First Ladies of the United States

"A position where I can do the most good..." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Over 47 women have held the role of First Lady as of 2017. However, not all those who have served as a first lady were spouses to the presidents. If the president was a bachelor or widower, or if his wife was unable or unwilling to perform the role, other female relatives or friends were called upon to carry out the first lady's official duties; thus, there have been more first ladies than presidents. For more information and biographies on each of the first ladies, visit the National First Ladies Library.

 

Our First Ladies

Martha Washington
Wife to President George Washington
1789-1797

 

Abigail Adams
Wife to President John Adams
1797-1801

 

Martha "Patsy" Jefferson Randolph
Daughter to President Thomas Jefferson
1801-1809

 

Dolley Madison
Wife to President James Madison
1809-1817

 

Elizabeth Monroe
Wife to President James Monroe
1817-1825

 

Louisa Adams
Wife to President John Quincy Adams
1825-1829

 

Emily Donelson
Niece to President Andrew Jackson
1829-1834

 

Sarah Jackson
Daughter-in-law to President Andrew Jackson
1834-1837

 

Angelica Van Buren
Daughter-in-law to President Martin Van Buren
1838-1841

 

Anna Harrison
Wife to President William Henry Harrison
1841

 

Letitia Tyler
Wife to President John Tyler
1841-1842

 

Julia Tyler
Second wife to President John Tyler
1844-1845

 

Sarah Polk
Wife to President James Polk
1845-1849

 

Margaret Taylor
Wife to President Zachary Taylor
1849-1850

 

Abigail Fillmore
Wife to President Millard Fillmore
1850-1853

 

Jane Pierce
Wife to President Franklin Pierce
1853-1857

 

Harriet Lane
Niece to President James Buchanan
1857-1861

 

Mary Lincoln
Wife to President Abraham Lincoln
1861-1865

 

Eliza Johnson
Wife to President Andrew Johnson
1865-1869

 

Julia Dent Grant
Wife to President Ulysses S. Grant
1869-1877

 

Lucy Hayes
Wife to President Rutherford B. Hayes
1877-1881

 

Lucretia Garfield
Wife to President James A. Garfield
1881

 

Ellen Arthur
Wife to President Chester Arthur
1881-1885

Rose Cleveland
Sister to President Grover Cleveland
1885-1886

 

Frances Cleveland
Wife to President Grover Cleveland
1886-1889
1893-1897

 

Caroline Harrison
Wife to President Benjamin Harrison
1889-1893

 

Ida McKinley
Wife to President William McKinley
1897-1901

 

Edith Roosevelt
Wife to President Theodore Roosevelt
1901-1909

 

Helen Taft
Wife to President William Howard Taft
1909-1913

 

Ellen Wilson
Wife to President Woodrow Wilson
1913-1914

 

Edith Wilson
Second wife to President Woodrow Wilson
1914-1921

 

Florence Harding
Wife to Warren G. Harding
1921-1923

 

Grace Coolidge
Wife to President Calvin Coolidge
1923-1929

 

Lou Hoover
Wife to President Herbert Hoover
1929-1933

 

Eleanor Roosevelt
Wife to President Franklin D. Roosevelt
1933-1945

 

Bess Truman
Wife to President Harry S. Truman
1945-1953

 

Mamie Eisenhower
Wife to President Dwight D. Eisenhower
1953-1961

 

Jacqueline Kennedy
Wife to President John F. Kennedy
1961-1963

 

Lady Bird Johnson
Wife to President Lyndon B. Johnson
1963-1969

 

Patricia Nixon
Wife to President Richard Nixon
1969-1974

 

Betty Ford
Wife to President Gerald Ford
1974-1977

 

Rosalynn Carter
Wife to President Jimmy Carter
1977-1981

 

Nancy Reagan
Wife to President Ronald Reagan
1981-1989

 

Barbara Bush
Wife to President George H.W. Bush
1989-1993

 

Hillary Clinton
Wife to President Bill Clinton
1993-2001

 

Laura Bush
Wife to President George W. Bush
2001-2009

 

Michelle Obama
Wife to President Barack Obama
2009-2017

 

Melania Trump
Wife to President Donald Trump
2017- 2021

 

All images courtesy of the National Archives.

Dr. Jill Biden
Wife to President Joe Biden
2021-