Frances Cleveland
Frances Cleveland (born July 21, 1864 in Buffalo , New York as Frances Cornelia Folsom , † October 29, 1947 ) was the wife of US President Grover Cleveland and the First Lady of the USA from June 2, 1886 to March 3, 1889 and from March 4, 1893 to March 3, 1897.
She was the only child of Emma C. Harmon and Oscar Folsom, who were friends with Grover Cleveland. Frances graduated from Wells College. On June 2, 1886, the only wedding of an incumbent president to date was celebrated at the White House when President Grover Cleveland and Frances Folsom married. Until then, Rose Cleveland , Grover's sister, had been the first lady. She ceded the office to Frances.
As the first lady, Frances gave two receptions a week. After their first term ended, the couple lived in New York City . Their first child was born there. In total, the couple had five children:
- Ruth Cleveland (1891-1904)
- Esther Cleveland (1893-1980)
- Marion Cleveland (1895-1977)
- Richard Folsom Cleveland (1897–1974)
- Francis Grover Cleveland (1903-1995).
When her husband lost the election to Benjamin Harrison in 1888 , Frances Cleveland proved to be a far-sighted woman politician. You shouldn't move anything in the White House, she told the staff, and you'll be back in four years. Indeed, after Grover was elected president a second time in 1892, the couple moved back into the White House.
After that term, the couple lived in Princeton, New Jersey . Two sons were born there. Grover died in 1908. Five years later, Frances married a second time. Her second husband was Thomas J. Preston, Jr., a professor of archeology .
literature
- Ronald D. Gerste: The First Ladies of the USA . Pustet, Regensburg 2000. ISBN 3-7917-1685-9 .
- Stephen F. Robar: Frances Clara Folsom Cleveland , New York 2002, Nova History Publishers.
- Merry Ellen Scofield: Rose Cleveland, Frances Cleveland, Caroline Harrison, Mary McKee. In Katherine AS Sibley (Ed.): A Companion to First Ladies. Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester 2016, ISBN 978-1-118-73222-9 , pp. 265-282.
Web links
- Biography on the White House website (English)
- Frances Cleveland in the Miller Center of Public Affairs of the University of Virginia (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Cleveland, Frances |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Folsom Cleveland Preston, Frances Clara (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American first lady |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 21, 1864 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Buffalo , New York |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 29, 1947 |