Remember the First Ladies

Their contributions are enduring. Their influence is profound. Their legacies touch our everyday lives. In Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America's History-Making Women, communication, history, and government scholars and professionals Diana B. Carlin, Anita B. McBride, and Nancy Kegan Smith provide readers with an illuminating and highly personal exploration of the lives and legacies of U.S. first ladies.Readers learn about the role of first lady, from its origins under Martha Washington through its current iteration under Dr. Jill Biden. The book explores how first ladies have been uniquely positioned to influence American society, policy, diplomacy, and the life in the White House. Profiles of first ladies bring their histories, achievements, and legacies to life.Remember the First Ladies is a groundbreaking book showing the evolutionary role of first lady. It shines a light on the influential women who have broken barriers and made a mark on our country and, at times, our world during their tenures in the White House.

Diana B. Carlin is Professor Emerita of Communication at Saint Louis University and a retired professor of communication studies at the University of Kansas. She has taught courses on first ladies at three universities.Anita B. McBride is Director of the First Ladies Initiative at American University, School of Public Affairs. Her experience includes service in three U.S. presidential administrations at the White House and Department of State and chief of staff to a first lady of the United States.Nancy Kegan Smith retired in 2012 as Director of the Presidential Materials Division of the National Archives and Records Administration. She is co-editor of Modern First Ladies: Their Documentary Legacy and lectures on first ladies and presidential records.The three authors write and lecture extensively on first ladies and are founding members of the First Ladies Association for Research and Education (FLARE).