SECOND LADY OF THE UNITED STATES

The 'Second Lady of the United States' is an unofficial title for the wife of the Vice President of the United States styled relatively to the unofficial title of the First Lady who is wife to the President and principal hostess of the White House.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} The current Second Lady is Lynne Cheney.
There is a White House office specifically devoted to supporting the "Second Lady": it is officially known very simply as the "Office of the Wife of the Vice President."
The visibility of the wife of the Vice President 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 former Vice President Al Gore of Tennessee, is often considered the first of modern Second Ladies. During her husband's service as a Senator, she was active in several campaigns to remove indecent material from popular American entertainment like movies, television shows and music. Gore 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, champions education reform citing specific failures of the American public education system. She is particularly outspoken supporter of American history education at a time when schools increasingly drop history courses in favor of science.
There are currently eight living current or former Second Ladies of the United States: Mrs. Spiro Agnew, Mrs. Gerald Ford, Mrs. Nelson Rockefeller, Mrs. Walter Mondale, Mrs. George H.W. Bush, Mrs. Dan Quayle, Mrs. Al Gore, and Mrs. Richard Cheney.

Contents

List of Spouses of the Vice Presidents

References

See also

External links

List of Spouses of the Vice Presidents

★ Abigail Smith Adams, wife of John Adams (1789-1797)

★ ''Vacant'': Thomas Jefferson (1797-1801) was a widower

★ ''Vacant'': Aaron Burr (1801-1805) was a widower

★ ''Vacant'': George Clinton (1805-1813) was a widower

★ Anna 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 Margan Hendricks, wife of Thomas A. Hendricks

★ Anna Livingston Reade Street Morton, wife of Levi P. Morton

★ Letitia Green Stevenson, wife of Adlai E. Stevenson

★ Jennie Tuttle Hobart, wife of Garret Hobart

★ 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 Nixon, wife of Richard Nixon

★ Claudia Alta Taylor 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 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 James Danforth Quayle

★ Mary Elizabeth "Tipper" Aitcheson Gore, wife of Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr.

★ Lynne Ann Vincent Cheney, wife of Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney

References

1. "Hadassah Lieberman: Strong and energetic.", ''United Press International'', August 17, 2000. Accessed September 2, 2007. "The possible next SLOTUS, or Second Lady of the United States, is the daughter of a rabbi and his wife who both were Holocaust survivors, is the ex-wife of a rabbi, and met her husband -- the possible future vice president -- in an arranged match."
2. Transcript: Kerry and Edwards Remarks in Cleveland, ''The Washington Post'', July 7, 2004. Accessed September 2, 2007. "KERRY: It is really wonderful to be here. It's wonderful to be introduced by a new partner in this great, great journey that we are all sharing together. And I think you will agree with me that Elizabeth Edwards is going to be an absolutely spectacular second lady of the United States."
3. Barton, Laura. Sidelines, ''The Guardian'', September 30, 2004. Accessed September 2, 2007. "'I didn't know I was,' she replied wryly, before observing that the acronym for the title 'second lady of the United States', SLOTUS, 'sounds like something that lives under a rock'".
4. Lynne Cheney Goes on 'On the Record', ''Fox News'', June 28, 2006. Accessed September 2, 2007. "LYNNE CHENEY, SECOND LADY OF THE UNITED STATES:..."
5. "'I'm dangerous if I've time on my hands'", ''The Telegraph'', March 16, 2001. Accessed September 2, 2007. "She holds the distinction of being the first Second Lady of the United States - SLOTUS, as her two daughters jokingly call her - to hold down an outside job."

See also

★ First Lady of the United States

External links

★ Lynne Cheney - The Official White House site for the Second Lady

★ Wives of Vice Presidents - List of the wives of Vice Presidents

★ Ask Yahoo! - What is the formal title for the wife of the vice president?