Cleveland was a popular First Lady through her time in the White House, but ranks among one of the most controversial due to her later political takes including opposing womens suffrage. Here is a list of some of the most popular first ladies in American history who are still adored today. Despite her husbands high-profile political career, she contentedly stayed in the shadows that is until he was sworn in as President of the United States following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. They can make or break a president, and they often have their own agendas and causes that they champion. She was known for throwing lavish fetes in the newly. Known as an icon in fashion and art, Jackie Kennedy is ranked 4th in the first ladies survey carried out by The Siena Research Institute in 2003. Melania eventually would announce a campaign for cyberbullying awareness, which many called out for hypocrisy given her husbands history with Twitter. Her background and being her own woman gets her the biggest marks - she graduated from two Ivy League colleges and had a successful career. jacket she wore to an immigrant detention center (via Vanity Fair) and her speech at the Republican National Convention, which included lines from Michelle Obama's speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Rosalynn Carter ranks high among Americas first ladies. Lucy Hayes example as a supportive, yet independent political wife set the stage for future First Ladies. Michelle Obama is 4th and there is a write up. Sarah Polk was a strong supporter of manifest destiny, and was vocal about this controversial subject.She is truly an inspiration to all women who aspire to have a career while also being supportive of their husbands ambitions. She scores best on value to the President. First ladies also had their own things that they supported. She is perhaps most famous for her role in the planting of the 3,020 Japanese cherry trees around the Tidal Basin and on Capitol grounds. Pat Nixon (1969 - 1974) Pat Nixon: America's Hottest First Ladies. @|kw_d[=kw7xd] dL6Ra}E ]^ }_}U%_D{0vj'+[sc[c9Z4Wr+9A" )QA|@v7yMjY+`GLXz/( &lq!"+t! In addition to her political acumen, Edith is also known for her impeccable fashion sense. Melania Trump has the immigrant experience to share that so many Americans have had. Emilys husband served as an assistant to the president, while she took on the household duties. The poll surveyed more than 42,000 people in 38 countries and results are tallied based on the answers to two questions: "who do you truly admire?" She was an advocate for healthcare reform and adoption, and her husbands Whitewater controversy notwithstanding, she enjoyed a 66% approval rating during her time in the White House. Even after she left the White House, Hillary Clinton continued her career in politics, serving in Congress and as Secretary of State. 20 years later, Ondimba won the Gabon Presidential election, making Slyvia the First Lady of Gabon, in 2009. In Siena Research Institutes study, she ranked 11th in 1982 and has not fallen too much below that since. She was first and foremost the president's wife and partner . Rosalynn Carter, Hillary Clinton, Barbara Bush, and Laura Bush, four First Ladies of the United States, meet together for an event. These first ladies are great women who have ultimately left their marks on American history as they will always be remembered for their contributions for a very long time. Press Release Previous Rankings Power Couples Recent First Ladies. It is important to note that the husbands of these top three John Kennedy, Barack Obama, and Ronald Reagan were also popular and well-liked former presidents. +~UhK1iEh*vFYsP|&QyqHxPTj$:YxP+uF ``M6PZEa'?+ktM]| C&nYDq3lA[U|hd` XVGt7zJCFN;AYV5Ak? Melania Trump is among the world's most admired women of 2021, according to a poll. She also represented him abroad on numerous occasions, most often appearing in Latin America. Carter would also sit in on her husbands cabinet meetings and wasnt afraid to spar with him on policy, making her a huge value to the President. But perhaps her most lasting legacy is her advocacy for environmental protection. ranked dead last with a 28 percent score. All eyes may be on the new president when he takes the oath of office this week, but if the past is prologue, come the inaugural partying Friday night, all e. Theyre more relatable, and, although they couldnt be more inside the political operations of the White House and presidential campaigns, theyre perceived to be outsiders and kind of non-partisan, non-professionally interested players. Mary Todd Lincoln was not a popular first lady. They were collated together to create a ranking. As you can imagine, the views are very subjective. "That means the average net popularity rating for these first ladies . As a former army wife, Eisenhower knew how to run the White House with a firm hand. She polled an approval rating of only 42%. With an appropriation of $2,000 from Congress, Abigail purchased books for a White House library and established a literary salon. On my personal list, shed be third after Eleanor Roosevelt and Abigail Adams. Its new territory that a Hillary Clinton administration wont have to fully deal with because Bill Clinton is entitled to be called Mr. President for the rest of his life. She was passionate about womens rights even advocating for womens reproductive rights. This contributes to her high background score. If Hillary is elected what will former President Clinton be called? The role of first lady is one that has been filled by many women over the years, and each one brings her own unique style and set of skills to the role. In fact, in C-Span's Presidential Historians Survey of 2021, JFK, Reagan, and Obama received final scores of 699, 681, and 664, respectively, sitting in 8th, 9th, and 10th place. During her time in the White House, she managed the presidential household and held weekly receptions. is a public health campaign that was started by Michelle Obama. And the only first lady to leave office with a popularity . No doubt, she's one of the hottest first ladies in the history of America. This happened when the then-current president, Richard Nixon, resigned and power was handed to his vice, Gerald Ford. Best and worst First Ladies. By clicking Accept all you agree that Yahoo and our partners will process your personal information, and use technologies such as cookies, to display personalised ads and content, for ad and content measurement, audience insights, and product development. Trumps made headlines this week when the former president had to deny that his wife would not be joining him in the White House for a potential second term. She cursed like a barmaid. Richard was the 37th president of the United States. Her popularity also waxed and waned due to her apparent snobbishness and spendthrift nation. She had an educational background in the arts and famously spent time creating, sketching, and painting while in the White House. Lady Bird was the most diligent. Her lowest score is in White House stewardship. She fought for New Deal proposals, civil rights, and the rights of women. So, it showed the chart differently for Truman and Trump, who are supposed to be 13 and 14, not 14 and 15. Obama also did well in the public image category due to her general popularity. What would you answer someone who says attention to the first lady is silly? Martha Jefferson Randolph was the first lady of the United States from 1801 to 1809 and ranked 18th in the Siena Research Institutes 1982 study. One thing I would do is put Melania Trump at 46th just for wearing the jacket I Really Dont Care Do U? Outrageous for a First Lady to wear that anywhere. She scores highest in public image, value to the President and Stewardship of the White House. In the 2008 study, SCRI found that experts continued to rank Eleanor Roosevelt number one and Hillary Clinton climbed from number five to number four. She also remained active as a writer and lecturer during her husbands administration. The first lady is known to be a socialite and also very knowledgeable in finance and investments. Enter your email address to follow Elections Daily and receive notifications of new posts by email. Bushs integrity, public image and value to the President also rank highly. She served as national GSUSA president on two separate occasions. Other political figures on the lists include Vladimir Putin and Jacinda Ardern. During her time as first lady, she focused largely on White House restoration, taking a special interest in the artwork and integrity of the interior decoration in the historic building. Laura was the most gracious and least controversial in this group. As the 15th ranked first lady by the Siena Research Institute, Bess Truman was far from the typical socialite that often came to mind when thinking about the wives of presidents. So, who is Americas most popular First Lady? A niece of President Andrew Jacksons late wife Rachel, Emily was appointed as hostess following her death. You can see now that the Clinton campaign, for example, is already trying to socialize this idea of Bill Clinton being an economic advisor. However, her celebrity status and outspoken nature made her a popular figure with the general public. Known for her love of the colour pink, Mamie Eisenhower makes it to number 12 on the list. She also worked towards the environmental protection initiative and also became one of the first ladies that had direct interaction with Congress as she had her political staff who assisted her in all the processes when in office. Course, she probably doesnt care. Florence Harding seems to be a pretty interesting person. While finishing my PhD at Georgetown, I was in a presidency class where it was made abundantly clear that theres no empirical research on this topic. */ #wds_container1_0 #wds_container2_0 .wds_line_timer_container_0 { display: block; position: absolute; overflow: hidden; top: 0; z-index: 16; width: 100%; height: 5px; } #wds_container1_0 #wds_container2_0 .wds_line_timer_0 { z-index: 17; width: 0; height: 5px; background: #BBBBBB; opacity: 0.50; filter: alpha(opacity=50); } #wds_container1_0 #wds_container2_0 .wds_slide_container_0 { height: /*inherit*/100%; } #wds_container1_0 #wds_container2_0 .wds_slideshow_image_spun1_0 { display: table; width: /*inherit*/100%; height: /*inherit*/100%; } #wds_container1_0 #wds_container2_0 .wds_slideshow_image_spun2_0 { display: table-cell; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; overflow: hidden; height: /*inherit*/100%; } #wds_container1_0 #wds_container2_0 .wds_video_layer_frame_0 { max-height: 100%; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; height: 100%; } #wds_container1_0 #wds_container2_0 .wds_video_hide0 { width: 100%; height: 100%; position:absolute; } #wds_container1_0 #wds_container2_0 .wds_slider_car_image0 { overflow: hidden; } #wds_container1_0 .wds_loading_img { background-image: url('https://scri.siena.edu/wp-content/plugins/slider-wd/images/loading/0.gif'); } #wds_container1_0 #wds_container2_0 #wds_image_id_0_56 .wds_slideshow_image_0 { background-size: cover; background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; } #wds_container1_0 #wds_container2_0 #wds_image_id_0_56 .wds_slideshow_image_0 > video { background-size: cover; } #wds_container1_0 #wds_container2_0 #wds_image_id_0_57 .wds_slideshow_image_0 { background-size: cover; background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; } #wds_container1_0 #wds_container2_0 #wds_image_id_0_57 .wds_slideshow_image_0 > video { background-size: cover; } #wds_container1_0 #wds_container2_0 #wds_image_id_0_54 .wds_slideshow_image_0 { background-size: cover; background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; } #wds_container1_0 #wds_container2_0 #wds_image_id_0_54 .wds_slideshow_image_0 > video { background-size: cover; } #wds_container1_0 #wds_container2_0 #wds_image_id_0_55 .wds_slideshow_image_0 { background-size: cover; background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; } #wds_container1_0 #wds_container2_0 #wds_image_id_0_55 .wds_slideshow_image_0 > video { background-size: cover; } #wds_container1_0 #wds_container2_0 #wds_image_id_0_58 .wds_slideshow_image_0 { background-size: cover; background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; } #wds_container1_0 #wds_container2_0 #wds_image_id_0_58 .wds_slideshow_image_0 > video { background-size: cover; }. Parade recently spoke to Wright about her bookfor which she conducted specially designed public opinion surveys and read and analyzed close to 1,700 speeches given by Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush and Michelle Obamaahead of a historic election that is certain to again alter Americans perception of the role of the presidents spouse. The very first SCRI First Ladies study found that Eleanor Roosevelt was rated number one, while Mary Todd Lincoln was ranked as last. She was often called Lady Washington because there was no official term for the first lady at that time. She was also a very popular housewife whose recipes were widely copied. Mamie Eisenhower was extremely active on the 1952 campaign trail and was in the first-ever televised campaign ad. All Rights Reserved. The first lady often traveled for political appointments with the president and also on her own. Obama also did well in the public image category due to her general popularity. Sarah Stook is a freelance writer with a great interest in US politics. Laura Bush should be next, then Barbara Bush. Copyright 2015 - 2022 Financial WallStreet. Results have been cited or published in journals, and both academic and popular outlets including Presidential Quarterly, Betty Boyd Caroli's First Ladies, American First Ladies edited by Lewis L. Gould, the New York Times and CBS, as well as used by high schools and colleges to stimulate interest in First Ladies. Mrs. Roosevelt backed what her husband was doing in office, and pushed a lot of his human rights campaigns during the Great Depression. Who's the Most Popular First Lady in Recent History? Eleanor Roosevelt was known for traveling, speaking on radio shows, and being a spokeswoman for the United Nations. She was an advocate for her husbands policies and choices, and her knowledge of the inner workings of the Republican Party was invaluable. How did the first ladys role come about in the first place? Meanwhile, Melania Trump's stint in the White House was a hot topic in recent weeks as current first lady Jill Biden unveiled her holiday decorations at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Sarah was elaborate in the meals and alcohol she served, and often advised her husband on speeches and other important matters. While her husband became more entrenched in the world of Washington, Grace continued to distance herself from it. While some first ladies are more popular than others, it can be hard to rank them in order from most to least popular. Its a bit too early to vote on her legacy but shes probably not the absolute worst First Lady. Athletes Who Have Successful Careers In Acting! She had the worst decorations that anyone could have done at the White House Black was the theme. Click Manage settings for more information and to manage your choices. Lucretia Garfield played an important role in her husbands presidential campaign. Eleanor Roosevelt easily topped the leaderboard. 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first ladies ranked by popularity