Second Lady of the United States

Second Lady of the
United States
Incumbent
Jill Biden
since January 20, 2009
Style Dr. Biden
Residence Number One Observatory Circle
Inaugural holder Abigail Adams
Formation April 21, 1789 (1789-04-21)
Website Jill Biden

The Second Lady of the United States (SLOTUS) is an informal title for the wife of the Vice President of the United States, coined in contrast to the First Lady (who is almost always the wife of the president). The term "Second Lady" may have been first used by Jennie Tuttle Hobart to refer to herself, later fell out of favor, but was revived in the 1980s.[1] [2] During the 1990s the title was again abandoned, in favor of "wife of the Vice-President", but was later resurrected during the administration of Barack Obama.[2]

The second lady'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.

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. Tipper Gore, 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.[3] Jill Biden, the current second lady, works 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 is vice president. She has been involved in various causes, including breast cancer awareness and literacy.

At the 2016 Democratic National Convention, Dr. Jill Biden said, "Let me start by thanking you for allowing me to serve as Second Lady of the United States for the past eight years. It has been an honor." This was the first time the informal title was used by an incumbent at a national convention.

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. The most recent second lady vacancy was for 132 days in 1974, between the service of Betty Ford and Happy Rockefeller.

List of wives of the vice presidents

No. Image Second Lady Date of birth Vice President
Marriage date		 Tenure Date of death (age) Tenure as First Lady
1 Abigail Adams (née Smith) November 11, 1744 John Adams
October 25, 1764		 April 21, 1789 – March 4, 1797 October 28, 1818(1818-10-28) (aged 73) 1797–1801
Vacant; Thomas Jefferson was a widower. March 4, 1797 – March 4, 1801  
Vacant; Aaron Burr was a widower. March 4, 1801 – March 4, 1805  
Vacant; George Clinton was a widower. March 4, 1805 – April 20, 1812  
Vacant; no Vice President. April 20, 1812 – March 4, 1813  
2 Ann Gerry (née Thompson) August 12, 1763 Elbridge Gerry
 March 4, 1813 – November 23, 1814 March 17, 1849(1849-03-17) (aged 85)
Vacant; no Vice President. November 23, 1814 – March 4, 1817  
3 Hannah Tompkins (née Minthorne) August 28, 1781 Daniel D Tompkins
 March 4, 1817 – March 4, 1825 February 18, 1829(1829-02-18) (aged 47)
4 Floride Calhoun (née Colhoun) February 15, 1792 John C. Calhoun
January 8, 1811		 March 4, 1825 – December 28, 1832 July 25, 1866(1866-07-25) (aged 74)
Vacant; no Vice President. December 28, 1832 – March 4, 1833  
Vacant; Martin Van Buren was a widower. March 4, 1833 – March 4, 1837  
Vacant; Richard Mentor Johnson was unmarried. March 4, 1837 – March 4, 1841  
5 Letitia Christian Tyler (née Christian) November 12, 1790 John Tyler
 March 4, 1841 – April 4, 1841 September 12, 1842(1842-09-12) (aged 51) 1841–1842
Vacant; no Vice President. April 4, 1841 – March 4, 1845  
6 Sophia Dallas (née Nicklin) June 24, 1798 George M. Dallas
1816		 March 4, 1845 – March 4, 1849 January 11, 1869(1869-01-11) (aged 70)
7 Abigail Fillmore (née Powers) March 13, 1798 Millard Fillmore
February 5, 1826		 March 4, 1849 – July 9, 1850 March 30, 1853(1853-03-30) (aged 55) 1850–1853
Vacant; no Vice President. July 9, 1850 – March 4, 1853  
Vacant; William R. King was unmarried. March 4, 1853 – April 18, 1853  
Vacant; no Vice President. April 18, 1853 – March 4, 1857  
8 Mary Cyrene Burch Breckinridge (née Cyrene Burch Rhodes) August 16, 1826 John C. Breckinridge
December 12, 1843		 March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861 October 8, 1907(1907-10-08) (aged 81)
9 Ellen Hamlin (née Emery) September 14, 1835 Hannibal Hamlin
1855		 March 4, 1861 – March 4, 1865 February 1, 1925(1925-02-01) (aged 89)
10 Eliza Johnson (née McCardle) October 4, 1810 Andrew Johnson
May 17, 1827		 March 4, 1865 – April 15, 1865 January 15, 1876(1876-01-15) (aged 65) 1865–1869
Vacant; no Vice President. April 15, 1865 – March 4, 1869  
11 Ellen Maria Colfax (née Wade) July 26, 1836 Schuyler Colfax
November 18, 1868		 March 4, 1869 – March 4, 1873 March 4, 1911(1911-03-04) (aged 74)
Vacant; Henry Wilson was a widower. March 4, 1873 – November 22, 1875  
Vacant; no Vice President. November 22, 1875 – March 4, 1877  
Vacant; William A. Wheeler was a widower. March 4, 1877 – March 4, 1881  
Vacant; Chester A. Arthur was a widower. March 4, 1881 – September 19, 1881  
Vacant; no Vice President. September 19, 1881 – March 4, 1885  
12 Eliza Hendricks (née Morgan) November 23, 1823 Thomas A. Hendricks
 March 4, 1885 – November 25, 1885 January 3, 1903(1903-01-03) (aged 79)
Vacant; no Vice President. November 25, 1885 – March 4, 1889  
13 Anna Morton (née Street) May 18, 1846 Levi P. Morton
1873		 March 4, 1889 – March 4, 1893 August 14, 1918(1918-08-14) (aged 72)
14 Letitia Stevenson (née Green) January 8, 1843 Adlai Stevenson I
1866		 March 4, 1893 – March 4, 1897 December 25, 1913(1913-12-25) (aged 70)
15 Jennie Hobart (née Tuttle) April 30, 1849 Garret Hobart
July 21, 1869		 March 4, 1897 – November 21, 1899 January 8, 1941(1941-01-08) (aged 91)
Vacant; no Vice President. November 21, 1899 – March 4, 1901  
16 Edith Roosevelt (née Carow) August 6, 1861 Theodore Roosevelt
December 2, 1886		 March 4, 1901 – September 14, 1901 September 30, 1948(1948-09-30) (aged 87) 1901–1909
Vacant; no Vice President. September 14, 1901 – March 4, 1905  
17 Cornelia Fairbanks (née Cole) January 1852 Charles W. Fairbanks
1874		 Mary 4, 1905 – March 4, 1909 October 25, 1913(1913-10-25) (aged 61)
18 Carrie Sherman (née Babcock) November 16, 1856 James S. Sherman
January 26, 1881		 March 4, 1909 – October 30, 1912 October 6, 1931(1931-10-06) (aged 74)
Vacant; no Vice President. October 30, 1912 – March 4, 1913  
19 Lois Irene Marshall (née Kimsey) May 9, 1873 Thomas R. Marshall
October 2, 1895		 March 4, 1913 – March 4, 1921 January 6, 1958(1958-01-06) (aged 84)
20 Grace Coolidge (née Goodhue) January 3, 1879 Calvin Coolidge
October 4, 1905		 March 4, 1921 – August 2, 1923 July 8, 1957(1957-07-08) (aged 78) 1923–1929
Vacant; no Vice President. August 2, 1923 – March 4, 1925  
21 Caro Dawes (née Blymyer) January 6, 1866 Charles G. Dawes
1889		 March 4, 1925 – March 4, 1929 October 3, 1957(1957-10-03) (aged 91)
Vacant; Charles Curtis was a widower. March 4, 1929 – March 4, 1933  
22 Mariette Garner (née Rheiner) July 17, 1869 John Nance Garner
November 25, 1895		 March 4, 1933 – January 20, 1941 August 17, 1948(1948-08-17) (aged 79)
23 Ilo Wallace (née Browne) March 10, 1888 Henry A. Wallace
 January 20, 1941 – January 20, 1945 February 22, 1981(1981-02-22) (aged 92)
24 Bess Truman (née Wallace) February 13, 1885 Harry S. Truman
June 28, 1919		 January 20, 1945 – April 12, 1945 October 18, 1982(1982-10-18) (aged 97) 1945–1953
Vacant; no Vice President. April 12, 1945 – January 20, 1949  
Vacant; Alben W. Barkley was a widower. January 20, 1949 – November 18, 1949  
25 Jane Hadley Barkley (née Rucker) September 23, 1911 Alben W. Barkley
November 18, 1949		 November 18, 1949 – January 20, 1953 September 6, 1964(1964-09-06) (aged 52)
26 Pat Nixon (née Ryan) March 16, 1912 Richard Nixon
June 21, 1940		 January 20, 1953 – January 20, 1961 June 22, 1993(1993-06-22) (aged 81) 1969–1974
27 Lady Bird Johnson (née Taylor) December 22, 1912 Lyndon B. Johnson
November 17, 1934		 January 20, 1961 – November 22, 1963 July 11, 2007(2007-07-11) (aged 94) 1963–1969
Vacant; no Vice President. November 22, 1963 – January 20, 1965  
28 Muriel Humphrey (née Buck, later Brown) February 20, 1912 Hubert Humphrey
September 3, 1936		 January 20, 1965 – January 20, 1969 September 20, 1998(1998-09-20) (aged 86)
29 Judy Agnew (née Judefind) April 23, 1921 Spiro Agnew
May 27, 1942		 January 20, 1969 – October 10, 1973 June 20, 2012(2012-06-20) (aged 91)
Vacant; no Vice President. October 10, 1973 – December 6, 1973  
30 Betty Ford (née Bloomer) April 8, 1918 Gerald Ford
October 15, 1948		 December 6, 1973 – August 9, 1974 July 8, 2011(2011-07-08) (aged 93) 1974–1977
Vacant; no Vice President. August 9, 1974 – December 19, 1974  
31 Happy Rockefeller (née Fitler) June 9, 1926 Nelson Rockefeller
May 4, 1963		 December 19, 1974 – January 20, 1977 May 19, 2015(2015-05-19) (aged 88)
32 Joan Mondale (née Adams) August 8, 1930 Walter Mondale
December 27, 1955		 January 20, 1977 – January 20, 1981 February 3, 2014(2014-02-03) (aged 83)
33 Barbara Bush (née Pierce) June 8, 1925 George H. W. Bush
January 6, 1945		 January 20, 1981 – January 20, 1989 Living 1989–1993
34 Marilyn Quayle (née Tucker) July 29, 1949 Dan Quayle
November 18, 1972		 January 20, 1989 – January 20, 1993 Living
35 Tipper Gore (née Aitcheson) August 19, 1948 Al Gore
May 19, 1970		 January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001 Living
36 Lynne Cheney (née Vincent) August 14, 1941 Dick Cheney
August 29, 1964		 January 20, 2001 – January 20, 2009 Living
37 Jill Biden (née Jacobs) June 3, 1951 Joe Biden
June 17, 1977		 January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017 Living
38 Karen Pence (née Batten) November 18, 1958 Mike Pence
June 8, 1985		 January 20, 2017
(42 days from now)		 Living

List of living current or former vice presidents’ wives

As of December 2016, there are five living current or former vice presidents’ wives. The most recent second lady to die was Nelson Rockefeller's widow, Happy Rockefeller on May 19, 2015. The most recently serving second lady to die was Walter Mondale's wife, Joan Mondale, on February 3, 2014.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Purcell, Edward (2010). Vice Presidents: A Biographical Dictionary. InfoBase. p. 237. ISBN 1438130716.
  2. 1 2 Safire, William (2008). Safire's Political Dictionary. Oxford University Press. p. 249. ISBN 0195343344.
  3. ↑ "Mrs. Lynne Cheney". whitehouse.gov. The White House. Retrieved 2008-10-13.
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