Which US first lady was not the wife of the president?

Martha Washington Jefferson Randolph was the daughter of Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, and his wife Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson. She is now considered to have been First Lady of the United States from March 4, 1801 to March 3, 1809 because her father was a widower, making her the first First Lady not to be a wife of the president. She earned a reputation as an intellectual.

More Info: us-first-ladies.insidegov.com

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24 Comments

silrem

Van Buren was not married while President. Lousy question and options.

Catherine Foy

Unique among First Ladies, Harriet Lane acted as hostess for the only President who never married: James Buchanan, her favorite uncle and her guardian after she was orphaned at the age of eleven.

Diane Johnson

Also wrong Harriet Lane, niece of James Buchanan “served” as First Lady. Buchanan was a lion bachelor

carlthedad

This is bull crap. Thomas Jefferson's daughter did take the responsibility of creating dignitaries and state functions for her father after her mother's death, but she was never called nor considered to be the first lady. That has always been a position held by the wife of the president.

Richard D. Boyle

Difficult question depending on which historian you trust and which definition of “First Lady” you accept. It can include or exclude substitutes filling in for non-existent wives. One President was never married and at least three, Jefferson, Jackson and Van Buren, never remarried after their wives died prior to their husbands taking office. Most historians, I believe, take the position that no one can be a “First Lady” without being married to the President. Substitutes or fill-ins perform the role but do not have the title. This is from memory so correct me if I am wrong.

Samuel Anhalt

Martha Jefferson Randolph, eldest daughter of Thomas and Martha Jefferson, has often been incorrectly identified as the White House hostess during the eight-year Jefferson presidency. Thomas Jefferson took charge of the entertaining details at the White House during his presidency, particularly the food and the form of protocol and ceremony; whenever he had women dinner guests, he invited Dolley Madison ( 1768-1849 ), the wife of his highest-ranking Cabinet member, Secretary of State James Madison, as his escort, his vice president Aaron Burr also being a widower. At large open functions in the White House, Dolley Madison also assumed a public role as hostess, assisting the President in welcoming the general citizenry.

Shirley Dutt

I knew that.

Carol Slovacek

Traditionally the presidents wife is First Lady. I think this is a personal deduction and shouldn’t have been allowed

Pat Trowbridge

WRONG ANSWER AND SELECTIONS: Harriet Rebecca Lane Johnston acted as First Lady of the United States, or “Hostess,” for her uncle James Buchanan, who was a lifelong bachelor and the 15th President (1857-1861).