Ladies by Chance

Lady Bird Johnson, Edith Roosevelt and Betty Ford inherited the role of First Lady by chance during times when the nation was looking for stability, comfort and confidence. Lady Bird Johnson had been in Washington for 30 years when JFK was assassinated and her husband Lyndon Johnson became President. While stepping into the role of First Lady during a time of national grief, Lady Bird paved her own way as she supported her husband’s run for President by touring the South to support the Civil Rights Act of 1964, making 47 speeches in eight states in only four days. Edith Roosevelt also became First Lady after a Presidential assassination when her husband, Theodore, became President. Edith created the position of Social Secretary to control access to the press, and she began renovations and expansions of the White House to separate the living space from working space, resulting in the famous West Wing. Betty Ford became First Lady in one of the most tenuous times in American history – after Richard Nixon resigned. Needing to be transparent in a time of turmoil, Betty Ford decided to go public with her breast cancer diagnosis – a decision that changed the discourse about women’s health. When she spoke candidly about pre-marital sex, marijuana, and abortion, her approval ratings soared and her impact on women’s rights left big shoes for future first ladies to fill.

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S01E03 - In Times of War