Ellen Wilson
Ellen, the first wife of President Woodrow Wilson, held the title of first lady for just one year, from 1913 to 1914, before her untimely death. Despite her brief tenure, Ellen’s scores in the Siena College study hover around three out of five in categories such as courage, White House stewardship, accomplishments, and public image. A letter from the White House Library reveals Ellen’s reluctance for the role, stating, “I am naturally the most unambitious of women, and life in the White House has no attractions for me.” During her short stint, she focused on raising awareness about the Washington slums, predominantly inhabited by Black citizens, successfully advocating for a federal bill establishing minimum housing standards in D.C. Unfortunately, a fall in March 1914 revealed late-stage Bright’s disease, leading to her demise in August of that year.
Image Credit: American Press Association, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons