first lady

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first ladies at the George W. Bush Presidential Center

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first lady

United States title

Written by Betty Boyd Caroli

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Mar 27, 2024 • Article History

first ladies at the George W. Bush Presidential Center

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Category: History & Society

Related Topics:: United States; presidency of the United States of America

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first lady, wife of the president of the United States. Although the first lady’s role has never been codified or officially defined, she figures prominently in the political and social life of the nation. Representative of her husband on official and ceremonial occasions both at home and abroad, the first lady is closely watched for some hint of her husband’s thinking and for a clue to his future actions. Although unpaid and unelected, her prominence provides her a platform from which to influence behaviour and opinion, and popular first ladies have served as models for how American women should dress, ...(100 of 3702 words)

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