The Washington herald., 1913-07-06
miss Jessie Wilson Defies Hoodoo
Thirteen Lucky for the President

Hoodoo numbers have no terrors for
Miss Jessie Woodrow Wilson, second
daughter of President Wilson. Her
fathers career has been strangely inter-
mingled with the supposedly unlucky
thirteen. and now Miss Wilson is to
marry Francis Bowes Sayre and be-
come the thirteenth bride of the White
House
But the daughter of the President is
not one of those persons who declines to
or objects to being the thirteenth guest
Miss Wilson defied the superstition about
the number thirteen and sat in the
thirteenth row OF theater with her
father. VINO prefers to sit in that row and
regards the number as particularly lucky.
at least with regard to himself and his
family.
For thirteen years President wilson
was connected with Princeton University.
In his thirteenth and final year there
he was nominated for the Presidency OF
the United States.
He became President of the United
States in 1913
Announcement of the engagement or
Miss Wilson and Mr.. Sayre was made.
by coincidence, on the first anniversary
of Woodrow Wilson's nomination at
Baltimore for the Presidency.
Allie. Roosevelt Last Bride.
There have been some twenty odd
marriages in which either the bride or
bridegroom in the White House. but the
last wedding TO take place there was
that of Alice Roosevelt to former Rep
r-sentative Nicholas Lonsworth, and that
was the twelfth wedding ceremony per-
formed in the Presidents mansion.
While the wedding of Miss Roosevelt
was extremely impressive. 1t was still
simple in character. Compared to the
pomp, ceremony, and gOrSeousness that
attended the recent wedding of the Prin-
cess Victoria Luise. only daughter of the
Kaiser and Prince Ernst August of Cum
b. rland. at Berlin. the Roosevelt-Long-
worth wedding was Puritanical in its
plainness.
Probably the wedding attended by the
most show was that of Miss Lucy Payne.
sister of Mrs. Dolly Madison. who was
married to Justice Todd. of the Supreme
Court, in the White House. the first to
take place there. At that time QslD
fashion demanded a much greater display
of pomp in such events than it does to-
day Also Mrs. Madison felt that since
it was the first wedding ceremony to be
performed in the White House 1t should
be memorable in more ways than one.
Il is not expected. that Miss Wilson
will care for an elaborate ceremony. She
is inclined to be very serious minded
young lady. Alice Roosevelt, too. had
decreed that her wedding was to be as
simple as possible, and out of Difference
e.. har yx-iSb diplnnafg who Attend
ed appeared in conventional wedding
garb Had they worn the glittering uni
forms they are wont to affect on State
occasions. the wedding would have been
a much more brilliant one, in appear
anceS, at least.
Only a year elapsed after the Todd
Payne wedding when the White House
again heard the tinkle of wedding bells.
In 1872. the year of the second war with
Great Britain, Anna Todd. niece of Presi-
dent Jacksons wife. was married to Rep
resentative John G. Jackson, the first
member of Congress to marry a relative
of President.
For eight years the serenity of the
White House was not disturbed. Then.
in 1920, Miss Maria Monroe, daughter of
President Monroe, was married to Sam
uel Gouverneur. Miss Monroe was the
first daughter of a President to be we'd
ded in the official residence at Washing
ton. In 1894 Elizabeth Tyler, daughter
of President Tyler, married William
Waller.
The Adams-H nllen Wedding.
Two years later Washington society was
again stirred by the marriage of Miss
Mary Hallen to John Adams. son Of
President Adams
From 1873 to 1887. during President Jack
weddings Miss Della Lewis married Al
phons Yver Pageot. Miss Mary Easton
married Lucien b. Polk. and Miss Emily
Marlin was welded to Lewis Randolph
All took place in the White House.
A long period was then jumped. until
the wedding in 1874 of Miss Nellie Grant,
daughter OF President Grant. of Algerncn
Sartoris, which many persons today will
remember In 1878 Emily Pratt, niece of
President Hayes. welded Gen. Russell |
Hastings, and in 1856 Frances Folsom was |
to President Cleveland. who. by |
the way was the first President to be !
married during his term Of office. |
The next wedding at the-White House |
was that of Miss Roosevelt in 1906. This |
ceremony was performed by the Right |
Rev. Henry Y. Satterlee. Protestant Epis- |
,opal Bishop Of Washington. There were |
no bridesmaids. The bride entered the |
famous East Room of the White House |
On the arm Of her father, and walked |
through the roped aisle thronged on
either side by diplomats, statesmen. and |
personages from every CIV
lized country, to a raised platform at the |
last end Of the room. There the BRIDE
groom, with the best man. awaited. Eight |
only was required to perform
he ceremony. President Roosevelt stood
behind the couple. To the left were Mrs.
Roosevelt and the members Of the FAM
ly. At the right were members Of the /
.ongworth family and the ushers. Con-
yratulatory kilograms were received by i
he hundreds from prominent Americans