Ohio's First Ladies

This engaging collection of essays explores the lives and legacies of six Ohio-born First Ladies: Lucy Webb Hayes, Lucretia Rudolph Garfield, Caroline Scott Harrison, Ida Saxton McKinley, Helen Herron Taft, and Florence Kling Harding. With contributions by leading scholars, the volume moves beyond traditional biography to examine how each woman’s Ohio roots shaped her public role and influenced her husband’s political career at both state and national levels.Connecting Ohio history to the broader narrative of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century US history, these essays draw on rich primary and secondary sources to illuminate the intersection of regional identity and national politics. Accessible and insightful, Ohio’s First Ladies invites readers of all backgrounds-from high school students to lifelong learners-to discover how the Midwest helped mold women who would leave their mark on the White House.ContributorsBenjamin T. ArringtonJennifer CappsAnnette B. DunlapKara M. FrenchMichelle GullionKatherine JellisonKatherine A. S. Sibley

Katherine Jellison is professor emerita of history at Ohio University. Her previous books include Entitled to Power: Farm Women and Technology, 1913-1963 (1993), It's Our Day: America's Love Affair with the White Wedding, 1945-2005 (2008), and (with Steven D. Reschly) Amish Women and the Great Depression (2023).