Former First Lady Lucy Hayes: She once taught deaf and speech-impaired orphans

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Many First Ladies have supported education and even worked as teachers before they went to the White House. One of these was First Lady Lucy Hayes, who taught deaf and speech-impaired orphans. Photo credit: The White House Historical Association

Many of our nation’s presidential wives supported education and even worked as teachers before their husbands were elected to the highest office of the land. One of these was Lucy Hayes, wife of President Rutherford B. Hayes, our country’s 19th President. After serving in the US House of Representatives and as the Governor of Ohio, Hayes served as President from 1877 to 1881.

Lucy Webb was born on August 28, 1831, in Chilicothe, Ohio, the daughter of Dr. James Webb and Maria Cook.

As First Lady, Lucy Hayes was widely considered the role model of a modern educated woman. In fact, she was the first First Lady to have earned a college degree, having graduated from Cincinnati Wesleyan Female College in 1850

When her husband served as the Governor of Ohio, Lucy worked as a teacher of hearing and speech-impaired orphans. She often accompanied her husband on his visits to prisons, correctional institutions for boys and girls, hospitals for the mentally ill, and facilities for the deaf and mute. She was also part of a group that established a home for the orphans of soldiers.

As First Lady, she regularly visited schools in all corners of the young democracy. She made a special effort to include visits to schools dedicated to the education of African American men and women, Native Americans, and impoverished white students. Lucy supported her husband’s commitment to public education, and served as president of the Women’s Home Missionary Society, an organization dedicated to educating and improving the living conditions of the poor.

To read more about First Lady Lucy Hayes, see the  book From Classroom to White House: The Presidents  and First Ladies as Students and Teachers by James McMurtry Longo, available on amazon.

Our nation pays homage to the legacy of MLK, a towering figure in American history

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Author Terry Lee Marzell visited the memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr., erected in Washington, DC, in May of 2021. Photo credit: Hal Marzell

The annual celebration of Martin Luther King Day is always a somber day for me. As a child of the 1960’s, I was just 13 years old when the icon was assassinated in 1968.  Before his death, I remember watching televised speeches from the beloved minister and revered Civil Rights leader, who called for the fair and equitable treatment of all American citizens, regardless of skin color. As a speaker, MLK was mesmerizing.

Like many young teenagers, I was at an age when I was developing an acute sense of fairness and justice—not just for myself, but for all people—and an awareness that as a society there was a great deal of work to be done in this area, even in a country so great as America. I was becoming a socially conscious being. MLK’s message of resonated, not only with me, but also for millions of people of all ages. Like millions of American citizens throughout our country, his murder hit me hard.

As an educator, I was often given the opportunity to lead my students in a study of MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech. His employment of repetition, metaphor, simile, and analogy are as wonderful as his oratorical skills. This speech is a delight to the English teacher.

MLK was a towering figure in American history, and the memorial erected in Washington, DC, to honor this amazing historical figure depicts this. I visited the monument in May, 2021. I love this monument, which concretely shows the unfinished nature of MLK’s work. There is still a great deal of work to be done.

Former First Lady Lou Henry Hoover, teacher and supporter of public schools

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Former First Lady Lou Hoover, was a  third grade teacher and supporter of public schools. Photo credit: National First Ladies Library

Many of America’s presidential wives have had experience as public school teachers. One of these is Lou Henry Hoover, the wife of President Herbert Hoover, the 31st leader of our nation.

Lou Henry was born in Waterloo, Iowa, but spent much of her childhood moving from state to state. In addition to Iowa, she lived in Texas, Kansas, and California. After she graduated from high school, Lou Henry enrolled at the Los Angeles Normal School, now known as the University of California, Los Angeles. Later she transferred to San Jose Normal School, now known as San Jose State University. She earned her teaching credential in 1893. She also earned a degree in geology from Stanford University in California.

Herbert Hoover met Lou Henry while they were both attending Stanford University. Before enrolling there, she had been employed as a third grade teacher, and she had originally planned a long career in education. Her plans changed, however, when she decided to marry and travel abroad with her husband.

After he was elected president in 1928, President Hoover and the First Lady, who were both avid readers, were dismayed to discover that the White House Library established by First Lady Abigail Fillmore had disintegrated due to neglect. Reconstructing the White House library became one of the projects of their administration.

In August, 1929, Lou and the president discovered a community of impoverished Appalachian families near their summer retreat that was unable to provide a school for their children. The couple decided to establish, in secret, a school for the local mountain children, as well as a small residence for the teacher they hired to instruct them. The teacher was Christine Vest, a graduate of Berea College. The school was opened on Feb. 24, 1930, and came to be known as “The President’s Mountain School.” Lou visited the school frequently, picnicking with the children and chatting with their parents.

Lou was exceedingly proud of her efforts to help the underprivileged gain an education. “We believe that the democratic influence of a good public school in a good community gives a much better training than the unavoidable exclusiveness of even the best private schools,” the First Lady once expressed.

In addition to supporting the community school, Lou became a lifelong supporter of the Girl Scouts and their programs for outdoor camping and education. She was also instrumental in the era’s movement to expand opportunities for women in athletic activities.

To learn more about this amazing First Lady, see her biography at the National First Ladies Library.

The remarkable teacher and First Lady Jill Biden

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First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, a former high school English teacher and current community college professor, continues to teach despite her numerous responsibilities as America’s First Lady. Photo Credit: the hill.com

You may be familiar with Dr. Jill Biden, the nation’s current First Lady. But did you know that she is a former high school English teacher? In addition to her experience at the secondary level, Jill has been a professor of English at Community College since 2009. In fact, she continued teaching throughout her entire tenure as First Lady.

Jill was born on June 3, 1951, in Hammonton, New Jersey. She was raised in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. After she graduated from Upper Moreland High School in Montgomery County, Pennsylvnia, in 1969, Jill earned her Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Delaware (1975). She earned two Master’s degrees, one in English from West Chester University in Pennsylvania and one in Education from Villanova University in Pennsylvania. She completed the requirements for her PhD in Education from the University of Delaware.

After earning her degrees, Jill accepted a position teaching English and reading in high school. She taught for three years at Claymont High School in Delaware, and then at Brandywine High School in Wilmington, Delaware (1991-1993). For five years she taught adolescents with emotional disabilities at Rockford Center Psychiatric Hospital.

From 1993 to 2008, Jill taught English and writing at Delaware Technical & Community College. Since 2009, she has worked as a professor of English at Northern Virginia Community College.

When her husband was elected to serve as the Vice President under the Obama Administration, and later while her husband served as the 46th President of the United States,  Jill continued to teach full time, even though she had many responsibilities as a public figure.

And her work as a public servant and educator continue. Dr. Jill Biden: A true Chalkboard Champion.