The Second Gentleman of the United States is the husband of the Vice President of the United States. The Second Lady of the United States would be the wife of the Vice President. The name took shape as late-20th-century and early-21st-century vice presidential wives 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.

The current Second Gentleman is Douglas Emhoff.

At this date, there are six living current or former Vice Presidents' wives or husbands:
 Marilyn Quayle, wife of Dan Quayle.
 Tipper Gore, wife of Al Gore.
 Lynne Cheney, wife of Dick Cheney.
 Jill Biden, wife of Joe Biden
 Karen Pence, wife of Mike Pence
 Douglas Emhoff, husband of Kamala Harris

List of spouses of the Vice Presidents

18th century

 Abigail Smith Adams, wife of John Adams (1789-1797)
 Vacant: Thomas Jefferson (1797-1801) was a widower

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
 Jennie Tuttle Hobart, wife of Garret Hobart
 Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt, wife of Theodore Roosevelt

20th century

 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 W. 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 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
 Lynne Ann Vincent Cheney, wife of Dick Cheney
 Jill Tracy Jacobs Biden, wife of Joe Biden
 Karen Batten Pence wife of Mike Pence
 Douglas Emhoff (Second Gentleman), husband of Kamala Harris

Living former Second Ladies
As of January 2021, there are five living former Second Ladies.

References