The position of “First Lady” has become a role of growing significance in the past century since The New Deal years of Franklin D. Roosevelt, with all scholars agreed upon that Eleanor Roosevelt, the longest serving First Lady (1933-1945), was by far the most active and engaged of all First Ladies, and setting a standard for the century since the Great Depression.
We have had 13 First Ladies since Eleanor Roosevelt.
If one were to rank First Ladies in significance after Eleanor Roosevelt, the list, while debatable, would likely be in the following order:
Hillary Clinton
Jacqueline Kennedy
Lady Bird Johnson
Michelle Obama
Betty Ford
Barbara Bush
Rosalynn Carter
Nancy Reagan
Laura Bush
Pat Nixon
Mamie Eisenhower
Bess Truman
Melania Trump
And now, we have Dr. Jill Biden about to become First Lady, and assuredly would be high on the list, based on her past activities as “Second Lady” and her credentials as an educator, and a very supportive wife and mother.
One thing is certain, that the First Lady position, which has been in total collapse under Melania Trump, will be restored with dignity under Dr. Jill Biden, just as Joe Biden will restore the dignity of the Presidency, which has been in total collapse under Donald Trump!
Speaking of first ladies, CNN is rerunning specials about Jacqueline Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, and Lady Bird Johnson tonight.
Apparently, CNN’s TV listing was wrong. They were showing Republican first ladies last night instead of Democratic first ladies.