries,…


How America’s First First Lady Martha Washington Overcame Intense Scrutiny to Set the Tone for Her Successors

Streets, parks, towns, and cities are named for her husband, but Martha Washington’s grace and tenacity are also worthy of remembrance. Not much is known about the country’s first “first lady,” even from her own correspondence. She burned most of the letters between her and her husband, George, soon after he died. But the few…


America’s Secret President

On a railroad car named “Mayflower,” headed to California in September 1919 for a presidential speaking tour, first lady Edith Bolling Galt Wilson felt trapped. She was loyal to President Woodrow Wilson’s mission to rally the American people for his League of Nations proposal after World War I. On the other hand, her husband’s health…


Biden, First Lady Visit Hospitalized Children on Christmas Eve

WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden brought some Christmas Eve cheer to hospitalized children who aren’t well enough to go home for the holidays. It’s a longstanding tradition for first ladies to visit Children’s National Hospital at Christmastime, but Joe Biden’s visit on Friday was a surprise. It marked the first time that…


First Statement by Haiti’s First Lady After Attack

The hospitalized wife of Haiti’s assassinated President Jovenel Moïse has given her first public statement since being wounded in the attack that killed him, accusing enemies of wanting “to kill his dream, his vision, his ideology.” Martine Moïse issued the recorded statement in Creole from the Miami hospital where she was being treated for wounds…


Melania Trump Announces Creation of Personal Office

First Lady Melania Trump on Feb. 12 announced the creation of a formal personal office. “Mrs. Melania Trump is announcing the opening of The Office of Melania Trump. Please follow this account for news and updates,” a message from a Twitter account titled Office of Melania Trump states. Trump retweeted the message from her verified…