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First Lady a Day: 1965

Claudia Alta Taylor Johnson, best known as Lady Bird. Today, she would be called an environmentalist. She was active - big supporter of Head Start and Vista. Lady Bird was made of sturdy stuff. To be married to LBJ, and survive with personality intact, one would have had to be. I always though she got a bum rap. Being First Lady after Jacqueline Kennedy was a tough act to follow under the best of

A First Lady a Day - Helen in 1909

Christmas break is over and we come back with Helen. Yes, we are still in the 20th C. That’s Helen Taft. A woman who wanted the job if ever there was one. She had been First Lady of the Philippines while her husband William Howard Taft was the Governor. Apparently she liked the job, and had ambitions for more. Even her official White House bio ( and these are always kind) refers to her

A First Lady a Day: Caroline, or 1889

You are wondering - who’s Caroline? Carrie Harrison. Lovely woman, well dressed. Elegant, yet fun loving. I have seen some of her clothes at the President Benjamin Harrison Home in Indianapolis. Very, very nice. And the house is great too - right downtown, easy to get to. Go if you have a chance. They had a spiffy display on the third floor when we were there - Death in the White House. She was

A First Lady A Day: 1977

Rosalynn, Rosalynn. I do admire Rosalynn Carter’s contributions, her sense of self and the work she has done. I even admired the goal of taking the First Family back into the realm of average folks and losing some of the Imperial Presidency trappings. And she was pushing us to take a First Lady seriously with her political work and missions abroad. She is due a great deal of recognition for that.

A First Lady a Day: Grace

Ahhh. Grace. By all accounts, Grace Coolidge was a lovely woman and aptly named. I have never read a single negative thing about her. She was charming. Popular and warm. Loved animals. Worked with the deaf. Was the engaging, social, friendly one in the Coolidge marriage. As frugal and, well, reserved as Calvin was, he loved her to be stylish and well-dressed. She was 5'-5" , had black hair, was

A First Lady A Day - 1953/1957

That means it’s Mamie Day!I have to say it. She reminds me of my grandmother. Something I think I actually said in my grandmother's hearing once. Only once. Mamie was 10 years older after all. So - she was well liked. She was considered stylish, and with the whole pink thing, she owned the 50s. She wore designer dresses. But I always had the nagging suspicion that under that 1950s , vivacious,