The visibility in the public sphere of the wife of the Vice President of the United States (sometimes informally referred to as Second Lady of the United States) has been a recent development, as late 20th century and early 21st century vice presidential wives increasingly took on public policy roles that attracted a great deal of media attention. Tipper Gore, wife of Vice President Al Gore of Tennessee, was active in several campaigns to remove indecent material from popular American entertainment like movies, television shows and music, starting when her husband was a senator. She challenged performers over their use of obscene lyrics and often debated with her critics, such as Jello Biafra. Lynne Cheney, wife of Vice President Dick Cheney of Wyoming, championed education reform citing specific failures of the American public education system during her tenure as second lady. She is a particularly outspoken supporter of American history education, having written five bestselling books on this topic for children and their families.[1]
As of June 2009[update], there were nine living current or former Vice Presidents' wives:
List of Spouses of the Vice Presidents
Letitia Christian Tyler was the first Vice Presidential consort to ascend to the post of First Lady through the death of a president
Abigail Adams was the first Vice President's wife of the United States, as well as the first to become First Lady
Pat Nixon was the Vice President's wife, accompanying her husband
Richard on many foreign trips; she later became First Lady as well
Lynne Cheney, wife of
Dick Cheney, was an advocate for children's history education, and the author of several books on the subject.
18th Century
19th Century
- Vacant: Aaron Burr (1801–1805) was a widower
- Vacant: George Clinton (1805–1813) was a widower
- Ann Thompson Gerry, wife of Elbridge Gerry (1813–1814)
- Hannah Minthorne Tompkins, wife of Daniel D. Tompkins (1817–1825)
- Floride Bonneau Colhoun Calhoun, wife of John C. Calhoun (1825–1832)
- Vacant: Martin Van Buren (1833–1837) was a widower (his daughter-in-law Angelica Van Buren would serve as his First Lady)
- Vacant: Richard Mentor Johnson (1837–1841) was unmarried, yet some considered Julia Chinn to be his common law wife with whom he had two children.
- Letitia Christian Tyler, wife of John Tyler (1841)
- Sophia Nicklin Dallas, wife of George M. Dallas (1845–1849)
- Abigail Powers Fillmore, wife of Millard Fillmore
- Vacant: William R. King (1853) was unmarried
- Mary Cyrene Burch Breckinridge, wife of John C. Breckinridge
- Ellen Vesta Emery Hamlin, wife of Hannibal Hamlin
- Eliza McCardle Johnson, wife of Andrew Johnson
- Ellen Maria Wade Colfax, wife of Schuyler Colfax
- Vacant: Henry Wilson (1873–1875) was a widower
- Vacant: William A. Wheeler (1877–1881) was a widower
- Vacant: Chester A. Arthur (1881) was a widower
- Eliza Morgan Hendricks, wife of Thomas A. Hendricks
- Anna Livingston Reade Street Morton, wife of Levi P. Morton
- Letitia Green Stevenson, wife of Adlai E. Stevenson I
- Jennie Tuttle Hobart, wife of Garret Hobart
20th Century
- Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt, wife of Theodore Roosevelt
- Cornelia Cole Fairbanks, wife of Charles W. Fairbanks
- Carrie Babcock Sherman, wife of James S. Sherman
- Lois Irene Kimsey Marshall, wife of Thomas R. Marshall
- Grace Goodhue Coolidge, wife of Calvin Coolidge
- Caro Dana Blymyer Dawes, wife of Charles G. Dawes
- Vacant: Charles Curtis (1929–1933) was a widower
- Mariette Rheiner Garner, wife of John Nance Garner
- Ilo Browne Wallace, wife of Henry A. Wallace
- Elizabeth Virginia Wallace Truman, wife of Harry S. Truman
- Elizabeth Jane Rucker Hadley Barkley, wife of Alben Barkley
- Thelma Catherine Ryan "Pat" Nixon, wife of Richard Nixon
- Claudia Alta Taylor "Lady Bird" Johnson, wife of Lyndon Johnson
- Muriel Faye Buck Humphrey, wife of Hubert Humphrey
- Elinor Isabel Judefind Agnew, wife of Spiro Agnew
- Elizabeth Ann Bloomer Warren Ford, wife of Gerald Ford
- Margaretta Large Fitler Murphy "Happy" Rockefeller, wife of Nelson Rockefeller
- Joan Adams Mondale, wife of Walter Mondale
- Barbara Pierce Bush, wife of George H. W. Bush
- Marilyn Tucker Quayle, wife of Dan Quayle
- Mary Elizabeth "Tipper" Aitcheson Gore, wife of Al Gore, Jr.
21st Century
See also
References
External links
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