April 29, 2019
Better late than never! During the month of March, there were many tributes and remembrances of women who made meaningful and positive contributions to America and the planet. To add to this list, I wish to salute one group of women in particular – the First Ladies of America.
While presidents occupy the limelight of the office, first ladies have played important roles in helping their husbands attain the office, support and counsel him during his presidency and have a platform to promote their special interests that can benefit the public. It’s safe to say that a number of presidents would never have become president without the backing and political skills of their wives.
Each first lady has her own story to tell. Most enjoyed solid family backgrounds but some less so. Some went to college, finishing schools or one-room school-houses. They courted, married and, with few exceptions, raised their children. They juggled household duties, nursed sickness and buried the dead, including their own children. A few dealt with unfaithful husbands and many carried the total family responsibility when they husbands’ careers demanded long periods of time away from home. There were wives who basked in the give-and-take of political life and others lived in its shadows. Finally, it may be said that some of these women had better political and diplomatic skills than their husbands. Overall, these women deserve a strong vote of thanks.
From the list of first ladies, I have a chosen few whom I would like to sit and interview. However, I put one first lady at the top of the list – .Eleanor Roosevelt. She certainly had her share of woes such as a dysfunctional childhood, competition with a strong-willed mother-in-law and an unfaithful husband. But she managed to persevere and find positive outlets to fulfill her inner needs. Very few first ladies lived through such historic years as the first half of the twentieth century with a bird’s eye view.
During the Great Depression, she quite often visited, sometimes alone, through the hollows and small towns to learn the lives of the poor and forgotten, especially child welfare issues and to report her findings back to her husband. In World War II, she never tired of visiting American troops on duty and in military hospitals. President Truman appointed her as the first American representative to the United Nations, based on her input during its establishment. She also found time to write newspaper columns and give speeches. In so many ways, she expanded the role of first lady in ways “never done before.“ In short, she was a true inspiration for her successors and for women aspiring to public life.
As the 2020 campaign rolls on, I would like to see the media schedule a number of public “meet-and-greets” for potential first ladies (or first gentlemen) so the public can get to know them and their views on all sorts of topics because one of them will be playing such a public life in our lives (I am an optimist). As the old saying goes, “two heads are better than one.”
Joe Tobin, SDC Member
