Jill Biden Meets with Military Families in Puerto Rico
The first lady to travel to Vermont on Tuesday for political fundraiser.
First Lady Dr. Jill Biden Sunday joined military families in Puerto Rico as part of her Joining Forces initiative, a program that supports families and spouses of those in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Biden visited Army Garrison Fort Buchanan in San Juan, according to the Office of the First Lady. Biden arrived at Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in Carolina, Puerto Rico.
The first lady was received by Pedro Pierluisi, governor of Puerto Rico; Fabiola Ansotegui, fiancée of the governor; Caridad Pierluisi, director of the governor's office; Miguel Romero, mayor of San Juan; and Colonel Evaristo Orengo III, commander of the 156th unit of the Air National Guard, CNN reports. The activity took place at the Fort Buchanan Military Base in Guaynabo, where Biden would address groups of military families and speak about the commitment of the administration of the president of the United States to the reconstruction of Puerto Rico.
On Tuesday, Biden is expected to travel to New Hampshire and Vermont where she will speak at a political fundraiser for the Biden Victory Fund.
Calendar
March 18, 2024
Virtual Cooking with the First Ladies: Bess Truman
Join Sarah Morgan for a virtual feast exploring First Lady Bess Truman's life and recipes. Morgan is the host of Cooking with the First Ladies Instagram. Cooking with the First Ladies is not just a demonstration – it's a culinary crash course in first lady history. Attendees not only learn about the extraordinary lives of these influential women, but also receive exclusive recipe cards to recreate the magic in their own kitchens. Read more
March 18, 2024
A Conversation with White House Social Secretaries
The George W. Bush Presidential Center will present a panel of former White House Social Secretaries who will share insights and behind-the-scenes stories about entertaining at the White House. From State Dinners to picnics on the South Lawn, the experts will discuss the importance of the White House as a stage for hospitality and diplomacy.
Anita McBride, former Assistant to President Bush and Chief of Staff to Former First Lady Laura Bush, will moderate a conversation with Jeremy Bernard, former White House social secretary to President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama; Gahl Hodges Burt, former White House social secretary to President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan; and Amy Zantzinger, former White House social secretary to President Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush. Ticket information here
March 18, 2024
Virtual: Bringing Home the White House: The Hidden History of the Women who Shaped the Presidency in the 20th Century
The National Archives and Records Administration presents a discussion on "Bringing Home the White House: The Hidden History of the Women who Shaped the Presidency in the 20th Century," by Melissa Estes Blair. The event will take place online from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The book focuses on the period from 1932-1960, and much of the research was conducted at the Truman Library in 2018. Please email Azalea Michel-Whitley to RSVP and for more information at azalea.michelwhitley@nara.gov. You will receive a confirmation email with a link to the live conversation with the author. Read more
Through March 19, 2024
University of Chicago Obama Foundation Scholars
The application for the 2024-2025 University of Chicago Obama Foundation Scholars Program is open. Students in their final year of study in a Master’s program at one of three Schools at the University of Chicago: the Harris School of Public Policy; Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice; and Booth School of Business can participate in the Obama Foundation Scholars program at the University of Chicago. The application closes on March 19, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. CT. Read more
March 21, 2024
White House History with Margaret Brennan: “Women in Diplomacy”
The White House Historical Association will hold the first installment of its 2024 conversation series, White House History with Margaret Brennan: “Women in Diplomacy” and feature speakers Ambassador (ret.) Barbara Bodine, Director, Institute for the Study of Diplomacy and Distinguished Professor in the Practice, Georgetown University; Ambassador Paula J. Dobriansky, former Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs and Vice Chair of the Atlantic Council Scowcroft Center for Strategy & Security; and Alison T. Mann, Ph.D., Historian, National Museum of American Diplomacy, U.S. Department of State.
This conversation will explore the history of women contributing to and leading diplomatic efforts, highlight individual experiences serving abroad, and focus on key moments in American foreign policy and the future of diplomacy.
The event will take place from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. ET at The White House Historical Association, 748 Jackson Place NW, Washington, D.C. 20006. An in-person reception to follow. The conversation series is free and open to the public. Registration is required- RSVP here. The conversation will be livestreamed on The White House Historical Association’s YouTube and Facebook channels.
March 21, 2024
In-person: Debra Scala Giokas Book Talk on Ladies, First Common Threads
Bay Shore Historical Society will feature author Debra Scala Giokas at their Thursday, March 21 meeting from 7 to 8 p.m. EDT at Bay Shore-Brightwaters Public Library. Giokas will present her book Ladies, First Common Threads, which celebrates 18 first ladies who, at one point in their lives, knitted, crocheted, embroidered, quilted, cross-stitched, or sewed. She was appointed a Hutton House Lecturer at C.W. Post College/Long Island University and is a member of the First Ladies Association for Research and Education. The meeting is open to the public at no charge. Read more
March 21, 2024
Third Thursdays Night Out with the First Ladies
Get to know the real Jackie O with appetizers and drinks during this private, exclusive talk about our exhibition Beyond Camelot: The Life and Legacy of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, given by the National First Ladies Library & Museum staff at the First Ladies National Historic Site. This evening at the museum will include many of Jackie's untold stories and a view of the exquisite reproduction of Jackie's extraordinary wedding dress, on display courtesy of Monte Durham of TLC's Say Yes to the Dress Atlanta. Read more
March 21, 2024
Virtual Young Learners Program: Meet Eleanor Roosevelt
The National Archives and Records Administration presents a virtual program from 11 a.m. to noon ET on March 21 about former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. She was a humanitarian, civil rights advocate, and the longest serving first lady of the United States. Eleanor Roosevelt also made history as a co-creator and delegate to the United Nations. Come learn about the work and influence of Eleanor Roosevelt and how she served as a role model for all Americans. Anna Eleanor Roosevelt is portrayed by Rene Goodwin of the American Historical Theatre. Read more and view here.
March 24, 2024
First Ladies Fine Dining: Martha Washington
Cookology Recreational Culinary School at Ballston Quarter in Arlington, Virginia, will host the “Cooking with the First Ladies Man” series featuring Martha Washington. This is a hands-on cooking class with a lecture by Andrew Och, “The First Ladies Man” and author of Unusual for their Time: On the Road with America’s First Ladies. First ladies are a crucial part of the formation, development and success of America. It’s not an exaggeration to say had General George Washington married anyone but Martha Dandridge Custis, America and the modern world as we know it would be a much different place. Learn about her life before, during and after she was first lady and the revolutionary dishes and cooking styles she served to help her husband host events that would win the war. Read more
March 25, 2024
Virtual and in-person: The East Wing — Expanding First Ladies’ Impact from Jacqueline Kennedy to Jill Biden
Anita McBride, Director of the First Ladies Initiative at the American University School of Public Affairs and co-author of Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America's History-Making Women; Barbara Perry, professor and co-chair of the Presidential Oral History Program at the University of Virginia's Miller Center and author of Jacqueline Kennedy: First Lady of the New Frontier; and Elizabeth Rees, doctoral candidate at Oxford University, discuss the evolution of the role of the first lady from the Kennedy administration through the present day. Read more
March 28, 2024
Virtual: In Sickness and in the White House – First Ladies Illness from the 1840s to the 1980s
The First Ladies Association for Research and Education presents the virtual program “In Sickness and in the White House: First Ladies Illness from the 1840s to the 1980s.” The discussion begins at 7:30 p.m. EDT and will feature Katie Sibley, Michelle Gullion, Elizabeth Thacker-Estrada, and Jeanne Wolfson While less noticed than the presidents’ health, first ladies’ health–mental and physical–has been closely related to their husbands’ abilities to do their jobs.
Both their well-being and their interests in health issues have served as an area of their advocacy for them and the nation. Whether it was Betty Ford and breast cancer or addiction, Rosalynn Carter and mental health, or Michelle Obama and children’s obesity, first ladies have raised awareness for others. But at times, these women have also been terribly ill themselves; three died in office and Florence Harding nearly did. Betty Ford and Nancy Reagan faced breast cancer diagnoses and treatment. Focusing on those women who experienced serious illness, this panel explores first ladies' struggles with health, and health advocacy. View on Facebook or on YouTube
March 29, 2024
Ask an Archivist, Converse with a Curator
In recognition of Lou Henry Hoover's 150th Birthday, the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum’s Registrar Sara Godin will share some of Lou's clothing and Girl Scout-related items to celebrate. Staff will be available from 11 a.m.-to noon., and again from 2 to 3 p.m. CST. Registration is not required. Read more
March 30, 2024
Lou Henry Hoover: Pioneer. Humanitarian. Leader.
The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum will host a special presentation event from 2 to 5 p.m. CDT highlighting the extraordinary life of Lou Henry Hoover. Hear from various speakers who will discuss Lou's fashion as first lady of the United States, her leadership with the Girl Scouts, and her connection with Stanford University. This event is free with admission to the Museum. No registration is required, but all are welcome to RSVP on the Hoover Museum's Facebook page for a notification reminder. Read more
April 3, 2024
FLARE will Present ‘First Ladies Then and Now: Communicating Their Stories’
Registration is underway for the pre-conference program "First Ladies Then and Now: Communicating Their Stories" hosted by the First Ladies Association for Research and Education in conjunction with the Central States Communication Association. The event will be held in Grand Rapids, Michigan on April 3.
The theme of the half-day program will feature FLARE members and representatives of the Ford Library and Museum and Foundation. FLARE members will participate in three panels that look at the past 40 years of first lady scholarship, pedagogical practices, and outreach activities with a look forward by immediate past president of FLARE Myra Gutin.
Register here.
Registration is available for the Pre-Conference FLARE program only. The fee is $25 for in-person or $5 for live streaming. FLARE Lifetime Members will receive a complimentary registration.
The CSCA Convention will be held at the Grand Amway Plaza in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Please follow this link for hotel accommodations.
April 12, 2024
Virtual Legacy Lecture: The Secret Lives of Janet, Jackie and Lee
The National First Ladies Library & Museum presents dramatic book reviewer Jenny Riddle in a first-person interpretation of "The Secret Lives of Janet Auchincloss and Her Daughters" from noon to 1 p.m. on April 12, 2024.
When Jackie Bouvier first started dating John Kennedy, Jackie’s mother Janet commented, “John has an impressive pedigree, but doesn’t he look a little unkempt?” Early on, Janet told her daughters that the secret to happiness was money and power. Despite their efforts to rebel against their mother, both daughters ended up following her advice.
In this first-person dramatic book review of Randy Taraborelli’s biography, Jackie, Janet & Lee: The Secret Lives of Janet Auchincloss and Her Daughters, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lee Radziwill, Jenny Riddle brings to us Jackie Kennedy in her later years. The bouffant hairdo and pillbox hats are gone. She has been through two marriages and now works in publishing. Jackie reminisces about her earlier life, including her relationship with her mother and sister, her marriage to Jack Kennedy and their brief but pivotal time in the White House, and life after JFK. Read more
Through April 21, 2024
Ancestral Spaces: People of African Descent at Tudor Place
Tudor Place will offer “Ancestral Spaces: People of African Descent” at Tudor Place. Curated in collaboration with descendants, this special installation and guided tour presents the multi-faceted individuals and families of African descent who lived and worked at Tudor Place. Explore the historic house through their lives, learn how they impacted the world around them and discover their enduring legacy. Read more
April 27, 2024
National First Ladies Day "First Look" Annual VIP Champagne Reception
Celebrate National First Ladies Day on April 27 and be among the first to view the National First Ladies Library & Museum's 2024-25 Featured Exhibit, titled "Leaders in Literacy: First Ladies as Teachers, Educators, and Librarians" at its exclusive annual First Look Champagne Reception. The exhibit features more than a dozen first ladies who have advanced the cause of literacy and education, including Barbara and Laura Bush, Eleanor Roosevelt, Abigail Fillmore and Helen Taft.
The First Look Champagne VIP Reception will feature introductory remarks by President & CEO Patty Dowd Schmitz, a talk by our curator Michelle Gullion about the exhibit, as well as short remarks by first lady descendant Patricia Taft, the great-granddaughter of Helen Taft, who was a schoolteacher. In addition, the winner of the Mary Regula Memorial Scholarship will be announced. It will be awarded to a Stark County, Ohio, high school junior or senior who has written a compelling essay telling the story of significant historical events in American history through the eyes of the first ladies. Read more
May 14, 2024
Laura Bush Book Club with “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” Author Heather Morris
Former First Lady Laura Bush is excited to welcome Heather Morris to the Bush Center for the sixth “Laura Bush Book Club” edition of Engage at the Bush Center. Morris is the author of three novels, including The Tattooist of Auschwitz, a No. 1 international bestseller that sold more than 12 million copies in 47 languages and will soon be an original series on Peacock.
It has been described as a “beautiful, illuminating tale of hope and courage…based on interviews that were conducted with Holocaust survivor and Auschwitz-Birkenau tattooist Ludwig (Lale) Sokolov—an unforgettable love story in the midst of atrocity.” Anne Wicks, the Don Evans Family Managing Director, Opportunity and Democracy at the Bush Institute, will moderate the conversation. Read more
May 18, 2024
The First Lady’s Hidden Hand: Mamie Eisenhower’s Approach to 1950s Politics with Dr. Stefanie Basalik
Mamie Doud Eisenhower was First Lady from 1953-1961. Like many first ladies, Mamie Eisenhower took her job as the nation's hostess seriously. What sets her apart from other contemporary first ladies was her subtle use of political strategy as a way to support her husband. Join Dr. Basalik to learn about how Mamie's marriage, her relationship with her grandchildren, her interactions with staff, and her influence on consumerism demonstrated her knack for the same hidden-hand approach to governing as her husband, General Eisenhower. This program will begin at 9:00 a.m. ET in the Ford Room at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center in Gettysburg Pennsylvania. Read more
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