Cherryh you remember her blossoms, that is not what she focused on. She wanted to build a band show near washington so that people could, and listen to find music. She has a young woman had attended the 25th Wedding Anniversary Party to the white house of rutherford and lucy hayes. She decided she would like to come back one day and spend more time. [laughter] , we talke tragedies about the string of tragedies of helen taft, who really wanted to be first lady. Today she would be president. About three months after taft became president , she suffered a stroke. With characteristic determination, she had to relearn speech. And she did. But it contributed to the general melancholy of the single taft term, over which hung this cloud called theodore roosevelt. Susan dempsey, although she had lobbied to support her husband for the presidency, she had a much better political mind. As far astrusted tr she could throw him. She kept telling her husband not to trust theodore. In the end, in 1912, he turned on taft and ran the boldness. The bull moose. She is the first first lady to pass legislation with her name on it. Legislation to improve working conditions for federal employees. Particularly women who are beginning to move into the federal workforce in large numbers. She was ahead of her time in a lot of ways. She was certainly more liberal than her husband. Rift the was in fact the between her husband and theodore roosevelt. Richard tr had kept moving steadily toward the left, left of center. Judge. T he was a he had a judicial temperament. No one ever accused tr of having a judicial temperament. [laughter] helen was in between. Susan there is one of the consequence of helen, it was personal. The president s do not have large staff. He spent much of his time with cards, teaching his wife had to read again. He had many other things he should have been worrying about than his own family problems. Thats another consequence of how hwe orchestrate white house s. But he had no other advisors to turn to. Richard history might have been different had her health held up. Loadusly he was much more to share his burdens with her once she became sick. Helen taft should be remembered for another consistent figur ein her life. They had enormous success in the philippines. In no small measure because mrs. Taft insisted on abolishing a color barrier. The u. S. Army, which has governed exclusively up until that time, had reinforced a lot of the racial animosities that they brought with them. Helen taft, again ahead of her time, when she became first lady, relaxed the ban on divorced people coming to white house receptions. She opened the place up. Again, she is a footnote. She did a lot more than cherry trees, is what i am suggesting. That makes her almost emblematic of this whole series. Susan our next piece is not very long, and echo of 1920. You know the significant of the 1920 election. Can anybody tell me . Womens vote. First time in history that women could cast the vote. Richard and they elected warren harding. [laughter] who was thought to be the most i think he would be on your list of those who were not become president without any vicious and talented wife. It started with a smalltown newspaper in marion, ohio. She was the brains behind the operation. Richard she was a business manager. Harding. Liked not everybody liked her. She was known as the duchess. But she did not care. She had executive skills. She had a really rough life. She was disowned by her wealthy father for marrying warren harding. Marriage,commonlaw and a son that was born out of wedlock. She wasnt the most maternal of women. The relationship with the sun was difficult enough. With her son was difficult enough. Her gumption led her first gave into lessons to support herself and her infant. Determination, she said her cap on the rising young politician newspaper editor, warren harding. Steppingstonese to partisan politics in the days. In 1920, both Major Party Candidates were ohio newspaper editors. Mrs. Harding took a prominent part. She understood, she again was ahead of her time. She understood image making. Jolson and Mary Pickford came to marion one day. She played along with that. She understood the appeal of celebrity. On the one hand, she had a famous waffle recipe. I dont think she ever actually cooked. She made it clear she didnt much care for cooking. But she would play that role for that segment of the electorate that cared about that. She also would go and sit in the Senate Gallery and take notes during the debate of the league of nations. We also know that she patronized and astrologer u dupont circle. Astrologer in dupont circle. That told her her husband was likely to be elected in 1920. And that he would not survive his term. Imagine i mean, the mixed emotions she had. On the one hand, like helen taft, she really was pushing. She was the engine of the this genial, not particularly impressive husband. About that. That added to the difficulty in her life. But nevertheless, she pushed him. I seesame time she said one word written over the future atrocity. She turned out to be a better astrologer. Susan she also did not server did not survive her term in the white house. Richard she almost died 2 years into the presidency. He died august 1923. She lived almost a lifelong kidney condition, which had almost killed her more than once. It made her a semiinvalid. About Florence Harding, when they move into the. Hite house after world war i the white house has really shut down in part because of security and the president s condition. She ordered that the shades be opened. Straff on the remonstrated that it was not the custom during wartime. She said let them look in, its their house. Susan the Film Industry was being born in prominent, so we actually have a film of Florence Harding. This was there front porch campaign. We are in marion, ohio, off their front porch. We will learn more about her political skills. Just watch. All of the action took place on this porch here. Usually during speeches, warren would stand in the middle on the steps. Florence right beside him. They would wait to the crowd they would wave to the crowds. She is not aware not afraid to wait into the crowd. She is in the line shaking hands along with the president tobe. She gave interviews herself to magazines, especially womens magazines. She alternated between being the savvy politician to being th e homebody, the wife, the caretaker of the candidate. She knew how politics worked. She knew the different sides of her that would have to be portrayed as part of this campaign in order to make his campaign successful for him. Was goingt campaign to be easy for someone in hardings party. But it was difficult for him. The news of his affairs broke. The Republican Party had actually paid the woman richard there was more than one. Now the know letters are now available harding had a passionate longstanding affair with a woman named Carrie Phillips, who was married to one of his best friends. The two couples would vacation together. [laughter] how would you like to have been on that . Anyway, where it gets complicated is that Kerry PhillipsCarrie Phillips was progerman. She would sometimes blackmail her lover if you went along with this wilsonian war against the country that she looked to as a kind of second home. Republican national theye sprung decided that phillips would go on a long vacation that coincided neatly with the 1920 campaign. Msnbc. Hey would be on [laughter] one other thing about Florence Harding, which makes her one of us, she was a very outspoken champion of animalrights. She understood the power of the press and photographs. For graphs of her dog were transmitted across the country. Everybody liked that dog. Susan she really needs credit for opening up the white house. They had sheep a grazing on the white house. There is a wonderful story about Florence Harding as a senators wife going cross the white house. It was muddy and she tripped and fell. She said if i ever get to that house, those darn sheep are gone. And she did, so how about that. A lot of wonderful stories to tell between the 1920s and 1950s. We will have to leap forward. Our next first lady we have chosen is not one that you think of as being an apparently political. But in fact she was a very important political asset to her husband. You a wonderful piece of video before we start. This was about the rise of television in america. The rise of ad men wanting to craft the presidency. This is where the modern selling of the presidency began. Mamie eisenhower was a wonderful avenue to remote good images to promote good images of the white house. People loved mamie. Its hard to think now, but she was considered a fashion icon in her time. [laughter] one of the Great Stories we tell bangs were those so popular they sold click on bangs. So you too could have your own mamie bangs without needing to go through the pain of growing them. [laughter] a television special, a birthday tribute to mamie. But it wasnt her birth day. It was an important day in the election calendar. The women of our country swept eisenhower into office four years ago. They will probably decide the election this time. And they like ike. Theres somebody else they like, too. Ikes beloved mamie, whose smile and modesty and easy natural charm make her the ideal first lady. Lets keep our first lady in the white house for four more years. I hope that you, the members of our organization and our distinguished guest will enjoy this salute to our first lady. [laughter] richard you laugh, but bangs were on a roll. There was a craze for mamie fudge, which was the only thing she could make beside mayonnaise. This goddess of the white house was not particularly domestic. But in any event, she was iconic. A public symbol in the 1950s. As Jackie Kennedy would be in the 1960s. Her the bangs were to imagine mrs. Kennedy sitting still for a tribute like that. [laughter] susan how the world changed in just eight years. Since this discussion of politics, this was the cold war era. They were trying to project a certain image. Richard certainly in 1952, when eisenhower was running against a divorced man. Only the second time in American History that a major party has nominated a divorced man, james coxe being the first. Susan he got remarried. Richard in 1952, it was seen was perceived thruman had been in the white house for 8 she was not an activist or an. Dvocate i dont think she ever had a press conference. All seen the famous clip of her trying to chris and the ship with the champagne bottle. It wont break. Was a one person in all the world that harry truman knew he could say anything to. Ike and mamie had that kind of relationship. Thee is a reason why eisenhowers are associated with the 60s. I was amazed to find that there are certain women throughout history that met their future husbands and understood that he was going to be something. Like mrs. Nexen came home from their first date and said hes going to be president someday. Ofve all heard the story jobary leaving her plum because bill is going to be president someday. Lady bird johnson met lyndon and married him seven weeks later. As a congressional aide who was telling her he had a future in politics. She had a few weeks to make up her mind over he was moving on. One of the great Political Partnerships in history. She was a business powerhouse. A terrific politician. Smith it is interesting that first ladies of both local parties. Mrs. Bush. They ask for role models. Everyone says lady bird. Traditionalist who put her husband and children first. And also an activist. Environmentalist before the term caught on. Something that was banningo pass billboards in 1965. Ton it was for helen taft upgrade working conditions for federal employees. She was instrumental behind the scenes in head start. We never could come up with a better word than beautification. She didnt care for the word. When extraordinary impact she had. She won the 1960 election. Jfk puts lbj on the ticket. Evidence of how shrewd both men are. They need each other. Kennedy cant win without the south. In the final days the ticket was trailing. They go to dallas. Had its share of crazies. Usually right wing. Vehemently antikennedy. Leaven and mrs. Johnson their favorite hotel. Across the street. They are set upon by a crowd of angry make wearing republican matrons. Carrying hostile signs. Lbj understanding this is getting us bushels of votes. Slowly. E they walk very the Television Cameras show it. We were a different country in 1960. Less course. The thought that the flower of southern womanhood, lady bird johnson, could be treated in such a fashion was offensive. It probably turned the tide in texas. Which proved critical for kennedy. It was not known. A friend of the family told me. As long as lady bird was first with a blackveled dress. Husband had almost died in 1955 from heart attack. She worried about his health. The pressures of the job. I have three more first ladies. Richard has moved to grand and is living in apartments that overlooks president fords gravesite. Betty ford as the next person i want to talk about. She was divorced. He was very quiet about his marriage proposal. Smith in 1948 he came back from the war. He had been isolationist. Now he was an internationalist. Wanted to run for congress. If all in love with betty warren. That was her married name. He told her he wanted to marry her. He couldnt tell her when. Only afterwards did she discover that in fact he didnt tell her west michigan is heavily dutch. Calvinists. He was a three to 100 all going into the race. The front of marrying a divorced woman wouldve finished them. Enough to wait until after he won the primary. To schedule the wedding. He had one black shoe and one brown shoe. They were muddy because he had been milking cows. The was a great love match. The honeymoon, it was married on a saturday. This is the middle of october. It is cold in michigan. Stadiumin outdoor listening to Thomas E Dewey giving a speech. They went back to grand rapids. Could you make me a sandwich . This was a preview of coming attractions. She got a whole and honeymoons afterwards. He was gone a lot. She was left at home in alexandria with five kids. Actually. That is a terrible price to pay. One they can all the decisions for the family while your husband is out campaigning. I wonder whether that contributed to her depression. Smith she is emblematic of a whole generation of women. There is a physical explanation. In 1964 she tried to raise a window and pulled the nerve. Bothered her for the rest of her life. The doctors gave her pills which with even the slightest bit of alcohol had a magnifying effect. Already gone to a psychiatrist. Her husband was climbing the clinical ladder. Her children were growing up. Dancer the Martha Graham it wasnt that she resented the role that she was playing. She was asking herself is that there was a primary challenge from Ronald Reagan that he became very active very popular nationally because of her support of the e. R. A. At her outspokenness on her daughters when he lost on election day we usually the concession speech. Betty ford the president asked me to tell you that he telephoned president elect carter and congratulated him. The president also wants to thank all of those people who and so hard on his behalf to the millions who supported him with their votes. Honor been the greatest of my husbands life to have during two of the most difficult years in our history. Smith he had lost his voice. Thats why he she read the concession. The other half of that campaign was rosalyn carter. She married him at the age of 18. In part to get out of planes georgia. He was the most catchable guy in planes georgia. A naval officer. A partnership that endures to this day. She would drive herself during the campaign. But herself for interviews on radio. She was in this completely. In the final days of georgia supporters referred to as carters peanut brigade flew into new hampshire. Her schedule was grueling. Rosalynn remained a gracious campaigner. Havingn carter everybody know everything you do. I tell them that we were born and raised and still live in planes georgia. It has a population of 683. And everybody always know everything i did. No hint of scandal in his life. He can restore that honesty and integrity to government. I think youll be a great president. She sat in on cabinet meetings. Smith she had an office in the west wing. Just as Abigail Adams and sarah the mere fact that she advertiser interest in government led also to criticism. Positionn first lady professionalized is very likely the legacy of rosalynn carter. The staffing pattern. Jobtook this illdefined and defined it. Her signature issue was mental health. Her greatest disappointment was that she left office before she was able to get legislation passed. She personally Lobby Congress and testified. Smith the first first lady to testify before Congress Since eleanor roosevelt. Just as gerald ford and jimmy carter became good friends, so did mrs. Ford and mrs. Carter. They would Lobby Congress together. Mrs. Ford on behalf of substance abuse. And mrs. Carter mental health. They made a formidable team. Our final one is nancy reagan. This was a different kind of partnership. Nancy davis was an actress in hollywood. During the blacklist era. She found her name on a blacklist. She wasnt sure how to clear it. Suggested that she should go visit the head of the screen actors guild. That was Ronald Reagan. Dinner andnto a long a romance and ultimately she was aware of his clinical ambitions because she had been in the screen actors guild. The role that she played throughout. She had some early missteps. Known as thes person who had his back. She was called the personnel director. She watched everybody that surrounded the president. Made sure h they were loyal to him. Smith she had a thankless role. Ronald reagan really was as nice a guy as you here. He was as close to being without guile is any president. He believed the best in people. He did not automatically assume that people have agendas of their own. Was admirable traits. It places a particular burden on someone whether the white house toef of staff or a spouse compensate for that. I believe when the history books are written we are only beginning to see this mrs. Reagan will get even m