Edith Kermit Roosevelt: Creating the Modern First Lady

This slim new volume in the University of Kansas' Modern First Ladies series (of which Gould is the editor) complicates the legacy of the first First Lady of the 20th century and President Theodore Roosevelt's second wife . While many consider Edith Roosevelt to have been a worthy compliment to her husband (as both person and president), a capable mother, skilled organizer, and patron of the arts (especially classical music), Gould (Lady Bird Johnson) shows that the truth was much more complicated. Edith harbored deep-seated racist views%E2%80%94which Gould argues impacted her husband's policies regarding race%E2%80%94and she actively expressed her distaste for certain individuals, including her successor, Helen Taft. Any hope of continued hagiography is laid to rest here, but Gould's goal isn't simply to bring the saint back down to earth. He acknowledges Edith's admirable qualities as well, and credits her for her pivotal role in the institutionalization of First Lady duties. She was an opinionated woman who had the heart and the ear of the most powerful man in the world, and by influencing his speeches, writings, and choice of allies, she influenced the entire world and at the same time, the future role of presidential spouses. 20 photos. (June)