Flower Show Exhibit Opens With ‘Edith Wilson’ and an Orchid Bearing Her Name
Plus, look ahead at first ladies-related events throughout this Women's History Month.
The “First Ladies and Their Orchids” exhibit at the Philadelphia Flower Show kicked off Saturday featuring Betsy Ely portraying former First Lady Edith Bolling Wilson and Farron Smith, founder of the Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Foundation.
The exhibit created by renown cattleya orchid grower Arthur Chadwick of Chadwick & Son Orchids of Virginia featured “Mrs. Wilson” on the show’s opening day adorned with a hybrid orchid bearing her name.
The romance between First Lady Edith Bolling Wilson and President Woodrow Wilson is one of history’s most enduring love stories, according to Smith. President Wilson was smitten with the widowed Edith Bolling Galt from the first day he met her. Once he learned of Edith’s love of orchids, he gave her an orchid every day of their courtship. The couple was later famously photographed at the World Series baseball game where Edith wore a quadruple cattleya corsage pinned to her coat.
“We are honored to be part of the Chadwick & Son orchid exhibit at the Philadelphia Flower Show and share the story of First Lady Mrs. Wilson, ‘From Wytheville to the White House’ to a national audience,” Smith said in a press release.
Several of Edith Wilson’s historic artifacts are also on display in the exhibit and include an oriental-patterned cocktail bag with beading, embroidery, enamel enhancements and marcasite inlay, as well as her personal “EBW” monogrammed embroidered handkerchief—a fashionable and essential accessory of her era.
In addition to freshly-cut cattleya corsages representing a “golden age” of corsages, other artifacts and authentic memorabilia featured include former First Lady “Lady Bird” Johnson’s gardening gloves on loan from the Austin, Texas-based Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center; an orchid painting that is being researched by the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site in Indianapolis, Indiana, for authenticity as one painted by former First Lady Caroline Harrison; and former First Lady Mamie Eisenhower’s diamond engagement ring on loan from granddaughter Mary Jean Eisenhower.
The exhibit “First Ladies and Their Orchids” is an adaptation from his book, First Ladies and Their Orchids, published in 2024. It also is a tribute to the iconic women and flowers aligned with the country celebrating its 250th anniversary of its founding this year.
Calendar
Through March 8, 2026
‘First Ladies and Their Orchids’ Exhibit at the Philadelphia Flower Show
Internationally recognized orchid authority Arthur Chadwick, owner of Chadwick & Son Orchids and author of First Ladies and Their Orchids will present a one-of-its-kind exhibit commemorating America’s first ladies who were known for showcasing cattleya orchids as part of their attire. The installation traces 10 consecutive first ladies from Edith Wilson through Pat Nixon. Read more about the show.
March 3, 2026
Learn About the Life, Times, and Tragedies of Former First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln at the Brick Library
In honor of Women’s History Month, the Brick Branch of the Ocean County Library in New Jersey will host “Mary Todd Lincoln: Her Life, Times, and Tragedies” at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 3.
Historian Greg Caggiano will present the program, covering the former first lady’s early life, marriage to Abraham Lincoln, her effects on his presidency, as well as a focus on reevaluating popular misconceptions about her mental health following his assassination and other deaths throughout her life.
Greg Caggiano is an award-winning historian, lecturer, author, and consultant. He holds a degree from New Jersey City University and NJ State teaching certifications in history and elementary education. Since 2014, he has lectured as an instructor for Brookdale Community College in their Lifelong Learning Department. Registration is required for this free program. To register, visit tinyurl.com/BrickLincoln. Read more
March 4-6, 2026
Women’s Leadership Summit
George Washington’s Mount Vernon presents the Women’s Leadership Summit from March 4-6, 2026, which will feature Doris Kearns Goodwin, Judy Woodruff, Anne Applebaum, and other distinguished voices as they explore women’s pioneering roles in preserving history, shaping American memory, and defining the nation’s legacy. Taking place on March 5 during the Summit will be the panel discussion “First Ladies as Legacy Architects: Shaping History from the White House” featuring Colleen Shogan, Senior Advisor at More Perfect, Co-chair of Women’s Suffrage Monument Foundation and 11th Archivist of the United States; and Stephanie Bohnak, Director of Education & Curatorial Services, National First Ladies Library & Museum. The discussion will be moderated by Ali Vitali, journalist, MSNBC’s Way Too Early. Read more
March 11, 18 and 25, 2026
Focus on Human Rights
The New York State Division of Human Rights along with the Dutchess County Commission on Human Rights and the Eleanor Roosevelt Center have launched, Focus on Human Rights: A Three-Part Series, that will analyze the evolution and continued advancement of human rights work in New York State. The series kicks off with webinars on March 11 and March 18. It wraps up with an in-person event on March 25.
The three-part series (two-part webinar and one in-person event) will examine the Division of Human Rights’ modernization efforts, New York State’s protections of human rights under the Human Rights Law, an overview of the Division’s Hate and Bias Prevention Unit, the legacy and impact of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and an in-person panel exploring Eleanor Roosevelt’s leadership in shaping the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that continues to influence human rights work today. Read more
March 13, 2026
Legacy Lecture: Mary Lincoln’s Photograph Album
The National First Ladies Library & Museum presents a free virtual lecture from noon to 1 p.m. ET by Laura Keyes, librarian and scholar, who will present the history of this personal album, showing attendees which photographs Mary Lincoln preserved and which she chose to leave out, offering a unique glimpse into her life and legacy. Read more
March 14, 2026
Book Launch Event with author Shannon McKenna Schmidt
The Eleanor Roosevelt Center in honor of Women’s History Month presents an in-person, free book talk at 1:30 p.m. ET on March 14, 2026, with author Shannon McKenna Schmidt for her new book You Can’t Catch Us: Lady Bird Johnson’s Trailblazing 1964 Campaign Train and the Women Who Rode with Her. The event will include a presentation by Schmidt, followed by an audience Q&A and a book signing. This event is presented by the Eleanor Roosevelt Center and hosted by the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Museum & Library. It will take place at The Henry A. Wallace Center at the FDR Presidential Library and Museum, 4079 Albany Post Rd, Hyde Park in New York. A donation of $10 is appreciated. Read more
March 15, 2026
Tudor Place’s Women’s History Tour
Tudor Place presents a guided tour of the historic house on March 15, 2026, through the eyes of the women who lived and worked here. Descendants of Martha Washington, free and enslaved, blazed trails, overcame tragedy, and impacted the growth of Georgetown. Jump start the tour and learn about the amazing women of Tudor Place, including: the longest standing owner, click to learn about Britannia Peter Kennon; or Patty Allen, who was part of Martha Peter’s patrimony upon her marriage to Thomas; or even Blanche Johnson who worked in the house starting around 1920. Read more
March 16, 2026
Pat Nixon Day of Service
To celebrate First Lady Pat Nixon’s 114th Birthday, the Richard Nixon Foundation presents a gathering at the Nixon Library for birthday cake, and a day of family fun—with a purpose.
Throughout her life, First Lady Pat Nixon championed volunteerism and supported worthwhile charitable organizations across the country. Every year on her birthday the Richard Nixon Foundation hosts the Pat Nixon Day of Service, inviting the public to the Nixon Library to learn about and get involved with organizations and charities that Mrs. Nixon championed before, during, and after her tenure as first lady. Programs throughout the day include a wreath-laying ceremony at 10:30 a.m. PT and a special presentation of Pat Nixon’s life with longtime Nixon family-friend Maureen Nunn. Read more
March 26, 2026
America’s First Ladies: Impact and Legacy
In honor of America’s 250th anniversary, the Truman Library Institute’s annual Women Rising event presents David Von Drehle, New York Times bestselling author and former Washington Post columnist, shares the stage with internationally recognized author and former White House staffer Anita McBride. The event will take place in person and virtually at 6:30 p.m. CT on March 26, 2026. Together, they will explore her groundbreaking research for Remember the First Ladies, in which McBride highlights the women who broke barriers and profoundly shaped presidents, the country and the world. From civil rights to politics, public policy and global diplomacy, first ladies have transformed the “right-hand” role into one of lasting influence—both in public and behind the scenes.
As chief of staff to Laura Bush, McBride had an insider’s view of the First Lady’s evolving role. A knowledgeable and humorous storyteller, she will share insights into how first ladies throughout history advanced the position of women and left their mark on the nation. She’ll also provide fascinating commentary on the under- and over-appreciated residents of the White House, drawing on her unique experience and extensive research. Read more
April 10, 2026
Legacy Lecture: On the Road with America’s First Ladies
The National First Ladies Library & Museum presents a virtual program of powerful stories about America’s first ladies with Andrew Och, aka The First Ladies Man. The author of the two-volume series Unusual for Their Time: On the Road With America’s First Ladies highlights the women who shaped the presidency and influenced the course of American history. Read more
April 23, 2026
From Poise to Purpose: Pat Nixon, Betty Ford, and the Changing Role of First Lady
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation presents a birthday event at the Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on April 23, 2026 to honor First Lady Betty Ford, who would be 108 on April 8.
Betty Ford and Pat Nixon shared more than just the first lady position: they also shared a long history of friendship and mutual admiration. Heath Hardage Lee, author of The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon, will discuss Pat Nixon’s life and times as well as the intertwined fates of Mrs. Nixon and Mrs. Ford, and their contrasting styles as first lady. Read more