A Glimpse into the First Ladies Lives

In honor of President’s Day, we decided to do a little digging to find out more about the roles of the Presidents Wives. We interviewed Edie Mayo, Curator Emeritus in Women’s History from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington DC. Edie re-conceptualized the First Ladies exhibit, taking it from being about all about their gowns and china to showcasing contributions of the women made in society.

At the National Museum of American History, Edie actively collected for the Museum’s holdings in women’s history, politics, civil rights, and voting rights, and strongly advocated the importance of 20th century collecting in museums. Edie was elected several times to the National Council of the American Studies Association.  She taught Material Culture in a jointly-sponsored course for the Smithsonian Institution and American Studies Dept. at The George Washington University. She lectures widely on women’s history and the First Ladies and serves as a Distinguished Lecturer for the Organization of American Historians.

On President’s Day Weekend, she came on our online radio show ‘Champagne Sundays’ to talk about the public image and political roles of the First Ladies, and also talked about the contributions that Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson and Elizabeth "Betty" Ford made not only for the southwest, but for society as a whole.

Our interview with Edie brought out some fascinating aspects of the lives of the first ladies, as well as some insight on the struggle for women to gain the right to vote and to be recognized as citizens in their own right.

To listen to an interview with Edie Mayo, from an excerpt of our online radio show ‘Champagne Sunday’s, please double click on the Play button below.





We are delighted that Edie will return as our guest on our special ‘Historical Women of the Southwest’ online radio show that will air on Sunday, March 9, from 11am-1pm PST. This show is in honor of March being Women’s History Month.

Edie’s Recommended Reading List about the First Ladies

* Anthony, Carl - 2 volumes. First Ladies: the Saga of the Presidents' Wives and Their Power. (William Morrow and Company, 1990, 1991).
First Ladies: The Saga of the Presidents Wives and Their Power 1789-1961

* Caroli, Betty Boyd.  First Ladies. (Oxford Univ. Press, 1987).
First Ladies: From Martha Washington to Laura Bush

* American First Ladies: Their Lives and Their Legacy. Louis L. Gould, ed. (New York and London:  Garland Publishing, Inc., 1996. Excellent short biographies by scholars who have researched the women.
American First Ladies: Their Lives and Their Legacy

* Marton, Kati: Hidden Power: Presidential Marriages That Shaped Our Recent History. (New York:  Pantheon Books, 2001)
Hidden Power: Presidential Marriages That Shaped Our Recent History

* Mayo, Edith P.: Presidential Families: The Smithsonian Q&A (HarperCollinsPublishers, 2006)
Smithsonian Q & A: Presidential Families: The Ultimate Question & Answer Book (Smithsonian Q & A)