What Does the First Lady Do? US First Lady's Role Explained

The First Lady of the United States is a ceremonial title bestowed on the hostess of the White House, most commonly the wife of the sitting president. Her tenure as the first lady is tied to that of the president. Beginning with Martha Washington, the wife of America's first president, George Washington, a prominent female relative of the president has provided leadership from the White House. In many cases, the first lady’s role involves directing social functions, but it can also include a focus on core causes and initiatives.

The role of the first lady has evolved from nominal to politically influential over the centuries.

• The founding first lady: Although Americans gradually adopted the term "first lady,” the White House Historical Association credits Martha Washington, wife of George Washington, as the nation’s first. She became the nation's founding first lady in 1789. Known in her lifetime as Lady Washington, she took it upon herself to host social functions in the temporary capitals of New York City and Philadelphia. (Washington, DC did not function as the nation's capital until 1800.)
• Low-profile role: For the most part, nineteenth-century first ladies kept a low political profile. Most were presidents’ wives, but bachelor presidents called on other members of their family to fill the role. Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, was a widower, and for the first time, America's first lady was someone other than the president's wife. Jefferson's daughter, Martha "Patsy" Jefferson Randolph, fulfilled the role. Dolley Madison, James Madison’s wife, assisted Martha Jefferson before assuming the role herself when Madison became president in 1809. In another example, Harriet Lane served as the first lady when her bachelor uncle, James Buchanan, assumed the presidency in 1857.
• Addition of formal responsibilities: Beginning in the twentieth century, the role took on more formal responsibilities. In 1901, Edith Roosevelt (Teddy Roosevelt’s wife) became the first of America's first ladies to hire a social secretary for the White House. Three decades later another Roosevelt—Eleanor Roosevelt—hired Malvina Thompson as her personal secretary to coordinate her endeavors both in the White House and far beyond Washington, DC. The official Office of the First Lady (OFL) formed in 1977, establishing a hub in the East Wing of the White House where the first lady’s chief of staff, communications team, schedulers, and policy advisors congregate.
• Modern causes and campaigns: Twenty-first-century first ladies typically champion specific causes throughout their terms in the White House. Today, the National First Ladies' Library in Canton, Ohio, and the National Archives in Washington, DC contain some of the most comprehensive records of first ladies' terms in the White House.

If a future president brings a male partner to the White House, that man will likely take the title of First Gentleman. Doug Emhoff, husband of US Vice President Kamala Harris, holds the title of Second Gentleman of the United States.

The First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is a ceremonial position and does not come with formal roles in the federal government. Still, first ladies have had an active presence in American life from Washington's inauguration onward, as evidenced by the following examples.

• Eleanor Roosevelt: A powerful influence on her husband, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt was at the vanguard of her era’s civil rights and women's rights movements.
• Jacqueline Kennedy: Following in the footsteps of her predecessor, Mamie Eisenhower, Jackie Kennedy was an ambassador for US art and fashion as first lady to President John F. Kennedy. Many of her White House design choices endure to this day, and her personal apparel influenced millions of women around the globe. Kennedy was also the first American first lady to hire a press secretary.
• Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson: Lady Bird Johnson made highway beautification and environmental protection key causes as the first lady and wife of Lyndon B. Johnson.
• Betty Ford: Betty Ford worked on destigmatizing addiction and promoting recovery while in the White House during the term of President Gerald Ford.
• Nancy Reagan: As first lady to President Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan became famous for her "Just Say No" campaign, which emphasized the dangers of drugs and drug abuse.
• Hillary Clinton: President Bill Clinton chose his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, to run point on his healthcare policy, and she worked alongside his top deputies in her own office in the West Wing. After her tenure as first lady, Clinton launched her own political career. She went on to serve as a senator, US secretary of state, and the Democratic nominee for president in 2016.
• Laura Bush: First Lady Laura Bush, President George W. Bush’s wife, was a librarian by trade and made childhood literacy her major cause.
• Michelle Obama: First Lady Michelle Obama, President Barack Obama’s wife, used her platform to take on childhood obesity—particularly through her "Let's Move!" initiative.
• Melania Trump: First Lady Melania Trump created the "Be Best" program to discourage cyberbullying during the term of President Donald Trump.
• Jill Biden: As the mother of a combat veteran, Jill Biden, first lady to President Joe Biden, has focused on championing policies designed to support military families.

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