Memorable World History/Authors

FLOTUS: First Lady of the United States

First Lady of the United States(FLOTUS) is the title held by the hostess of the White House,usually the wife of the president of the United States, concurrentwith the president's term in office. Although the first lady's rolehas never been codified or officially defined, she figuresprominently in the political and social life of the nation. Sincethe early 20th century, the first lady has been assisted by officialstaff, now known as the Office of the First Lady andheadquartered in the East Wing of the White House.

Melania Trump is the current first ladyof the United States, as wife of 45th president of the United States,Donald Trump.

While the title was not in general useuntil much later, Martha Washington, the wife of George Washington,the first U.S. president (1789–1797), is considered to be theinaugural first lady of the United States. During her lifetime, shewas often referred to as "Lady Washington".

Since the 1790s, the role of First Ladyhas changed considerably. It has come to include involvement inpolitical campaigns, management of the White House, championship ofsocial causes, and representation of the president at official andceremonial occasions. As first ladies now typically publish theirmemoirs, which are viewed as potential sources of additionalinformation about their husbands' administrations, and because thepublic is interested in these increasingly independent women in theirown right, first ladies frequently remain a focus of attention longafter their husbands' terms of office have ended. Additionally, overthe years individual first ladies have held influence in a range ofsectors, from fashion to public opinion on policy. Historically,should a president be unmarried, or a widower, the president usuallyasks a relative or friend to act as White House hostess.

There are five living first ladies, allof whom are spouses of living presidents: Rosalynn Carter, wife ofJimmy Carter; Hillary Clinton, wife of Bill Clinton; Laura Bush, wifeof George W. Bush; Michelle Obama, wife of Barack Obama; and MelaniaTrump, wife of Donald Trump.

Origins of the title

The use of the title First Lady todescribe the spouse or hostess of an executive began in the UnitedStates. In the early days of the republic, there was not a generallyaccepted title for the wife of the president. Many early first ladiesexpressed their own preference for how they were addressed, includingthe use of such titles as "Lady", "Mrs. President"and "Mrs. Presidentress"; Martha Washington wasoften referred to as "LadyWashington." One of the earliest uses of the term"First Lady" was applied to her in an 1838 newspaperarticle that appeared in the St. Johnsbury Caledonian, the author,"Mrs. Sigourney", discussing how Martha Washingtonhad not changed, even after her husband George became president. Shewrote that "The first lady of the nation still preserved thehabits of early life. Indulging in no indolence, she left the pillowat dawn, and after breakfast, retired to her chamber for an hour forthe study of the scriptures and devotion."

Dolley Madison was reportedly referredto as "First Lady" in 1849 at her funeral in aeulogy delivered by President Zachary Taylor; however, no writtenrecord of this eulogy exists, nor did any of the newspapers of herday refer to her by that title. Sometime after 1849, the title beganbeing used in Washington, D.C., social circles. One of the earliestknown written examples comes from November 3, 1863, diary entry ofWilliam Howard Russell, in which he referred to gossip about "theFirst Lady in the Land", referring to Mary Todd Lincoln. Thetitle first gained nationwide recognition in 1877, when newspaperjournalist Mary C. Ames referred to Lucy Webb Hayes as "theFirst Lady of the Land" while reporting on the inaugurationof Rutherford B. Hayes. The frequent reporting on Lucy Hayes'activities helped spread use of the title outside Washington. Apopular 1911 comedic play about Dolley Madison by playwright CharlesNirdlinger, titled The First Lady in the Land, popularized the titlefurther. By the 1930s, it was in wide use. Use of the title laterspread from the United States to other nations.