Evening star., 1948-11-07
Famous First Ladies
By John .CIoeett Proctor

By John CIoeett Proctor
During the little less than q CEN
tury and half that the White
House has been occupied, many
women of note have presided with
grace and dignity over the affairs of
the most famous residence in Amer
ican history from John Adams to
the present incumbent.
There have been outstanding
wives of the Presidents who have
had brilliant and cultivated minds
and to whom history will always
refer for their superiority of talents.
Indeed, such was the lofty mind Of
Abigail Adams, wife of the first
President to occupy the Executive
Mansion. He was Harvard gradu-
ate, lawyer and for a time prac-
ticed his profession, and his part
in the American Revolution was a
foremost and an outstanding one.
In 1764 he married Abigail Smith, a
woman Of considerable ability and
whose social connections occupied a
position superior, if anything, to
that Of her husbands family.
During much of the time that
John Adams was serving as a diplo-
mat to foreign countries, including
First Minister to the Court of st.
James, Minister to Russia, as a
commissioner to the Court OF
France, and while serving in other
diplomatic capacities, he was ac-
companied by his ever faithful and
helpful wife.
Mrs. Adams Letter
Toward the latter part of his ad-
ministration he took up residence in
the Executive Mansion, on Novem-
ber /, 1900, and Mrs. Adams Joined
her husband there on November 16,
and in her first letter back home we
find her saying:
II arrived about l o'clock at this
place, known by the name of the
City, and the name is all that you
can call, SO, as expected to find it
a new country, with houses scat
tered over space of 10 miles, and
trees and stumps in plenty, with a
castle OF a house-so I found it:
The Presidents House is in a beau
tiful situation, in front of which
is the Potomac, with a view of Alex
andria. The country around is ro-
mantle, but a wild and wilderness
at present. I have been to George
town and felt all that Mrs. Cranch
described when she was a resident
there.
1T is the very dirtiest hole ever
saw for a place of any trade OF
respectability of inhabitants. 1t is
only l mile from me, but a quag-
mire after every rain. Here we are
obliged to send daily for marketing
The Capitol is nearly 2 miles from
US. AS to roads, we shall make
them by the frequent passing be-
fore winter, but I am determined to
be satisfied and content, to say
nothing of inconvenience, etc. That
must be a worse place even than
Georgetown, that I could not reside
in for three months ."
Dolly Madison Presides
Upon another occasion she says
there were no bells in the house
that there was a great scarcity OF
flreWood, there was not a single
apartment finished and that the
unfinished east room was used to
dry the family wash In.
The wife of Thomas jefferson
died 10 years before he became
President. and during his two ad-
ministrations the celebrated Dolly
Madison did most of the presiding
over the White House functions
though these duties were OCCASION
ally performed by one of the Presi-
dents two daughters, Mrs. Thomas
Randolph and Mrs. John Wayles
Eppes. Once. at least, it SO hap
pened that all three of these were
present to do the required honors.
Upon one occasion, when Mrs
EppeS was on visit to her father
here, she had the distinction OF
having the stork make his first
visit to the Presidents official resi-
dence and present her with q
baby boy.
Both Of President Jefferson's
daughters were too much interested
in their own family matters to de-
vote much attention to social
affairs. Indeed, Mrs. Randolph de-
voted her time almost exclusively
to her family, having, it is said
added seven daughters and five
sons to the descendants of this
great President
Mrs. Randolph is said to have
been graceful. intelligent and al
together charming woman, though
less beautiful than her sister, Mrs
Eppes, who, We are told, was an
exceedingly sweet and gracious
person of great beauty.
Saved Washington Portrait
Following the administration OF
Thomas Jefferson and the inaugu-
ration of James Madison, Dolly
Madison-"Queen Dolly" as she
was called-came into her own, and
with fascinating personality and
an unsurpassed charm took over
the social duties Of the wife of a
Those Were the