First Ladies of the United States

First Lady of the United States is the unofficial title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the President of the United States, the title is sometimes taken to apply only to the wife of a sitting President. However, several women who were not Presidents' wives have served as First Lady, as when the President was a bachelor or widower, or when the wife of the President was unable to fulfill the duties of the First Lady herself. In these cases, the position has been filled by a female relative or friend of the President.

To date, no woman has served as President. While a female President could theoretically serve as her own official hostess, it is not known what title would be applied to a President's husband, who might also serve as the host of the White House. There have been many female governors of U.S. states over the years; their husbands are typically referred to as the First Gentleman.

The use of the title first lady to describe the spouse or hostess of an executive began in the United States. In the early days of the republic, there was no generally accepted title for the wife of the President. Many early first ladies expressed their own preference for how they were addressed, including the use of such titles as "Lady", "Mrs. President", and "Mrs. Presidentress". Martha Washington was often referred to as "Lady Washington."

According to legend, Dolley Madison was referred to as "first lady" in 1849 at her funeral in a eulogy delivered by President Zachary Taylor.  Sometime after 1849, the title began being used in Washington D.C. social circles. The earliest known written evidence of the title is from the November 3, 1863 diary entry of William Howard Russell, in which he referred to gossip about "the First Lady in the Land."

The title first gained nationwide recognition in 1877, when newspaper journalist Mary C. Ames referred to Lucy Webb Hayes as "the First Lady of the land" while reporting on the inauguration of Rutherford B. Hayes.

A popular 1911 comedic play by playwright Charles Nirdlinger titled The First Lady in the Land popularized the title further. By the 1930s it was in wide use. The acronym FLOTUS is sometimes used for "First Lady of the United States", by analogy to the more well-known acronym "POTUS" for "President of the United States".

"First Lady" is not an elected position, carries no official duties, and receives no salary. Nonetheless, she attends many official ceremonies and functions of state either along with, or in place of, the President. There is a strong tradition against the First Lady holding outside employment while occupying the office.

The first lady frequently participates in humanitarian and charitable work; over the course of the 20th century it became increasingly common for first ladies to select specific causes to promote, usually ones that are not politically divisive. It is common for the first lady to hire a staff to support these activities.

Additionally, many have taken an active role in campaigning for the President with whom they are associated. Hillary Rodham Clinton, wife of Bill Clinton took the role one large step further when she was, for a time, given a formal job in the Clinton administration to develop reforms to the health care system. She continued to lead policy proposals on various domestic issues, travel abroad as a representative of the State Department, and advise the President while keeping West Wing offices for herself and her staff. She became a United States Senator from New York in 2000 and is the only spouse of a President to be elected to the United States Congress to date. She was also a leading contender in the 2008 U.S. Presidential election. She has also been put up for confirmation to be President-elect Barack Obama's Secretary of State, being the first First Lady ever to be in a President's cabinet.

If the United States were to have a female President, it is commonly presumed that the husband of a female President would act as an analogous "First Gentleman". This was the situation portrayed in the fictitious television series Commander In Chief, in which President Mackenzie Allen's husband Rod Calloway was titled as "First Gentleman", but President Allen's mother ultimately joined the First Family and acted as the official hostess at the White House.

The Office of the First Lady of the United States is accountable to the First Lady of the United States for her to carry out her duties as hostess of the White House, and is also in charge of all social and ceremonial events of the White House. The First Lady has her own staff that includes the White House Social Secretary, a Chief of Staff, Press Secretary, Chief Floral Designer, Executive Chef, etc. The Office of the First Lady is a branch of the Executive Office of the President (EOP).