Friday, January 28, 2011

Ellen and Edith: Secret Lives of Wilson's First Ladies



There were two first ladies in the life of President Woodrow Wilson. Ellen, the first Mrs. Wilson, died after a year and a half in the White House. Edith became the second Mrs. Wilson, and thus the second first lady of Woodrow Wilson.

Over time, our fascination with the first ladies has become a national sport. Perhaps it was the oldest daughter of Theodore Roosevelt who got the ball rolling.  Rumor has it that Alice buried a voodoo doll of succeeding First Lady Nellie Taft in the front yard. That's the kind of thing that piques your interest, after all.