First Ladies Of The United States

, current First Lady of the United States (2001-present).]]

''First Lady of the United States'' is the unofficial title of the hostess of the White House . Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the President Of The United States , the title is sometimes taken to apply only to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Laura Bush . Some former first ladies include Martha Washington , Dolley Madison , Jacqueline Kennedy , Eleanor Roosevelt , Rosalynn Carter , Nancy Reagan , and Hillary Rodham Clinton .

Several women, other than wives of presidents, have served as first lady. This situation has arisen due to the president being a bachelor or widower, or when the wife of the president is unable or unwilling to fulfill the duties of the first lady herself. In these cases, the position has been filled by a female relative or friend of the president.

ORIGINS OF THE TITLE

Although the words '' First Lady '' had previously been used in combination before, their use as a title to describe the spouse or hostess of an executive was initially an American invention.

In the early days of the republic, there was no generally agreed upon title for the wife of the president. Many early first ladies expressed their own preference for how they were addressed, including the use of such titles as "Lady", "Queen", "Mrs. President", and "Mrs. Presidentress". Martha Washington was often referred to as "Lady Washington."

According to legend, Dolley Madison was referred to as "first lady" in 1849 at her Funeral in a Eulogy delivered by President Zachary Taylor . However, no written record of this eulogy exists today.

Sometime between 1849 and 1877, the title began being used in social circles in Washington D.C. . The oldest known written use of the title is from the November 3 1863 diary entry of William Howard Russell , when he referred to ''gossip about ‘the first Lady in the Land’''.

The title first gained nationwide recognition in 1877 , when newspaper journalist Mary Clemmer Ames referred to Lucy Webb Hayes as "the first lady of the land" while reporting on the inauguration of Rutherford B. Hayes . Hayes was a tremendously popular first lady, and the frequent reporting on her activities helped spread use of the title outside Washington.

A popular 1911 comedic play by playwright Charles Nirdlinger titled ''"The First Lady in the Land"'' cemented use of the title by the general public, and it first entered the dictionary in 1934 .

Use of the title to refer to the wife or hostess of a chief executive later spread from the United States to other nations, often without translation of "first lady" into the native language of those nations.

In government jargon "First Lady of the United States" is sometimes acronymized as "FLOTUS," similar to the President of the United States being referred to as "POTUS".

ROLE OF THE FIRST LADY

The first lady is not an elected position, carries no official duties, and brings no salary. Nonetheless, she attends many official ceremonies and functions of state either along with or in place of the president. The first lady also frequently participates in Humanitarian and charitable work. Furthermore, many have taken an active role in campaigning for the president with whom they are associated. Hillary Rodham Clinton took the role one step further when she was, for a time, given a formal job in the Clinton administration to develop reforms to the health care system.

The term is also used to describe the wife of other government chief executives or a woman who has acted as a leading symbol for some activity, for example referring to Maria Shriver as the "First Lady of California", or Mary J Blige as the "First Lady of Soul".

The wife of the Vice President Of The United States is sometimes referred to as the Second Lady Of The United States , however this title is less common than first lady. In Michigan, the Governor Jennifer Granholm 's husband is referred to as First Gentleman.

If the United States were to have a female president, there would be no First Lady ''per se.'' It is presumed that the husband of a female President would act as an analogous "First Gentleman." This is the situation portrayed in the fictitious television series '' Commander In Chief '', in which President Mackenzie Allen 's husband Rod Calloway is titled as "First Gentleman," but President Allen's mother ultimately joins the First Family and acts as the official hostess at the "White House."

FIRST LADIES OF THE UNITED STATES

The following women have been recognized by ''The National First Ladies' Library'' as "First Lady":

Non-spouse "First Lady" or "White House hostess"

The following women are known to have acted as hostess on behalf of the first lady when she was otherwise unable or unwilling:

SEE ALSO

First Lady - Use of the title outside the United States.

Second Lady Of The United States - Wife of the Vice President of the United States.

First Ladies National Historic Site - In Canton, Ohio .

EXTERNAL LINKS

http://www.dadashopping.net/work.php?code=behind_every_great_man_stands_a_great_woman

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First Ladies Of The United States