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First Lady of the United States

First Lady of the United States is the unofficial title of the hostess of the White House. The position is traditionally filled by the wife of the President of the United States of America, and the title is sometimes taken to apply only to the wife of a sitting president. The current First Lady is Laura Welch Bush. Some of the more notable former First Ladies include Martha Washington, Dolley Madison, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Hillary Clinton.

Several women, other than wives of presidents, have been recognized as being a "First Lady". This situation has arisen due to the President being a bachelor or widower, when the position was then filled by a female relative or friend of the President. Less commonly, the First Lady has delagated her duties to another woman when she is unable or unwilling to fulfill them herself.

The title was used as early as 1849 when Dolley Madison was eulogized as "America's First Lady", but did not gain wider recognition until 1877 when newspaper journalist Mary Clemmer Ames[?] used it while reporting on the inauguration of Rutherford B. Hayes.

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. Furthermore, many have taken an active role in campaigning for the President they are associated with. 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.

If the United States were to have a female President, it is not clear who would take the position of First Lady. A female president could act as her own First Lady, select a female relative or friend to occupy the role, or have her husband act as an analogous "First Gentleman".

The wife of the president is referred to by her married name - the couple is formally referred to as, for example, "The President and Mrs. Washington."

The term is also used to describe the wife of other government officials, or for a woman who has acted as a leading symbol for some activity (as in "First Lady of California" or "First Lady of Jazz" respectively).

First Ladies of the United States

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

Martha Dandridge Custis Washington - wife of George Washington

Abigail Smith Adams[?] - wife of John Adams

Martha Jefferson Randolph[?] - daughter of widower Thomas Jefferson

Dolley Payne Todd Madison - friend of widower Thomas Jefferson

Dolley Payne Todd Madison - wife of James Madison

Elizabeth Kortwright Monroe[?] - wife of James Monroe

Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams[?] - wife of John Quincy Adams

Emily Tennessee Donelson[?] - niece of widower Andrew Jackson

Sarah Yorke Jackson[?] - daughter-in-law of widower Andrew Jackson

Angelica Singleton Van Buren[?] - daughter-in-law of widower Martin Van Buren