Trailblazers and Trendsetters: America's History-Making First Ladies
Apr 02, 2024Season 3Episode 74
Ashley & Sara
In episode 74, we cover the incredible journey of America's First Ladies! We bring you the stories of how these women transformed the role of First Lady, leaving an indelible impact on the nation's history.
In episode 74, we cover the incredible journey of America's First Ladies! We bring you the stories of how these women transformed the role of First Lady, leaving an indelible impact on the nation's history.
If you purchase from any links to resources or products, the show may make a small commission.
Sara:
When she became the first lady of the United States, she chaired the task force on national health care reform. Never before had a first lady been so directly involved in public policy. She led the fight to pass the children's health insurance program, worked to increase funding for research and treatment of cancer, aids, osteoporosis and juvenile diabetes.
Ashley:
Welcome back to the United she Stands podcast, the show that brings kindness and women into politics.
Sara:
I'm Ashley and I'm Sarah and we're two women from Ohio who are here to become more educated about American politics and build a community so we can all get involved and make an impact together, we hope will inspire and empower you along the way.
Sara:
Hello everyone and welcome back to the United she Stands podcast. Today we have a very on-brand episode for you. We're going to be talking about some boss-ass first ladies that we've had in American history. Disclaimer we chose to only talk about five first ladies today. There are many more significant women who have held this role in our nation's history, but we'd like to keep our episodes somewhat short. So if there's someone we don't mention today that you want us to talk more about, maybe we'll do a part two of this episode. Reach out and let us know. We're all about the audience feedback. I also need to shout out my friend Alex for giving us the idea to this episode. I can't believe we didn't come up with it ourselves, but I'm actually kind of mad about it. But obviously it was such a good idea. We just really couldn't pass it up. Thanks, barry, thanks Barry. So, ash, what are we drinking for this lovely episode today?
Ashley:
I'm drinking a non-alcoholic Sunshine State Tropical IPA from Go Brewing.
Sara:
Are you channeling the Sunshine State right now? You wish, yeah, greatness we have outside here. I know it's rough out here. I am drinking a melon ball and it actually does have palm trees and a beach and some beach chairs and mangoes in the pool and a diving board. So yeah, I'm feeling like I'm in a tropical as well Tropical of you.
Ashley:
Very tropical of you. All right, let's do it. Let's start off with talking about the role of the First Lady. The First Lady is a spouse of the president, and I think I'm speaking for both of us and probably a lot of our listeners when I say I cannot wait until we get to call the president's spouse the first general, obviously. So we don't care how we get there, a straight female president or a gay male president, either way, it'd be a huge milestone.
Ashley:
So the Constitution, of course, walks through the responsibilities of the president, but it doesn't explain the duties of the First Lady. Instead, generations of women have shaped how the modern office of the First Lady formed and the roles of the president's spouse. Traditionally, the spouse of the president served as the hostess and was in charge of all things domestic, but that role has evolved, thank goodness, thank goodness, thank goodness, thank goodness. Through our nation's history, first Ladies have been criticized for doing too much and for not doing enough. Some have been praised for their looks or fashion, and others have been well kind of treated like shit. Honestly, each woman has had to make her own rules and define her own role, without the guidance or limitations of the Constitution.
Sara:
As we mentioned, we're going to talk about five influential First Ladies today. We'll go in chronological order here, starting with drum roll, please.
Ashley:
Drum roll, kevin, can you add that Okay?
Sara:
Eleanor Roosevelt, whose full name is actually Anna Eleanor Roosevelt. Her husband was Franklin D Roosevelt and she was the first lady during his term from 1933 to 1945. To the level set here, she was the first lady during the Great Depression and World War II Talk about a lot going on at the time. Even from a young age, she had extreme sensitivity to the underprivileged of all races, from all nations. Eleanor started her long career in politics when Franklin was in the New York State Senate from 1910 to 1913. She gained a knowledge of Washington and its ways. While he served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, she became active in the women's division of the State Democratic Committee to keep Franklin's interest in politics alive. From his successful campaign for governor in 1928 to the day of his death, she dedicated her life to his purposes. She became eyes and ears for him, a trusted and tireless reporter.
Ashley:
When Eleanor arrived at the White House in 1933, she understood social conditions better than any of her predecessors and really transformed the role of First Lady. She was a great host of thousands, always greeting everyone with charming friendliness. She became the first First Lady to have her own press conferences for women reporters, holding more than 300 throughout her 12 years in the White House. When Franklin created the New Deal during the Great Depression, she traveled the country, visiting the sites of relief projects, delivering radio broadcasts and meeting citizens. She shared her experiences and expressed her opinions candidly in a daily newspaper column called my Day, which ran from 1935 until her death in 1962.
Ashley:
Eleanor served as Assistant Director of Civilian Defense, organizing volunteer workers from 1941 to 1942. During World War II, she traveled to England where she spent time with wounded service members and visited military bases and distribution centers. In 1943, eleanor became the first First Lady to travel to an active war zone, with her month-long journey to the warfront in the Pacific. She also traveled as representative of the Red Cross. She went to Australia, new Zealand, guadalcanal and numerous Pacific Islands, visiting troops, hospitals and factories.
Sara:
Due to her involvement in politics, she became a target for political enemies. But other than that, many people loved her. She was known for her integrity, graciousness and a sincerity of purpose. What's not to love about that? I mean, come on, that's pretty amazing. Franklin died in 1945, but within a year of his death, eleanor was appointed as a delegate to the United Nations by President Harry S Truman. She served as the chair of the Human Rights Commission, where she played an important role in drafting the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She was later appointed by President John F Kennedy to the National Advisory Committee of the Peace Corps and to the President's Commission on the Status of Women.
Sara:
I mean, it's pretty obvious why she made our list today, am I right? Yeah, what a badass. But also I'm going to end us on a kind of gross fun fact here Okay, so her husband, franklin D Roosevelt, was also her fifth cousin. Hashtag, cute. Her uncle was Theodore Roosevelt, which was an ex-president, and he walked her down the aisle at her and Franklin's wedding and at the time he was president. Theodore was also Franklin's fifth cousin. So many connections and weirdness. And wow, that is yeah.
Ashley:
But I mean that was like I think I mean it was pretty common back then. So I guess that's it. I know, but just like this is better than first, I guess, I don't know.
Sara:
Yeah, I mean fifth is a pretty large number when it comes to cousins, but like I don't know, man, yes, it's pretty weird. Okay, like she didn't have to change her last name. Okay, I'm done.
Ashley:
Wow, I didn't think about that. Okay, that was weird. Yeah, that's weird. Okay, so next should we do a Dormulgan.
Sara:
Our next first lady.
Ashley:
We're going to talk about Jacqueline AKA Jackie Kennedy, the wife of John F Kennedy and first lady from 1961 to 1963. Unfortunately, jackie's time at the White House was cut short due to her husband's assassination, but she spent that short period of time focusing on preserving the historic integrity of the White House. In 1961, she created the Fine Arts Committee for the White House, made up of specialists in the field, and hired the first curator of the White House. That same year she also established the White House Historical Association, which is a private nonprofit organization to assist with acquisition and preservation efforts. She spearheaded efforts to make the White House Museum protected by Congress and renovated many rooms. She expanded the White House collection, searching for historic pieces from past administrations, and published the first White House guidebook Okay.
Sara:
To share these efforts with the public. Cbs News broadcasted the first televised tour of the White House in 1962, led by Jackie herself. Over 80 million viewers around the world watched and she even earned a special Emmy Award for the program. She also organized efforts to save Lafayette Park and its historic buildings from demolition. This is the area in DC right across from the White House. She successfully helped preserve it for future generations.
Sara:
Jackie's interest in the cultures of other countries and her fluency in languages made her a popular ambassador around the world. She traveled abroad several times as First Lady, visiting the countries of India, pakistan, venezuela, Italy and the United Kingdom, among others. Following a trip to France in 1961, she successfully negotiated for Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa to travel to the United States. After the trip, president Kennedy said and quotes here I do not think it altogether inappropriate to introduce myself. I am the man who accompanied Jacqueline Kennedy to Paris and I have enjoyed it. End quote. Millions of Americans visited the famous painting in Washington DC and New York City in early 1963. I mean, that's like pretty bad ass.
Ashley:
That is pretty cool. So post White House, jackie participated in the creation of the John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, massachusetts. Later in life she became a successful editor for publishing company Double Day. She also continued to advocate for historic preservation, fighting to save Grand Central Station in New York City. That's cool too.
Sara:
Yeah, also something fun. I read about Jackie. When talking about the title First Lady, she famously didn't like the word lady and said it sounded like the name of a prized racehorse. I really can't disagree with that. Yeah, yeah, she nailed it there, she did. Okay, on to the next one, on to the next one, on to the next one.
Ashley:
And our next one? Our next boss asked First Lady is Rosalind Carter, wife of Jimmy Carter. She was the first lady from 1977 to 1981 and actually just recently passed away, in November of 2023. But before being the First Lady of the United States, she was the First Lady of Georgia when Jimmy became governor in 1970. This first role of First Lady began what would become a lifelong advocacy for mental health, encouraging her husband to establish the governor's commission to improve services to the mentally and emotionally handicapped. When Jimmy was inaugurated as the president, Rosalind walked beside him down Pennsylvania Avenue, demonstrating their commitment to the people of the US and their equal partnership. As First Lady, she took on an activist approach, helping further shape and transform the role of First Lady while continuing to advocate for mental health. When her husband established the President's Commission on Mental Health in 1977, he attempted to appoint her as the chair of the commission. However, due to the lack of clarity surrounding the role of First Lady, she was forced to serve as honorary chair, which is honestly just some BS.
Sara:
But like Capital B, capital S, bs. Yeah, not cool but great segue, because in 1978, the passage of the White House Personnel Authorization Act provided some clarity about the role of First Lady, allowing for staff and resources in the budget to support Rosalind and establishing the modern office of the First Lady. She set up her offices in the East Wing, creating a precedent for future First Ladies. Rosalind also hosted White House events, attended cabinet meetings, testified before Congress in favor of the Mental Health System Act, joined former First Ladies Lady Bird Johnson and Betty Ford at the 1977 National Women's Conference to rally support for the Equal Rights Amendment and traveled as an envoy to Central and South America to engage in policy discussions with leaders.
Sara:
After the Carter's left the White House, they founded the Carter Center, which is a private nonprofit institution committed to human rights, the resolution of conflicts, improved health initiatives and the enhancement of freedom and democracy. At the Carter Center she led a program to diminish stigma against mental illness and to promote greater access to mental health care. She was a partner with her husband in projects to resolve conflict, promote human rights, improve global health and build democracy in about 65 countries. She also worked with Habitat for Humanity, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1999, and was inducted into the Women's Hall of Fame in 2001. And if that wasn't enough, she also authored not one, but five books. What that's crazy.
Ashley:
What a woman, an accomplished lady, yes.
Sara:
Very accomplished and I'm just going to read the titles of her books, because I want to read all of them. First Lady from Plains Everything to gain making the most of the rest of your life, helping yourself, help others. A book for caregivers. Mental illness a compassionate guide for family, friends and caregivers Within our reach, ending the mental health crisis. Wow, those are like serious books too.
Ashley:
I know I could be like a biography.
Sara:
Honestly, when you first said it, Like, I'm officially obsessed with Roslyn and it may or may not have a ton to do with her passion around mental health, but I love her and I kind of wish we could have invested in her while she was alive.
Ashley:
Okay. Next on our list is Hillary Clinton. I know, I know, you probably have never heard of her.
Sara:
Yeah, that does not ring a bell at all. Nope All right.
Ashley:
So Hillary Clinton is a life-of-bill Clinton and served as First Lady from 1993 to 2001. Hillary was always interested in politics, especially after she saw Martin Luther King Jr speak in Chicago when she was in high school, which gave her a wider view of the world. When speaking at her college graduation, she said the challenge now is to practice politics as the art of making what appears to be impossible possible. She then enrolled in Yale Law School, where she served on the board of editors of the Yale Review of Law and Social Action. After graduation, hillary advised the Children's Defense Fund in Cambridge and joined the impeachment inquiry staff advising the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives. This all happened before her husband Bill started his political career and before they got married in 1975.
Sara:
Bill began his political career when they moved to Arkansas and Hillary joined the faculty of the University of Arkansas Law School. In 1978, president Jimmy Carter appointed her to the board of the Legal Services Corporation. Now, it wasn't until two years later Bill was elected a governor of Arkansas. Just like Roslyn Carter, hillary had a First Lady title before she was in the White House. She was First Lady of Arkansas for 12 years and during that time she chaired the Arkansas Educational Standards Committee, co-founded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families and served on the boards of the Arkansas Children's Hospital, legal Services and the Children's Defense Fund.
Sara:
When she became the First Lady of the United States, she chaired the Task Force on National Healthcare Reform. Never before had a First Lady been so directly involved in public policy. She led the fight to pass the Children's Health Insurance Program, work to increase funding for research and treatment of cancer, aids, osteoporosis and juvenile diabetes. She also chaired Save America's Treasures and supported gun control efforts. She wrote a weekly newspaper column entitled Talking it Over, which focused on her experiences as First Lady and her observations of women, children and families she has met around the world. She wrote two best-selling books and won a Grammy Award for her recording of it Takes a Village and Other Lessons Children Teach Us, which is one of her books.
Ashley:
In 2000, hillary was elected senator from New York, and her work in health, education, aging and the environment gained her national reputation in her own right. She is the first First Lady elected to the United States Senate and the first woman to be elected statewide in New York. In 2007, she ran for president After a hard-fought primary. She lost the Democratic nomination to Barack Obama, but quickly supported his candidacy. When he was elected, he named her Secretary of State. In this role, she traveled the world on behalf of US interests. In 2015, hillary launched her second presidential campaign and in July of 2016, she became the first woman in American history to receive the presidential nomination of a major political party. That fall, she received more than 65 million votes, but ultimately lost the electoral college to Republican nominee Donald J Trump, and I think it's safe to say we all remember that election and all of the things that have happened since that election.
Sara:
Yeah, oh, my gosh seriously in our fricking faces.
Ashley:
In her concession speech on November 9th 2016, she called on supporters to never stop believing that fighting for what's right is worth it. Inspired by the widespread activism after the election, hillary founded Onward Together, an organization that works to advance progressive values by encouraging people to organize, get involved and run for office.
Sara:
Love it, love it, love that. So great, okay, so I'm going to go last, but definitely not least, we have my girl, michelle Obama. She's married to President Barack Obama and was first lady from 2009 to 2017.
Sara:
Michelle earned her BA in sociology from Princeton University in 1985 and then attended Harvard Law School, receiving her Juris Doctorate. She pursued a career as a lawyer and that's actually how she meant Barack. He was a summer intern at the firm she was working at in Chicago. How cute. She eventually left corporate law and began working in public service at organizations including Chicago City Hall, public allies, the University of Chicago and the University of Chicago Hospital. At the same time, she supported her husband's political goals as he campaigned for and won Illinois and US Senate seats when Michelle became First Lady of the United States, the first African-American First Lady of the United States. Nonetheless, she sought to reduce childhood obesity with her let's Move campaign, which encouraged physical activity for children and provided healthier school lunches. As part of her campaign, she planted the White House Kitchen Garden on the South lawn in 2009, which provided fresh fruits and vegetables for the White House and the local community.
Ashley:
Working with Second Lady Dr Jill Biden, who is now our current First Lady. Michelle also introduced Joining Forces, an initiative to support service members, veterans and their families. Her passion for supporting young people as they pursue their dreams led to Reach Higher, an initiative focused on higher education and career support for students. She encouraged young people to continue their education past high school in technical schools and community colleges, as well as colleges and universities. Another initiative, let Girls Learn, promoted education for adolescent girls around the globe. She also spearheaded renovations of the state dining room and the family dining room, modernizing decor and unveiling the first painting in the White House collection by a black woman resurrection by Alma Thomas. Since leaving the White House in 2017, michelle has continued to support young people and military families. She published bestselling books Becoming and the Light we Carry, overcoming and Uncertain Times. Today, she works with the Obama Foundation and the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.
Sara:
Okay, so I haven't read the Light we Carry yet, but can I just say how much I loved Becoming, like it was such a good book and I think I've talked about this on the podcast before. I'm just a sucker for learning about people's childhoods and that was a decent portion of Becoming and I just feel like I really understand Michelle. You know, like she is just the best and like, can we talk about her first lady portrait? Incredible, absolute queen. I bow down, I love her. Okay, anyways, done fangirling over Michelle Obama. But, um, yeah, there you have it. We have Eleanor Roosevelt, jacqueline Kennedy, rosalyn Carter, hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama. Those are only five of many amazing first ladies in our country's history. I think they're all great examples of making the most of a situation with very little role definition, literally. And just because you're not in the hot seat doesn't mean you can't make an impact and create real change. I definitely look up to all these women so much and really just learning more about them and their life's work inspired me so much. Women, freaking rock.
Ashley:
Yeah, this was a very cool episode and I learned a lot more. I mean, I know that they all do so much when they're in that office, but I just didn't know all the details, which is really cool, yeah. So if you want a part two to this episode, let us know, and if there's a specific first lady you think we should include in a potential part two episode, let us know that too. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend. We appreciate you guys tuning in this week and we will catch you in a few weeks, see ya.
Sara:
Thanks for joining us for today's episode. We really appreciate the support.
Ashley:
We would also really appreciate it if you hit the follow button and share this episode with anyone you think would enjoy it.
Sara:
And we'd like to thank Kevin Tanner, who edited this episode. If you're interested in learning more about him and his services, his website and Instagram are in the show notes.
Ashley:
With that, we'll see you next week.
Sara:
As we mentioned, we're going to talk about five influential first ladies today. We'll go in chronicle, or chronicle Like half the word.
Ashley:
Sorry, I'm like something's going on over there. I'm talking about alcohol here. Okay, lots of bubbles. In 1943, eleanor became the first first lady to travel to an active war zone with her month-long journey to the water. I just wanted to Took a little water from vacation. Okay, that sounds so nice. Sounds better than a war zone.
Sara:
Due to her involvement in politics, she became a target for political eminem, eminem, eminem, eminem, eminem.
Ashley:
Due to her involvement, I actually am reading your sentence Three paragraphs down. I just Hashtag cute, I just can't Okay anyway.
Sara:
I'm trying to say that without laughing. Okay, okay, hashtag cute.
Ashley:
I think I'm literally like sun-deprived slap-happy or something.
Sara:
I know, I know, oh, my God Okay.
Ashley:
When Jimmy was inaugurated, as the president Rosalind walked down, what Side-im? Why am I skipping words? Okay?
Sara:
Walk down the aisle.
Ashley:
I also think I'm just so focused on saying your name. I can't function on what comes after her name. I think my mind just like blackouts.
Sara:
And during that time she chaired the Arkansas Educational Standards Committee, Co-founded Meh. Why? Why are these women so accomplished? Why are there so many lists? I don't know what to understand. Okay.
