First Ladies of the United States: Advocacy

Betty Ford brought Breast Cancer Awareness to the American Public after her diagnosis in 1974. These are her remarks to the American Cancer Society after finishing her treatment. She would later be awarded the ACS Lifetime Achievement award, among many others.

Launched in February of 2010, Michelle Obama's public health initiative aims to raise a generation of healthier kids by eradicating childhood obesity. #TurnipForWhat

In September of 1986, Nancy Reagan took to the airwaves to warn Americans about drugs. The effectiveness of this campaign has come under fire in recent years, but it left an indelible mark on American life.

Lemonade Lucy was a derisive nickname attached to the First Lady for her support of the temperance movement; she banned all alcoholic beverages from the white house while she was first lady. She was also a fierce advocate for women's sufferage and fought for protections for civil war orphans.

When Woodrow Wilson suffered a debilitating stroke in 1919, Edith Wilson stepped up to continue her husband's administration by concealing the true extent of her husband's incapacity. She carefully screened what he read and who visited him as he recuperated. She refused to press her husband to compromise on his vision for the League of Nations, which was ultimately defeated in Congress in 1919.

Ellen Wilson was a quiet, unambitious woman, but she lent her voice as First Lady to advocating for the improvement of the "Negro Slums" in Washington DC. She used her social capital to bring the issue to the attention of Congressmen and her death spurred the passage of a bill she had been working for.

Lady Bird Johnson’s “Beautification” project encompassed rural and urban environmentalism, national parks conservation, anti-pollution measures, water and air reclamation, landscaping and urban renewal. Perhaps the most overtly political component of this project was “Lady Bird’s Bill” or the Highway Beautification Act. After a contentious campaign for its passage in which Lady Bird was harshly criticised for her active lobbying, the bill was signed into law on Oct. 22, 1965. The bill created section 131 of title 23 of the US Code.
See also #BeLikeLadyBird

Rosalynn Carter worked closely with her husband, who often sought her opinions on legislative matters. In an unprecedented move, she attended cabinet meetings so as to be informed as possible. She also worked closely with congress to achieve her campaign promises to advocate on behalf of the nation’s elderly and mentally ill. She remains a leading advocate for mental health and early childhood chealthcare.

Barbara Bush took on family literacy with the launch of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. She focused on early childhood education and on adult literacy, approaching the issue holistically. In 2013, the Bush family also established the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation which focuses directly on the Houston Metro Area.

Much like her mother-in-law, Laura Bush took on the cause of early childhood education during her time as first lady. The Laura Bush Foundation aims to fund school libraries to update and maintain their collections to promote a love of learning from an early age.

Caroline Harrison was instrumental in the founding of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution and served as its first President General.

On February 14, 1962, Jacqueline Kenedy took CBS News on a tour of the White House. She began a complete restoration of the White House in April, 1961 and established the White House Historical Association. In deference to the Kennedys, little of their restorations changed with subsequent administrations and many credit Mrs. Kennedy with setting the standard for White House design.

Among Eleanor Roosevelt's innumerable activities she was an educator, human rights activist, United Nations Delegate, and shrewd politician. Her impact on America is immeasurable and cannot be pinned to one thing she is most known for.

From her beginnings at Yale Law to her recent campagin for president, HRC has been involved in a wide variety of political roles and causes. She is perhaps best known for her work to expand access to healthcare, but this is only one of the many things she has been involved with over the years.