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Home , Abigail Adams, Abigail Fillmore, Anna Harrison, Bess Truman, Caroline Harrison, Edith Wilson

Martha Washington ★ Abigail Adams ★ Martha Jefferson ★ Dolley Madison ★ Elizabeth Monroe ★ Louisa Adams ★ Rachel Jackson ★ Hannah Van Buren ★ Anna Harrison ★ Letitia Tyler ★ Julia Tyler ★ Sarah Polk ★ Margaret Taylor ★ Abigail Fillmore ★ Jane Pierce ★ 11 12 Harriet Lane ★ Mary Todd Lincoln ★ Eliza Johnson ★ Julia Grant ★ Lu c y H ay e s ★ Lucretia Garfield ★ Ellen “The Legacies of America’s First Ladies conference series is an inside view into the lives of our first ladies. The series showcases how these women used their official role to the ★ ★ ★ 10 Arthur Frances Cleveland Caroline Harrison benefit of American citizens. Congratulations to Anita McBride, my former chief of staff, who conceived of this program and brought together historians, White House Ida McKinley ★ Edith Roosevelt ★ Helen Taft ★ Ellen Wilson photographers, presidential advisers, and social secretaries to tell the stories through “Legacies of America’s ★ Edith Wilson ★ Florence Harding ★ Grace Coolidge ★ personal accounts of life in the White House. The presidency is about all of the people First Ladies conferences who join with that president in service to our remarkable nation, from their first lady to Lou Hoover ★ Eleanor Roosevelt ★ Elizabeth “Bess”Truman are filling a cavernous hole their staff. I appreciate American University and the White House Historical Association in American politics and ★ Mamie Eisenhower ★ Jacqueline Kennedy ★ Claudia “Lady for their support of this fascinating series.” history. No place else has the —Laura Bush, former first lady of the United States ★ ★ crucial role of presidential Bird” Johnson Patricia “Pat” Nixon Elizabeth “Betty wives been so thoroughly and Ford ★ Rosalyn Carter ★ Nancy Reagan ★ Barbara Bush entertainingly presented.” ★ Hillary Rodham Clinton ★ Laura Bush ★ Michelle obama ★ —Cokie Roberts, political “I cannot imagine a better way to promote understanding and interest in the experiences of commentator and author of Martha Washington ★ Abigail Adams ★ Martha Jefferson Founding Mothers: The Women our first ladies.” Who Raised Our Nation and —Doris Kearns Goodwin, presidential historian ★ Dolley Madison ★ Elizabeth Monroe ★ Louisa Adams ★ Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation

About Anita McBride Anita B. McBride is executive in residence at the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University’s School of Public Affairs in Washington, D.C. She directs programming on the legacies of America’s first ladies and their influence on politics, policy, and global diplomacy. Prior to this appointment, she served as assistant Rachel Jackson ★ Hannah Van Buren ★ Anna Harrison to former president George W. Bush and chief of staff to former first lady Laura Bush. In the latter role, McBride advised the first lady on a diverse platform of domestic and international initiatives, and she directed the first lady’s ★ Letitia Tyler ★ Julia Tyler ★ Sarah Polk ★ foreign travel to nearly 70 countries in four years, including historic trips to Afghanistan, the Middle East, and the Margaret Taylor ★ Abigail Fillmore ★ Jane Pierce ★ border of Thailand and Burma. ★ ★ McBride’s public service spans two decades and three U.S. presidential administrations, with positions at the White Harriet Lane Mary Todd Lincoln Eliza Johnson House, the U.S. Information Agency, and the U.S. Department of State. She currently is a senior advisor to the ★ Julia Grant ★ Lu c y H ay e s ★ Lucretia Garfield ★ Ellen George W. Bush Institute and an advisor to several global nonprofit organizations. McBride co-founded the RAND African First Ladies Initiative and Fellowship to strengthen the offices of first ladies across the continent of Africa. Arthur ★ Frances Cleveland ★ Caroline Harrison ★ McBride also serves on the board of several organizations, including the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, the U.S.–Afghan Ida McKinley ★ Edith Roosevelt ★ Helen Taft ★ Ellen Wilson Women’s Council, and the White House Historical Association. ★ Edith Wilson ★ Florence Harding ★ Grace Coolidge ★

4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Lou Hoover ★ Eleanor Roosevelt ★ Elizabeth “Bess”Truman Washington, DC 20016-8143 Anita B. McBride, conference chair ★ Mamie Eisenhower ★ Jacqueline Kennedy ★ Claudia “Lady [email protected] | 202-885-6604 american.edu/firstladies Bird” Johnson ★ Patricia “Pat” Nixon ★ Elizabeth “Betty Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies Ford ★ Rosalyn Carter ★ Nancy Reagan ★ Barbara Bush american.edu/spa/ccps

For information regarding the accreditation and licensing of American University, please visit american.edu/academics. An equal opportunity, affirmative action university. UP14-216 ★ Hillary Rodham Clinton ★ Laura Bush ★ Michelle obama ★ 1 2 3 4 5 6

Dear friends, What people are saying Past conferences

Throughout our nation’s history, America’s first ladies have influenced “I applaud American “The 2013 Legacies of ★ April 8, 2013 advisers, White House photographers, national our politics, domestic policy, and global diplomacy. American University University for bringing America’s First Ladies gerald R. Ford media correspondents, former president has a proud history of hosting first ladies on campus and of together former White Conference in Grand Presidential Museum George W. Bush, and former first ladies recognizing their valuable role. Barbara Bush and Laura Bush. Through House staff, smart Rapids was superb.” Grand Rapids, MI lively discussions and historic images, they In March 2011, American University held the inaugural Legacies of historians, journalists, —Susan Ford Bales, Former first ladies Barbara Bush and Laura examined the vital role first ladies have played America’s First Ladies conference to honor the significant contributions daughter of former first children of presidents, Bush participated in a luncheon discussion these women have made, and continue to make, toward promoting lady Betty Ford and former throughout our history. 7 and my favorite former with Archivist of the United States David change and improving our society. That event led to a partnership first lady, Laura Bush, to president Gerald R. Ford with the White House Historical Association and the National Archives Ferriero. The conference commemorated Betty help educate people about Ford’s 95th birthday and kicked off centennial ★ November 15, 2011 and its Presidential Libraries, launching the Legacies of America’s “[The conference at the First Ladies conference series. This important series features the role of first ladies.” celebrations honoring former president Gerald george Bush LBJ Presidential Library] distinguished guests—White House staff, historians, authors, national —Barbara Bush, R. Ford. Participants included presidential Presidential Library and Museum proved to be one of the media personalities, former presidents and first families, and current former first lady historians and former first children Susan Ford Texas A&M University and former first ladies—who reveal firsthand accounts and historical of the United States most substantive and Bales and Steve Ford, who shared intimate College Station, TX perspectives on the work and lives of our nation’s first ladies. popular programs in accounts of public life and private moments in Presidential historians, senior advisers to first “American University’s the institution’s 40-year the White House. Texas—the only state that is home to three presidential libraries and ladies, and former first ladies Barbara Bush 8 outstanding series on the history.” two living former first ladies—provided the perfect place to start. and Laura Bush discussed the challenges and In November 2011, the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum first ladies illuminates an —Mark K. Updegrove, ★ November 12, 2012 opportunities of this unique position. They director, LBJ Presidential at Texas A & M University held the first of three conferences in that area of American history lyndon Baines Johnson offered a behind-the-scenes look at work in Library state. The George W. Bush Presidential Center at Southern Methodist that often is overlooked. Presidential Library and Museum the East Wing and life in the White House University hosted us in March 2012, and the final conference of the The [conference] forums University of Texas–Austin residence. This event also was the first public “I am a proud supporter Texas series took place in November 2012 at the Lyndon Baines have offered scholars, Austin, TX forum in which these women shared their Johnson Presidential Library and Museum. of and participant in experiences as mother-in-law and daughter- students, and history buffs This conference featured historians, advisers the series.” in-law serving in this role. The conference series continued at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential a unique insight and some to former first ladies and presidents, a veteran —David Ferriero, Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on April 8, 2013. fascinating storytelling.” White House photographer, representatives archivist of the —Steve Scully, from the LBJ and American University 9 United States ★ March 1, 2011 It is my honor to lead this important initiative for American University senior political director, libraries, former first children, and former and to take these conferences to presidential libraries and academic aMerican University C-SPAN first ladies Barbara Bush and Laura Bush, 1. Eleanor Roosevelt visits American University in February and historical institutions around the country. Washington, D.C. 1945. Photo: AU Archives who offered personal reflections on Lady Bird 2. Rosalynn Carter delivers a speech at American University Johnson to mark her centennial birthday. The This conference launched a national dialogue in February 1985. Photo: AU Archives This brochure highlights some of the fascinating insights gleaned from 3. Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin moderates a conversation panelists offered perspectives on the legacies with former first ladies Laura Bush and Barbara Bush. this historic series. I hope you will find it enjoyable and inspiring. And I on America’s first ladies in partnership with Photo: Eric Draper hope, too, that you can join us at a future conference in honor of these of these women and on family life in the the National Archives, Presidential Libraries, 4. Lisa Caputo, former press secretary to Hillary Rodham Sampling of conference panelists Clinton; Anita McBride; Dee Dee Myers, former press remarkable women. White House. the White House Historical Association, and secretary to president Bill Clinton; and historians ★ Allida Black and Richard Norton Smith. Photo: David Valdez ★ Catherine Allgor Steve Ford academic institutions. Participants included 5. Former first children Barbara Bush, Jenna Bush Hager, renowned historians, former presidential Steven Ford, and Lynda Johnson Robb. Photo: David Valdez ★ Susan Ford Bales ★ Doris Kearns Goodwin ★ March 5, 2012 6. Former president George W. Bush speaks at the March 2012 advisers, first ladies’ chiefs of staff, veteran conference. Photo: Eric Draper ★ george W. Bush 7. AU president Neil Kerwin addresses the responsibility of ★ Allida Black Jenna Bush Hager members of the White House press corps, academic institutions to take seriously the role of first ladies Presidential Center in our system of governance. Photo: Eric Draper Anita B. McBride ★ Former first lady ★ David Hume Kennerly and American University faculty. They 8. Laura Bush and Barbara Bush candidly reflect upon their Southern Methodist University unique experiences as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law Conference Chair Barbara Bush ★ offered insiders’ perspectives on first ladies former first ladies. Photo: Eric Draper Dee Dee Myers Dallas, TX 9. Betty Ford delivers a speech at American University Executive in Residence, Center for Congressional throughout our history, their private lives and ★ Former president in January 1985. Photo: AU Archives and Presidential Studies ★ Lynda Johnson Robb Presidents of SMU and American University public roles, and the impact they have had on 10. Cokie Roberts on a panel at the March 2012 conference. Photo: Eric Draper School of Public Affairs George W. Bush ★ Cokie Roberts opened the conference, which featured presidential politics, policy, and global diplomacy. 11. Former first lady Laura Bush and Chief of Staff Anita McBride American University ★ in the Oval Office, September 2005. Photo: Eric Draper Former first lady historians, social secretaries and presidential 12. Conference participants, from left, Susan Sher, Anita ★ Richard Norton Smith McBride, and Melanne Verveer—chiefs of staff for first Laura Bush ladies Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, and Hillary Rodham Clinton, respectively. Photo: Jeff Watts Martha Washington ★ Abigail Adams ★ Martha Jefferson ★ Dolley Madison ★ Elizabeth Monroe ★ Louisa Adams ★ Rachel Jackson ★ Hannah Van Buren ★ Anna Harrison ★ Letitia Tyler ★ Julia Tyler ★ Sarah Polk ★ Margaret Taylor ★ Abigail Fillmore ★ Jane Pierce ★ 11 12 Harriet Lane ★ Mary Todd Lincoln ★ Eliza Johnson ★ Julia Grant ★ Lu c y H ay e s ★ Lucretia Garfield ★ Ellen “The Legacies of America’s First Ladies conference series is an inside view into the lives of our first ladies. The series showcases how these women used their official role to the ★ ★ ★ 10 Arthur Frances Cleveland Caroline Harrison benefit of American citizens. Congratulations to Anita McBride, my former chief of staff, who conceived of this program and brought together historians, White House Ida McKinley ★ Edith Roosevelt ★ Helen Taft ★ Ellen Wilson photographers, presidential advisers, and social secretaries to tell the stories through “Legacies of America’s ★ Edith Wilson ★ Florence Harding ★ Grace Coolidge ★ personal accounts of life in the White House. The presidency is about all of the people First Ladies conferences who join with that president in service to our remarkable nation, from their first lady to Lou Hoover ★ Eleanor Roosevelt ★ Elizabeth “Bess”Truman are filling a cavernous hole their staff. I appreciate American University and the White House Historical Association in American politics and ★ Mamie Eisenhower ★ Jacqueline Kennedy ★ Claudia “Lady for their support of this fascinating series.” history. No place else has the —Laura Bush, former first lady of the United States ★ ★ crucial role of presidential Bird” Johnson Patricia “Pat” Nixon Elizabeth “Betty wives been so thoroughly and Ford ★ Rosalyn Carter ★ Nancy Reagan ★ Barbara Bush entertainingly presented.” ★ Hillary Rodham Clinton ★ Laura Bush ★ Michelle obama ★ —Cokie Roberts, political “I cannot imagine a better way to promote understanding and interest in the experiences of commentator and author of Martha Washington ★ Abigail Adams ★ Martha Jefferson Founding Mothers: The Women our first ladies.” Who Raised Our Nation and —Doris Kearns Goodwin, presidential historian ★ Dolley Madison ★ Elizabeth Monroe ★ Louisa Adams ★ Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation