Presidents and First Ladies Trivia

[RJNorton]

It was indeed Barbara Bush. She made the comment about things that should not be reported at the Former First Ladies Forum at the Kennedy Center in Washington on March 9, 1998. The comment about the press not getting anything right was made at the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Dinner in New York on October 19, 1989.

Laurie, you win one copy of that 1948 Chicago Tribune. Free subscriptions to the Chicago American go to Bill, Gene, and Joe for trying.

[RJNorton]

Happy Mother's Day! A first lady said the following:

"It's the best thing I have ever done. Being a mother is what I think made me the person I am."

Who said that?

[Eva Elisabeth]

Sounds like the wife of one of the Bushs, maybe Barbara Bush again.

[Gene C]

That sounds like something a more recent 1st Lady would say. I agree with Eva, I can picture Laura Bush or even Jackie Kennedy saying that. I'll go with Laura Bush

[RJNorton]

Gene, it was Jackie Kennedy. The quote is from the book Jackie After Jack: Portrait of the Lady.

[RJNorton]

Now for a different view. Which First Lady said:

"It is horrible to be a man. But the grinding misery of being a woman between the upper and nether millstone of household cares and training children is almost as bad. To be half civilized with some aspirations for enlightenment, and obliged to spend the largest part of the time the victim of young barbarians keeps one in a perpetual ferment."

[L Verge]

Abigail Adams?

[RJNorton]

Good guess, Laurie, but it was not her.

[J. Beckert]

Working only on the misery that drips off that statement, I'll say Mrs. Franklin Pierce.

[RJNorton]

Not her, Joe. But you are in the right century.

[Eva Elisabeth]

The Lincolns' were the first children in the White House, so I'd suggest so. afterwards, Mrs Garfield?

[RJNorton]

Kudos, Eva! That is correct. Mrs. Garfield wrote this in a letter to her husband on June 5, 1877.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Which First Lady displeased the British Monarchy by one single action in the blink of an eye?

[Rogerm]

I am going to guess Mary Lincoln, without knowing what her specific action was.

[Laurie Verge]

Michelle Obama?