Ellen and Edith: Woodrow Wilson's First Ladies

Conclusion

264 } { Edith Wilson undeniably had an impact on history. She took over after Woodrow Wilson’s stroke, enabling him to remain in office. Had he resigned, the United States probably would have joined the League of Nations, subject to certain conditions. One cannot help wondering what U.S. membership in the league might have meant. Would it have changed the course of history? More pointedly, might U.S. membership have prevented World War II? Such an outcome is conceivable but far from certain. During the 1930s, the countries that actually were members of the league did little to check the buildup of German strength. It is possible that had the United States been a member, the league would have taken stronger action against aggressor nations around the world. But U.S. public opinion in support of strong action would have been necessary . And there is little evidence that the public would have supported any effective intervention. In a 1937 Gallup poll, more than 70 percent of those who responded thought it had been a mistake to enter World War I.1 Americans even resisted lending aid to the embattled Allies until 1941; it would take the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor to move the United States, finally, to act. In theory, U.S. membership in the league might have caused a fundamental change in American thinking. But in the end, it is hard to prove that our participation would have significantly changed the course of events. CONCLUSION Regardless of whether Edith Wilson had an effect on international relations, her actions almost certainly changed American constitutional law. Her assumption of power during Woodrow Wilson’s illness was well known to the drafters of the Twenty-fifth Amendment. That amendment, ratified in 1967, guarantees the vice president will become “acting president”if the president is “unable to discharge his powers and duties.” The constitution now provides for an orderly transfer of authority. It bars a first lady—or anyone else—from seizing control when the president is disabled. No amendment, however, can prevent a first lady from influencing the president’s relations with his advisers. More than sixty-five years after she left the White House, Edith Wilson’s name was invoked by columnist William Safire to caution first lady Nancy Reagan against “political interference.” Both women were, he pointed out, “unelected and unaccountable.”2 Certainly, a first lady’s advice can be useful, even essential. But advice from any first lady carries a risk. Her unique relationship with the president could force him to choose between what his wife wants and what he thinks is best for the country. The first lady should give her husband thoughtful suggestions but assure him their relationship will be unaffected if he fails to follow them. Intimate access to the president of the United States provides a first lady with great power. Access, however, is not her sole source of power. A first lady also has the power that flows from fame. Once her husband is sworn into office, and often before, a first lady becomes a worldwide celebrity. People watch her with intense interest. Her clothes, her hair, the books she reads, her child-rearing techniques —everything is covered in the press. As a result, a first lady acquires an enormous power to shape public opinion. Edith Wilson did not use this power as constructively as she might have. Most notably, she made no effort to model better relations between the races; indeed, she encouraged her husband’s racism. Her personal style, however, did warm up Woodrow’s stern image in the public eye. And her leadership during World War I—knitting, selling bonds, and working in a canteen—provided a good role model for American women in wartime. Gallantly visiting wounded veterans in France, Edith also deeply impressed the young Eleanor Roosevelt. FirstLady EllenWilson impressedEleanorRoosevelt,too, but for a Conclusion 265 } { different reason. Ellen used her fame not just to promote her husband or to provide a role model. Instead, she had a specific personal agenda, independent of the president’s, that she vigorously championed . At the very start of her husband’s administration, she led caravans of visitors to parts of the city they had never seen and urged them to tear down the slums and build decent housing. Today her efforts may seem naive, but they were well-meant. Because of Ellen...