Posted on Mar 12, 2023
Biography of first lady Edith Wilson examines the complexities of women and power
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https://www.npr.org/2023/03/08/ [login to see] /biography-of-first-lady-edith-wilson-examines-the-complexities-of-women-and-powe
Of history's many stories of a power behind the throne, one of the most intriguing is that of Edith Wilson, first lady to President Woodrow Wilson.
She met and married him in 1915, while he was serving in the White House. When Woodrow suffered a stroke and disappeared from public view in 1919, Edith became his gatekeeper and spokesperson. She restricted his visitors for months, and informed other officials what the president had "decided" on vital issues.
"There is no question in my mind that there are times she could not or would not consult him," said Rebecca Boggs Roberts, author of the new biography Untold Power: The Fascinating Rise and Complex Legacy of First Lady Edith Wilson.
Roberts' upbringing gives her insight into powerful women in Washington. Her grandmother Lindy Boggs was the wife of a congressional leader, and after his death, she won election to his seat and became a lawmaker herself. She was the first woman elected to Congress from Louisiana. Roberts' mother, Cokie Roberts, was an observer of Congress on NPR. (Cokie was also a power away from the microphone at NPR, remaining in place for decades as CEOs came and went, and sometimes calling them to tell them what they were doing wrong.)
Of history's many stories of a power behind the throne, one of the most intriguing is that of Edith Wilson, first lady to President Woodrow Wilson.
She met and married him in 1915, while he was serving in the White House. When Woodrow suffered a stroke and disappeared from public view in 1919, Edith became his gatekeeper and spokesperson. She restricted his visitors for months, and informed other officials what the president had "decided" on vital issues.
"There is no question in my mind that there are times she could not or would not consult him," said Rebecca Boggs Roberts, author of the new biography Untold Power: The Fascinating Rise and Complex Legacy of First Lady Edith Wilson.
Roberts' upbringing gives her insight into powerful women in Washington. Her grandmother Lindy Boggs was the wife of a congressional leader, and after his death, she won election to his seat and became a lawmaker herself. She was the first woman elected to Congress from Louisiana. Roberts' mother, Cokie Roberts, was an observer of Congress on NPR. (Cokie was also a power away from the microphone at NPR, remaining in place for decades as CEOs came and went, and sometimes calling them to tell them what they were doing wrong.)
Biography of first lady Edith Wilson examines the complexities of women and power
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White House
American History
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."All along, she promoted her husband's legacy, while obscuring her role as a kind of acting president.
"She was this independent, brainy, interested and interesting person," says Roberts, yet she "masked it in this hyper feminine, 'I'm just standing by my man' stuff because she thought maybe that that was the only way people would excuse what she did."
She tended to her reputation by minimizing herself, Robert says, which was "so uniquely female."...
..."All along, she promoted her husband's legacy, while obscuring her role as a kind of acting president.
"She was this independent, brainy, interested and interesting person," says Roberts, yet she "masked it in this hyper feminine, 'I'm just standing by my man' stuff because she thought maybe that that was the only way people would excuse what she did."
She tended to her reputation by minimizing herself, Robert says, which was "so uniquely female."...
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