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The National Archives Foundation will host a virtual talk with Dr. Katherine Jellison discussing “Celebrated, Controversial, Reluctant, and Political: U.S. First Ladies” on Thursday, April 29, at 5 p.m. via Zoom.
Jellison, a professor of history at Ohio University, will discuss how most first ladies follow the four traditional archetypes: celebrity, controversial, reluctant, or political partner. As an expert in first ladies, Jellison frequently appears in print and on television and radio as a commentator on first ladies and their role in U.S. politics and history. She will provide her key insight on the role these women play, highlighting Dolly Madison, Lucy Hayes, and Betty Ford, among others.
“At a moment when we have our first First Lady who is continuing her professional identity as a community college professor and our first Second Gentleman, it is time to examine the history and re-examine the role of the political leader's spouse,” Jellison said.
The National Archives Foundation hosts a virtual program series for the public featuring topical conversations with experts about documents and topics from U.S. history found in the holdings of the National Archives. This particular talk is part of a series highlighting the Presidential Libraries, which launched a First Ladies series earlier this year. The talk will be led by OHIO alum and National Archives Foundation executive director Patrick Madden and will include an audience Q&A “from Martha to Melania” following Jellison’s presentation.
The event is free and open to the public. Those interested in attending can register here.
Jellison teaches courses on U.S. women’s and gender history. Her publications include Entitled to Power: Farm Women and Technology, 1913-1963 (University of North Carolina Press, 1993) and It’s Our Day: America’s Love Affair with the White Wedding, 1945-2005 (University Press of Kansas, 2008), both of which include “guest appearances” by a few first ladies. She also wrote the biography of Jacqueline Kennedy in Katherine A.S. Sibley, ed., Blackwell Companion to First Ladies (Wiley-Blackwell, 2016).
“I’m thrilled and honored to be giving this talk through the National Archives,” Jellison added. “After many years of relying on the National Archives system for research materials, I now have an opportunity to give something back.”
The National Archives Foundation is the private nonprofit partner to the National Archives with a mission to encourage public engagement with the Archives records. They accomplish this by building financial and creative support for outreach programs and initiatives around civics and U.S. history.