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).
"Over my decades in politics, including during my tenure in the White House, I have witnessed the office of the first lady transform. Presidential spouses have advocated on important issues, become cultural icons, and even run for the presidency themselves. And looking ahead to the next 50 years, I expect first ladies-and hopefully first gentlemen-will continue to play a decisive role on the national scene. That's why Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America's History Making Women is an indispensable primer for any informed citizen/students of politics. Diana B. Carlin, Anita B. McBride, and Nancy Kegan Smith have given us a guidebook to the history of this unique role-and a road map for its future." Mack McLarty, Former Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton "Lady Bird Johnson famously said, '[The job of First Lady] assigns her no duties and yet when she gets the job, a podium is there if she cares to use it. I did.' So did many others. In Remembering The First Ladies experts Diana Carlin, Anita McBride, and Nancy Smith offer a comprehensive and compelling look at the towering legacies of our First Ladies-many of them overlooked in their own times-and how the vital role has evolved along with our nation." Mark K. Updegrove, President & CEO, LBJ Foundation, and Presidential Historian, ABC News
