Ida McKinley: ‘A Person First and Foremost’
Michelle Gullion shares how this first lady defied early negative narratives of her legacy in latest ‘In Pursuit’ essay installment.
Many people approach Michelle Gullion at the Canton, Ohio-based National First Ladies Library & Museum—the home of Ida McKinley—confessing they don’t know anything about Mrs. McKinley, the wife of William McKinley, the 25th president.
It’s fair to say, too, that in the immediate years after her time serving as first lady, people’s understanding of her legacy was limited and to some extent hidden. That’s largely because Mrs. McKinley had a disability—epilepsy—while in the White House at a time period when the affliction was still terribly stigmatized and remedies barely emerged.
It’s that and more Gullion wants to share with the visiting public. And recently she had the opportunity to elevate Mrs. McKinley’s story as part of the In Pursuit essay project spotlighting lessons from American presidents and select first ladies.
Gullion, director of collections and research at the library and museum, calls the former first lady “brave” and “honest” and a woman who refused to be defined by the disease that was brought on after her second pregnancy. In fact, Ida McKinley is the only first lady to serve in her role while living with epilepsy, she writes in the opening sentence of her essay “Being Visible While Vulnerable Is a Form of Courage.”
“She was a person first and foremost. And she had feelings,” Gullion tells East Wing Magazine in a recent phone interview. “She did what she could do with her abilities, and she wasn’t afraid.”
Gullion, who has told the former first lady’s story more times than she can count, wants readers and visitors to the library and museum and at the neighboring National Historic Site to understand that the label “invalid,” which was cemented in Mrs. McKinley’s earlier historic narratives, is not only hurtful but falls way short.
Ida McKinley was “very funny and witty,” says Gullion. She held strong convictions. Notably, she spoke up for women’s rights leader Susan B. Anthony, declaring she, too, was pro-suffrage.
“No other first lady was that public with her role in coming out and saying that,” Gullion says.
Yet, epilepsy casts a long and misunderstood shadow that can be traced back to 2000 B.C. confounding populations attempting to explain seizures as something prompted by provoked gods or as demonism. By the mid-to-late 1800s, seizures were still something people lived with causing many to become isolated from society. Some ended up in workhouses and others in asylums because epilepsy was not fully understood as a neurological disorder.
Ida McKinley, though, quietly supported her husband and her husband was deeply devoted to her. She also became known for perfecting her needlework skills, according to Gullion, making more than 3,000 pairs of crocheted slippers in various sizes. “If a family member was ill or a baby was expected, she would send them home with a pair of her crocheted slippers,” Gullion writes.
Mrs. McKinley was respected as the president’s wife, Gullion adds, but her identity as a woman with thoughts and feelings was often overlooked especially while experiencing a seizure.
“Washington elites gossiped about Ida, noting her pale complexion and demeanor, and rumors circulated that she made a hissing sound while her face was covered,” Gullion notes.
And although epilepsy posed a difficulty for the former first lady, other tragic life events would unfold. The McKinleys lost both of their daughters in childhood—the second born died at four months of age and their first born died at the age of 3. And just six months after William McKinley’s inauguration, on September 6, 1901, he was assassinated. Ida McKinley died a few years later on May 26, 1907 as a result of her declining health.
Although much progress has been made with medical advancements for successful treatments for epilepsy and for people with physical disabilities in general, Gullion believes there’s much more to be done when it comes to destigmatizing brain disorders and mental health. It is worrisome, she says, about how it has taken even longer for the negative narratives of Ida McKinley’s short tenure as first lady to be challenged and recast into a fuller and honest account. Her essay, she hopes, is part of the historical remedy.
Calendar
Aug. 12, 2026
Talk with a Curator
Go behind the scenes on Aug. 12, 2026, at 7 p.m. ET in a virtual program presented by the National First Ladies Library & Museum for a rare opportunity to learn how history is researched, cared for, and share–straight from the curators who make it happen. Read more
Aug. 15-16, 2026
5th Annual Butterfly Daze
The Friends of Jimmy Carter presents the 5th Annual Butterfly Daze Weekend from Aug. 15-16, 2026 in Plains, Georgia, celebrating the “First Lady from Plains,” Rosalynn Carter. The two-day event will include the Rosalynn Carter Memorial Food Distribution; Apartment 9A tours, where the Carters first lived in Plains; a Butterfly Garden hands-on experience; lunch with Lincoln; Cooking with the First Ladies Man and Rosalynn’s family; Presidential Descendants VIP Reception; Give ‘Em Hell Harry play with Harry Truman grandson Clifton Truman Daniel; “Rosalynn” Sunday community-wide service and fellowship taught by Carter family member Courtney Wall; and a wreath laying ceremony at the Carter Gardens. Read more
Aug. 22, 2026
History talk: The Wedding of Ulysses and Julia Grant
On a hot August day in 1848, Ulysses S. Grant and Julia Dent were married at the Dent family’s home in downtown St. Louis, beginning a partnership that would withstand war, separation, financial hardship, and public life. This free program to be held from 10 to 11 a.m. local time explores the Grants’ courtship and wedding, examining the experiences and influences that brought them together. Through letters, photographs, and historical accounts, David Newmann, the Program Manager for Interpretation, Education, and Volunteers at Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park, will explore the story behind the Grants’ wedding day and the bond that endured through decades of personal and national change. Read more
Aug. 23, 2026
Remember the Ladies: A One-Woman Journey Through the American Revolution
The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, California, presents “Remember the Ladies: A One-Woman Journey Through the American Revolution” from 2 to 3 p.m. local time on August 23, 2026. The one-woman, in-person show inspired by Abigail Adams’ call to “remember the ladies,” will highlight key contributions in America’s founding era.
Robin Follman is a celebrated soprano and educator who integrates music, storytelling, and public service. Her one-woman show, inspired by Abigail Adams’ “remember the ladies” call, highlights women’s contributions in America’s founding era through music, dramatic monologues, and poetry, featuring figures like Abigail Adams, Mercy Otis Warren, and Phillis Wheatley while blending various musical styles into a historical narrative. Read more
Aug. 26, 2026
First Ladies on the Page Book Club: A Founding Mother
Explore Abigail Adams’ life as a wife, mother, political confidante, and one of the most influential women of the Revolutionary era with the National First Ladies Library & Museum on Aug. 26, 2026, from 7 to 8 p.m. ET for a special virtual book club discussion of A Founding Mother, a new novel about Abigail Adams by bestselling authors Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie. Read more
Aug. 27, 2026
Soft Power: An Artist’s Journey to America’s First Ladies with Artist Jake Gariepy
The First Ladies Association for Research and Education will present the virtual program “Soft Power: An Artists’s Journey to America’s First Ladies with artist Jake Gariepy from 7 to 8 p.m. ET on Aug. 27, 2026. Gariepy has combined a lifelong fascination with America’s First Ladies, the White House, and presidential history with his passion for art to create portraits and illustrations that bring history to life. In this engaging presentation, Jake shares the story behind his artistic journey, how he collaborates with clients, and why he believes it is important to capture the lives, personalities, and enduring influence of America’s first ladies through portraiture. He also explores the traditional role of presidential spouses and the unique history and culture of the White House. View here
Aug. 29, 2026
First Ladies for Kids: Michelle Obama
The National First Ladies Library & Museum in Canton, Ohio, presents First Ladies for Kids, a free monthly program for children ages 7–10, as it spotlights Michelle Obama—a trailblazer, advocate, and inspiration for all. This in-person program from 11 to 11:30 a.m. local time brings history to life with fun, hands-on activities and engaging storytelling. Each child will also receive a complimentary take-home workbook with exercises in art, reading, spelling, and math. Read more
Sept. 2, 2026
Cookin’ with Congress: Famous Punches & Mocktails of the White House
The National First Ladies Library & Museum presents historian and creator Bennett Rea for a lively virtual event from 7 to 8 p.m. ET on Sept. 2, 2026, exploring famous punch recipes, White House entertaining traditions, and creative mocktail variations inspired by presidential history. Read more
Sept. 8-10, 2026
Presidential Sites Summit
The White House Historical Association will host the Presidential Sites Summit at the historic Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. on September 8-10, 2026.
This convening will bring together leaders and staff from presidential sites nationwide, including birthplaces, childhood homes, libraries, museums and alma maters—to reflect on the America 250 semi-quincentennial celebrations and accomplishments and look to the future. The program emphasizes lessons learned, future collaborations, and strategies for sustaining relevance in a dynamic cultural landscape. Read more
Sept. 30, 2026
Second Private Tour of the Val-Kill Furniture Exhibit at the Met
The Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill presents an exclusive private tour on September 30, 2026, of the Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibit on Val-Kill Industries furniture for some of its supporters. This tour will be led by the exhibit curator, Alyce Perry Englund, and Eleanor Roosevelt’s great-granddaughter, Sara Boettiger. There will also be lunch included after the tour at the American Wing Cafe inside the museum. Read more
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