Main Content

Women and the White House

While there has yet to be a female president, women have played an integral role in shaping the White House and its history. From First Ladies and hostesses, to picketers and enslaved people, women have been intricately involved with the White House since its conception. In this collection, find a sampling of stories about women and their work in the White House.

Foundations

The Origins of the American "First Lady"

Betty Ford: Activist First Lady

First Ladies and Cherry Blossoms

A Blooming Legacy

An American Icon

The Many Roles of Dolley Madison

Pioneering Women of the Woodrow Wilson White House, 1913-1921

Lucy Hayes

Temperance and the Politics of the White House Dinner Table

Grace Coolidge and Great War Veterans

Supporting Those Who Served in World War I

The Legacy of First Lady Patricia Nixon

The 1600 Sessions

First Lady Barbara Bush

The 1600 Sessions

Enslaved Women: Gracy Bradley's White House

Margaret Truman in the White House

Alice Roosevelt Longworth: Presidential Daughter and American Celebrity

Marian Anderson and White House History

Picketing the White House: Women Fight for the Vote

Hostess of the Andrew Johnson White House

Martha Johnson Patterson

A Widower's Hostess

Angelica Van Buren in the White House

Patricia Nixon’s Visitor Friendly White House

Eleanor Roosevelt's "My Day"

The First Fan

Mrs. Coolidge's Passion for Baseball

Nellie Arthur in the White House

The First Daughter Makes a Home For Herself

Lou Hoover

Charity in the White House