List of First Ladies of the United States

First Lady of the
United States
Incumbent
Michelle Obama

since January 20, 2009
Style Mrs. Obama
Residence White House
Inaugural holder Martha Washington
Formation April 30, 1789
Website First Ladies

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 herself. 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] She 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.

According to the White House and the National First Ladies' Library, there have been 45 First Ladies and 46 First Ladyships. This discrepancy exists because Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms and is counted chronologically as both the 22nd and the 24th president; his wife Frances Cleveland is also counted twice. Following Barack Obama's first inauguration on January 20, 2009, his wife, Michelle Obama, became the 46th official First Lady, succeeding Laura Bush, wife of former President George W. Bush.

There are four living former First Ladies: Rosalynn Carter, wife of Jimmy Carter; Barbara Bush, wife of George H. W. Bush; Hillary Clinton, wife of Bill Clinton; and Laura Bush, wife of George W. Bush. 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, wife of Thomas Jefferson;[2][3] Rachel Jackson, wife of Andrew Jackson;[4][5] Hannah Van Buren, wife of Martin Van Buren;[6][7] and Ellen Lewis Herndon Arthur, wife of Chester A. Arthur.[8][9] One woman who was not married to a President but who 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.[10] When a President served without a spouse, a gold coin is 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 will instead depict suffragette Alice Paul.[11]

List of First Ladies

This list included 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 to have acted as first lady by the official White House website and the White House Historical Association.

POTUS
No.

Portrait First Lady
(Maiden name)
Tenure Age at tenure start President
(Husband, unless noted)
1 Martha Dandridge
June 13, 1731 – May 22, 1802
(aged 70)

[12][13]
April 30, 1789

March 4, 1797
57 years, 321 days Washington
m. January 6, 1759
2 Abigail Smith
November 22, 1744 – October 28, 1818
(aged 73)
[14][15]
March 4, 1797

March 4, 1801
52 years, 102 days John Adams
m. October 25, 1764
3 Martha Wayles
October 30, 1748 – September 6, 1782
(aged 33)

[2][3]
Died nearly nineteen years prior to his presidency Jefferson
m. January 1, 1772
Martha Jefferson
September 27, 1772 – October 10, 1836
(aged 64)

[2][3]
March 4, 1801

March 4, 1809
28 years, 158 days Jefferson
Daughter
[16]
4 Dolley Payne
May 20, 1768 – July 12, 1849
(aged 81)

[17][18]
March 4, 1809

March 4, 1817
40 years, 288 days Madison
m. September 14, 1794
5 Elizabeth Kortright
June 30, 1768 – September 23, 1830
(aged 62)

[19][20]
March 4, 1817

March 4, 1825
48 years, 247 days Monroe
m. February 16, 1786
6 Louisa Catherine Johnson
Birth country:  Great Britain
February 12, 1775 – May 15, 1852
(aged 77)
[21][22]
March 4, 1825

March 4, 1829
50 years, 20 days J. Q. Adams
m. July 26, 1797
7 Rachel Donelson
June 15, 1767 – December 22, 1828
(aged 61)

[4][5]
Died after election,
prior to husband's inauguration;
the duties fell to her niece, Emily Donelson
[5]
Jackson
m. January 7, 1794
8 Hannah Hoes
March 8, 1783 – February 5, 1819
(aged 35)

[6][23]
Died eighteen years prior to his presidency Van Buren
m. February 21, 1807
Angelica Van Buren
February 13, 1818 – December 29, 1877
(aged 59)

[6][7]
January 1, 1839

March 4, 1841
20 years, 322 days Van Buren
Daughter-in-law
9 Anna Tuthill Symmes
July 25, 1775 – February 25, 1864
(aged 88)

[24][25]
March 4, 1841

April 4, 1841
65 years, 222 days W. H. Harrison
m. November 22, 1795
10 Letitia Christian
November 12, 1790 – September 10, 1842
(aged 51)

[26][27]
April 4, 1841

September 10, 1842
50 years, 143 days Tyler
m. March 29, 1813
Julia Gardiner
May 4, 1820 – July 10, 1889
(aged 69)

[28][29]
June 26, 1844

March 4, 1845
24 years, 53 days Tyler
m. June 26, 1844
11 Sarah Childress
September 4, 1803 – August 14, 1891
(aged 87)

[30][31]
March 4, 1845

March 4, 1849
41 years, 181 days Polk
m. January 1, 1824
12 Margaret Mackall Smith
September 21, 1788 – August 14, 1852
(aged 63)

[32][33]
March 4, 1849

July 9, 1850
60 years, 164 days Taylor
m. June 21, 1810
13 Abigail Powers
March 13, 1798 – March 30, 1853
(aged 55)

[34][35]
July 9, 1850

March 4, 1853
52 years, 118 days Fillmore
m. February 5, 1826
14 Jane Means Appleton
March 12, 1806 – December 2, 1863
(aged 57)

[36][37]
March 4, 1853

March 4, 1857
46 years, 357 days Pierce
m. November 19, 1834
15 Harriet Rebecca Lane
May 9, 1830 – July 3, 1903
(aged 73)

[38][39]
March 4, 1857

March 4, 1861
26 years, 299 days Buchanan
Niece
16 Mary Ann Todd
December 13, 1818 – July 16, 1882
(aged 63)

[40][41]
March 4, 1861

April 15, 1865
42 years, 81 days Lincoln
m. November 4, 1842
17 Eliza McCardle
October 4, 1810 – January 15, 1876
(Aged 65)[42][43]
April 15, 1865

March 4, 1869
54 years, 193 days A. Johnson
m. May 17, 1827
18 Julia Boggs Dent
January 26, 1826 – December 14, 1902
(aged 76)

[44][45]
March 4, 1869

March 4, 1877
43 years, 37 days Grant
m. August 22, 1848
19 Lucy Ware Webb
August 28, 1831 – June 25, 1889
(aged 57)

[46][47]
March 4, 1877

March 4, 1881
45 years, 188 days Hayes
m. December 30, 1852
20 Lucretia Rudolph
April 19, 1832 – March 14, 1918
(aged 85)

[48][49]
March 4, 1881

September 19, 1881
48 years, 319 days Garfield
m. November 11, 1858
21 Ellen Lewis Herndon
August 30, 1837 – January 12, 1880
(aged 42)

[8][9]
Died nineteen months prior to his presidency Arthur
m. October 25, 1859
22 Frances Clara Folsom
July 21, 1864 – October 29, 1947
(aged 83)

[50][51]
June 2, 1886

March 4, 1889
21 years, 316 days Cleveland
m. June 2, 1886
Married in the White House
23 Caroline Lavinia Scott
October 1, 1832 – October 25, 1892
(aged 60)

[52][53]
March 4, 1889

October 25, 1892
56 years, 154 days B. Harrison
m. October 20, 1853
24 Frances Clara Folsom
July 21, 1864 – October 29, 1947
(aged 83)

[50][51]
March 4, 1893

March 4, 1897
28 years, 226 days Cleveland
m. June 2, 1886
25 Ida Saxton
June 8, 1847 – May 26, 1907
(aged 59)

[54][55]
March 4, 1897

September 14, 1901
49 years, 269 days McKinley
m. January 25, 1871
26 Edith Kermit Carow
August 6, 1861 – September 30, 1948
(aged 87)

[56][57]
September 14, 1901

March 4, 1909
40 years, 39 days T. Roosevelt
m. December 2, 1886
27 Helen Louise Herron
June 2, 1861 – May 22, 1943
(aged 81)

[58][59]
March 4, 1909

March 4, 1913
47 years, 275 days Taft
m. June 19, 1886
28 Ellen Louise Axson
May 15, 1860 – August 6, 1914
(aged 54)

[60][61]
March 4, 1913

August 6, 1914
52 years, 293 days Wilson
m. June 24, 1885
Edith Bolling
October 15, 1872 – December 28, 1961
(aged 89)

[62][63]
December 18, 1915

March 4, 1921
43 years, 64 days Wilson
m. December 18, 1915
President Wilson remarried
during first term
29 Florence Mabel Kling
August 15, 1860 – November 21, 1924
(aged 64)

[64][65]
March 4, 1921

August 2, 1923
60 years, 201 days Harding
m. July 8, 1891
30 Grace Anna Goodhue
January 3, 1879 – July 8, 1957
(aged 78)

[66][67]
August 2, 1923

March 4, 1929
44 years, 211 days Coolidge
m. October 4, 1905
31 Lou Henry
March 29, 1874 – January 7, 1944
(aged 69)

[68][69]
March 4, 1929

March 4, 1933
54 years, 340 days Hoover
m. February 10, 1899
32 Anna Eleanor Roosevelt
October 11, 1884 – November 7, 1962
(aged 78)

[70][71]
March 4, 1933

April 12, 1945
48 years, 144 days F. D. Roosevelt
m. March 17, 1905
33 Elizabeth Virginia "Bess" Wallace
February 13, 1885 – October 18, 1982
(aged 97)

[72][73]
April 12, 1945

January 20, 1953
60 years, 58 days Truman
m. June 28, 1919
34 Mamie Geneva Doud
November 14, 1896 – November 1, 1979
(aged 82)

[74][75]
January 20, 1953

January 20, 1961
56 years, 67 days Eisenhower
m. July 1, 1916
35 Jacqueline "Jackie" Lee Bouvier
July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994
(aged 64)

[76][77]
January 20, 1961

November 22, 1963
31 years, 176 days Kennedy
m. September 12, 1953
36 Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Taylor
December 22, 1912 – July 11, 2007
(aged 94)

[78][79]
November 22, 1963

January 20, 1969
50 years, 335 days L. B. Johnson
m. November 17, 1934
37 Thelma "Pat" Catherine Ryan
March 16, 1912 – June 22, 1993
(aged 81)

[80][81]
January 20, 1969

August 9, 1974
56 years, 310 days Nixon
m. June 21, 1940
38 Elizabeth "Betty" Ann Bloomer
April 8, 1918 – July 8, 2011
(aged 93)

[82][83]
August 9, 1974

January 20, 1977
56 years, 123 days Ford
m. October 15, 1948
39 Eleanor Rosalynn Smith
Born August 18, 1927
[84][85]
January 20, 1977

January 20, 1981
49 years, 155 days Carter
m. July 7, 1946
40 Nancy Davis
July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016
(aged 94)

[86][87]
January 20, 1981

January 20, 1989
59 years, 203 days Reagan
m. March 4, 1952
41 Barbara Pierce
Born June 8, 1925
[88][89]
January 20, 1989

January 20, 1993
63 years, 226 days G. H. W. Bush
m. January 6, 1945
42 Hillary Diane Rodham
Born October 26, 1947
[90][91]
January 20, 1993

January 20, 2001
45 years, 86 days Clinton
m. October 11, 1975
43 Laura Lane Welch
Born November 4, 1946
[92][93]
January 20, 2001

January 20, 2009
54 years, 77 days G. W. Bush
m. November 5, 1977
44 Michelle LaVaughn Robinson
Born January 17, 1964
[94][95]
January 20, 2009

Incumbent
45 years, 3 days Obama
m. October 3, 1992
45 Melanija Knavs
(Designate)
Birth country:  Yugoslavia
Born April 26, 1970
[96]
January 20, 2017
(45 days from now)
(46 years, 269 days) Trump
m. January 22, 2005

Living former First Ladies

As of December 2016, there are four living former First Ladies, as seen below.

The most recent First Lady to die was Nancy Reagan (19811989) on March 6, 2016.

See also

References

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  4. 1 2 "Biography of Rachel Jackson". Washington, D.C.: The White House. Retrieved March 11, 2010.
  5. 1 2 3 "First Lady Biography: Rachel Jackson". Canton, Ohio: National First Ladies' Library. Retrieved March 11, 2010.
  6. 1 2 3 "Biography of Hannah Van Buren". Washington, D.C.: The White House. Retrieved March 11, 2010.
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  8. 1 2 "Biography of Ellen Arthur". Washington, D.C.: The White House. Retrieved January 20, 2009.
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  10. "The First Spouse Gold Coins". United States Mint. Retrieved January 10, 2009.
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  16. Jefferson's wife, Martha Jefferson, died before he became President. Their daughter, Martha, is considered de facto First Lady by the White House Historical Association.
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  96. "Who Is Melania Trump?". New York, N.Y.: The New Yorker. Retrieved May 9, 2016.

External links

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