from hostess to political surrogate: the evolving role of the first lady of the united states
TRANSCRIPT
From Hostess to Political Surrogate: The Evolving Role of
the First Lady of the United States
Allison R LevinMA, JD
Twitter @arl1102
Thank you to Flaco’s Cocina for generously supporting this event!
The Project
Understand how the role of the first lady has evolved Cultural Movements
Start with Eleanor Roosevelt The beginning of the evolution of the role of first lady Prior to 1933 first lady was non-essential From this uninspiring beginning modern first ladies
developed their role in society
Seek to understand how each first lady reflects their personal and societal concepts about family, motherhood and femininity
Early Modern First Ladies (1933-1968)
Worked under rubric of social housekeeping
During this period the first ladies helped show American women how they could participate in the political sphere while still meeting societal norms of being a good spouse and homemaker
Early modern first ladies helped transform the role from mother of the country to an activist voice of national consequence
Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt
Came of age during the progressive movement
As first lady she continued with her prior activism but only focused on projects that could help her husband Met societal norms by participating in the
political sphere while still being a good spouse and homemaker
Believed it was her duty to help people understand what the president was doing to help them during the Great Depression
Her job was to sell her husband’s ideas
Eleanor Roosevelt
During the first reelection campaign FDRs opponents attacked Eleanor Huge mistake She was far more liked than her husband.
Like many women of the progressive movement she became even more active during WWII
Her progressive movement values are seen through two major changes she made to the position of the first lady Hold regular press conferences Invite non-traditional groups to the White House
She did not break with traditional wifely duties; They were just not front and center like previous first ladies
Bess Truman
Bess Truman
She was always very involved in her husband’s career
Truman’s first foray into elected politics was winning a judicial seat Bess was proud of his win, but also content to
be viewed by the public as not being involved Behind the scenes she used her family name to
pull strings with the media and candidates on the ticket to ensure his victory
Being married to a judge was what Bess had hoped for in her marriage
Bess Truman
When Truman decided to run for senator in 1934 Bess was not happy
She quickly adapted and began to enjoy her role
She had become so integral to his campaign that when Truman ran for reelection in 1940 he made Bess a paid member of his staff She received an annual salary of $2400
In 1944 Truman agreed to be Vice President for FDRs 4th Term 82 days later he was President
Bess Truman Being first lady was a challenge for Bess because she
wasn’t Eleanor There were no press conferences or weekly columns
As she settled into her role, she became a mix of the old and the new Casted herself as Harry’s wife and did not want the public
spotlight Took control of the White House staff and imposed new rules
and extended her domain to Truman’s staff
Despite all her statements that she didn’t want to be involved, she really meant publically involved
During his second term she became more involved and spent more time in DC hosting events and enjoying the social scene
Mamie Eisenhower
Mamie Eisenhower
She was happy to define herself as a wife
Feminists at the time quickly noted that she was extremely independently minded and wielded a strong influence over her husband
In 1952 when Ike decided to run for president she fully supported his decision
She felt and looked at home in the White House
She continued to speak her mind, but only in private
Mamie Eisenhower
She took on as her project cataloging the White House china
As the Presidency continued she began to revert to a more traditional wifely figure Had to take care of husband first
She also revived some of the more popular White House events such as the Easter Egg Hunt
Still generations later, Ike and Mamie’s time in the White House is viewed as the archetype for the perfect pre-feminism couple
Jacqueline Kennedy
Jacqueline Kennedy
Straddled the period between progressivism and feminism
Used her education and background to actively help her husband Kennedy and Camelot became symbols of a
refined way of life
She made it her mission to support JFK but sharing the spotlight wasn’t always easy for her
Was instrumental in hiding the fact that he was virtually paralyzed after his back surgery
Jacqueline Kennedy
She represented what the American housewife of the early 60s wanted to be: young, beautiful and glamorous with two model children and a doting husband
Previous first ladies had been more a grandmotherly figure, she was an American Idol
She spoke up for what she wanted but had no interest in politics Brought the first lady into the culture of the world From this point forward first ladies fashions and
appearances where part of the cultural lexicon
Jacqueline Kennedy
One of the biggest dichotomies in her time as first lady was that she was viewed as America’s goodwill ambassador but had no interest in societal good.
Her project was redoing the White House Cost over 15 million dollars Huge backlash over her spending
Out of this came the greatest legacy of her White House years, the White House Tour book which is still sold today
Lady Bird Johnson
Lady Bird Johnson
Despite her appearance of independence she was still a product of an era where women needed the help of men to succeed
Huge decision to marry LBJ
Not long after they were married LBJ decided to run for Congress in a special election Turned being a congressional wife into a full-
time job calling on contacts and politicking daily
Became one of the most successful women on her own during her husbands political career
Lady Bird Johnson
Became the political “first” lady for Kennedy and ushered in a new age of feminism where equality seemed possible for all people Huge fighter for civil rights Went against President and all her advisors to
do what she thought was right
When first lady she ushered in a new age of activism through her conservation program Not content to sit on sidelines When bill passed, LBJ publically stated that she
did all the work
Lady Bird Johnson
The power of Lady Bird became clear after her husband’s death
It was then revealed that He had suffered 2 heart attacks one when running for the
nomination against Kennedy and one while VP He had wanted to run for a second term but she put her
foot down because she wanted to spend real time with him
She became a regent at UT-Austin and brought her beatification project to Texas Don’t mess with Texas
When she wrote her memoirs she revealed her greatest secret
Modern First Ladies (1968-present)
This era coincides with the start of the sexual revolution, women’s liberation and second-wave feminism
The women who became first ladies came to maturity during the era of the equal rights amendment and sexual freedom
These women had careers prior to their husbands’ seeking political office
It wasn’t until this time period that a job description for the first lady was explored
Pat Nixon
Pat Nixon
She was an excellent student in High School but took a chance against her parents wishes and left her small town to move to New York
After two years she moved back to California and took part-time jobs to pay for a degree in marketing from USC
Took Nixon 4 years to convince her to marry him
They moved to DC in 1942 where he joined the Navy as an attorney
Nixon saw an ad looking for congressional candidates and decided to run Pat publically gave up smoking Probably the first real political team
Pat Nixon
When he ran for reelection Nixon was unopposed which pleased Pat She loved Washington but did not like the
campaigning or what it did to her husband
After leaving Congress he had his first failed election and was subsequently appointed VP by Eisenhower in 1940 Took advantage of her love for travel
When Eisenhower ran for a second term he was slow to announce a VP
Pat Nixon
When Nixon accepted the Republican nomination for President in 1960 she assumed a major role in the campaign
After the defeat, Nixon tried several more campaigns all which were unsuccessful
Pat reluctantly accepted Nixon’s return to politics because she believed he was the best person to solve the problems facing the United States She went in with her eyes open Told friends losing this time “would kill him”
Pat Nixon
When Pat officially became first lady she was immediately presented with the question of what her cause was going to be She eventually continued her goodwill work, though she
refused to call it her cause or mention it as an agenda item
She continued to be independent and fearless in her actions Went to college campuses where students were protesting Continued US and International travel as death threats
mounted against her because of her husband’s actions
As the Watergate scandal mounted, Pat was concerned, but publically thought her place was to stand by her husband
Betty Ford
Betty Ford
Known for being outspoken and in tune with times
Embraced as a modern woman who insisted on speaking her mind about the world
Betty and Gerry were seen as a happily married couple but politically the need for the aura of marital perfection was gone
Betty Ford
While he was in Congress, Betty stepped out from behind the her husband with her own issues and was not afraid to be candid Her mental health issues Her pain issues Her addiction issues
It was anticipated Ford would be Agnew’s VP in 1974 but when Agnew was implicated in Watergate, Ford got the call to be the presidential nominee
Betty Ford
As first lady she changed cultural norms by being the first to discuss her health in a public speech and opening a dialogue about a previously taboo topic
Lobbied for controversial issues that were too politically volatile to be discussed by the President She refused to temper her opinions to placate
the experts in her husband’s office
While in office she continued to drink and use drugs and was extremely candid about it
Rosalyn Carter
Rosalyn Carter
When they married she took over the business side of the Carter peanut business and made it profitable in two years
When Carter ran for governor, she enacted the peanut brigade a term they used throughout their years in the White House
While first lady of Georgia led the charge to reform mental health institutions
When they entered the White House it was as equal partners
Rosalyn Carter
Rosalyn is considered the first first lady to make a campaign promise Felt it was her duty to oversee the commission on
Mental Health when her husband issued an executive order to establish the commission
The same day the Office of Legal Counsel issued a statement forbidding Rosalyn from serving as chair
Report concluded that first ladies have long been advocates of Government programs in which they were interested without assuming a political role
Ignored mandates and opened the door for a first lady who was a political actor in her own right
Nancy Reagan
Nancy Reagan
Nancy was adopted at age 14 by an extremely conservative republican and his views directly shaped her own
After high school she went into acting where she met Ronald
While governor's wife she was criticized for her circle of glamorous friends and her expensive wardrobe
As the began their presidential run in 1980 she was referred to as “Queen Nancy”
Nancy Reagan
She believed she would be able to return the role of first lady to one of glamour and prestige
Nancy was often seen as out of touch with the populace by expressing publically her views about the special privileges that should be afforded the rich
Advisors wanted her to have a cause, she reluctantly agreed
Her devotion to Ron was clear after the assassination attempt but she once again alienated the public
Barbara Bush
Barbara Bush
When she married George she married into a political family and she went in with her eyes wide open
In 1952 when George’s Dad was a senator, he encouraged George to get involved with Republican politics in Texas
When George ran for US senate Barbara began to see the negative side of politics
He lost he Senate seat but immediately ran and won a House of Representative’s seat
He then took a position as UN ambassador and continued moving up in politics
Barbara Bush
When George ran for president it was clear that it was a requirement that she have a cause
Biggest problem Barbara faced was that she appeared to be a women of the 1940s in the 1990s Went grey at 28 and refused to color her hair Did not see any reason to lose weight when she was
healthy Was comfortable in her style and didn’t want to play
dress-up
Not afraid of controversy
Despite all the discussion over her looks, she became a trendsetter
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton
Excellent student in high school but had a tough transition to college at Wellesley
Her senior year of college she was an intern for the Republican Party Gerald Ford was her mentor Went to the RNC and found the politics unsettling Went to the DNC and was present when the riots
occurred Knew she wasn’t in line 100% with the protestors but
also knew she wasn’t in line with the RNC
Continued to explore her political beliefs at Yale Law School
Hillary Clinton
Although Bill and Hilary were dating, Hilary chose her career over marriage Her one concession was taking the Arkansas bar exam
to be closer to Bill
They dated for over 10 years until Hilary finally agreed to marry Bill
Bill became Arkansas attorney general Hillary forced to quit her job
When Bill became governor in 1978, Hillary became a liability He lost reelection Had to regroup and run again
Hillary Clinton
Bill spoke of her as political equal during his presidential campaign
Bill campaigned on the economy; Hillary campaigned on health care
Once elected Hillary had to find a place within the Clinton administration that fit her political ambitions
Her first step was to legitimize the office Moved into office above the oval office Made her chief of staff a presidential advisor
Hillary Clinton She was appointed chair of the task force on health care
and was asked to have a plan ready for Congress within the first 100 days The task force met in private which lead to health care
advocacy groups to file suit The nepotism of her appointment also came into play
As the litigation dragged on throughout the bulk of the first term, Hillary’s approval ratings plummeted and she removed herself from politics until her senate run in 2000 Hilary never understood how thousands of women could
balance career and family but it was not acceptable for her to do the same
The decision which came out after she had removed herself from politics changed the office of the first lady forever
Laura Bush
Laura Bush
Loved reading and went SMU to be a teacher Got involved in the antiwar protests and political
activism
First job was at a inner-city underserved school in South Houston
After receiving her Masters she went to work at an underserved predominately Hispanic school
Met George in 1977 It was not love at first sight Started dating because they were both over 30
She agreed to marry him in 1978
Laura Bush
Five months after their marriage George was running for the congressional primary and Laura was forced to hit the campaign trail
Her first public speech was awful Made it her job to improve Learn campaign points Use her personality more
When George ran for Texas governor Laura was against the idea She hated Texas politics “We are here like it or not, so I might as well like it”
Laura Bush
When they ran for President in 2000 Laura’s popularity was immediately apparent 6 point jump in the polls as soon as she hit the
campaign trail
At his father’s insistence George played up the difference between Laura and Hillary during the campaign
Very powerful behind the scenes
She coined the phrase compassionate conservatism
After 9/11 her role changed as the country changed
Michelle Obama
2016
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