Saturday is National First Ladies Day. Anita McBride, former chief of staff to Laura Bush and co‑chair of the In Pursuit essay series, which honors the country’s presidents and first ladies, says attention to first ladies has been growing. The essays in that series — covering presidents and first ladies — are gaining traction, and those about first ladies are drawing particularly strong interest. McBride attributes the response to a historical gap in the literature and public knowledge about first ladies and their contributions.
McBride, who served as chief of staff to Laura Bush, frames the influence of first ladies as “soft power.” She embraces the term because it describes an unelected, alternative form of influence distinct from the authority of elected office. First ladies can be powerful behind the scenes or more visibly, but they must be careful not to cross the line into policymaking. Their role often complements the president’s: while not every issue comes to the first lady’s desk, the partnership of the presidential couple can shape ceremonial duties, public perception, and civic engagement.
Looking back to the earliest first ladies, McBride highlights Martha Washington’s burden of precedent. As the wife of the new republic’s first president, Martha helped establish the social and ceremonial role of the presidential couple. George Washington understood that his was a two‑person job — head of state and head of government — and Martha’s skills as hostess and wartime companion helped create a model of accessibility combined with formality that projected stature and legitimacy for the new nation.
McBride contrasts the documentary richness of Abigail and John Adams with the relative scarcity of material about Martha Washington. The Adams correspondence — roughly 1,200 letters over long separations, including what Abigail described as periods of “widowhood” while John Adams was abroad — provides historians with an intimate view of political life in the founding era. Abigail Adams balanced household responsibilities, raised children, managed estate affairs, and recorded eyewitness accounts of revolutionary events. Those letters form a valuable window into early American life and the first presidency.
Across history, first ladies have used their positions to convene social networks, shape cultural norms, champion causes, and symbolize the nation. McBride underscores both continuity and change: first ladies have always mattered, but public interest and scholarly attention are expanding now in ways that illuminate their impact beyond fashion and protocol. Projects like In Pursuit aim to push that conversation forward by honoring presidents and first ladies and inviting reflection about how each has influenced American life.
McBride’s view, informed by her White House experience, stresses the practical limits and considerable reach of the first lady’s office. The role is neither purely ceremonial nor an extension of formal political power; it’s a distinctive platform for advocacy, public service, and representation. When first ladies choose initiatives — literacy campaigns, public health programs, education, or veterans’ issues — they can marshal public attention and resources without stepping into the policymaking role of elected officials. That “soft power” can produce durable social outcomes when exercised judiciously.
The renewed focus on first ladies—historic and contemporary—reflects changing public curiosity and scholarly efforts to fill gaps in the historical record. As McBride notes, first ladies are having a moment: people are paying attention to their roles, choices, and legacies in ways that broaden understanding of presidential history and national life. The In Pursuit essays, and the wider interest they have sparked, aim to keep that conversation alive by pairing historical research with personal insight from those who worked in or around the White House.
For listeners who want more, McBride’s full conversation about first ladies, the In Pursuit series, and the balance of influence and restraint in the role is available as part of The Takeout podcast.