Julia Grant: A General's Wife in the White House Dr. Diana Carlin, Professor Emerita of Communications at St. Louis University, will present a program on how Julia Grant's role as a military wife affected her work as First Lady, similar to other military wives turned First Ladies like Martha Washington and Mamie Eisenhower. Carlin is the co-author of Remember the First Ladies, a comprehensive look at the evolution of the role of First Ladies from Martha Washington to Jill Biden.