Edith Wilson has been called the country's first female President after she took a strong leadership role following President Woodrow Wilson's stroke in October 1919.
The second wife of Woodrow Wilson, the couple met in early 1915 and married later that year, barely a year after the death of First Lady Ellen Wilson. Edith assumed a more active role in her husband's political pursuits, becoming an adviser and personal assistant, and was well-versed with the war in Europe,
according to The Miller Center at the University of Virginia.
How Do You Rate Wilson Among American Presidents? You Can Vote in Newsmax’s Presidential Survey – Click Here Now
Uninterested in the social aspects of the First Lady position, Edith Wilson stopped entertaining when America entered the war in 1917. She limited public White House tours, the annual Easter Egg Roll, and New Year's Day reception, the Center said.
The National First Ladies' Library reported that Edith Wilson was informed on classified information during the war. She also became a public face of patriotism and rationing, designating days when items like meat and wheat wouldn't be used. She knitted trench helmets, sewed blankets, answered soldiers' mail, and volunteered with the Red Cross.
She also decoded military messages and advised her husband on his congressional decisions. After the treaty to end the conflict was signed in 1918, Edith Wilson became the first sitting First Lady to visit Europe, where she visited American soldiers in French hospitals, the First Ladies' Library said. Her interaction with the queens and women of royalty in Europe elevated her position.
Edith Wilson underwent her greatest challenge in October 1919, when, while touring the country seeking support for a League of Nations, Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed. Rather than let him cede the presidency to Vice President Thomas Marshall, Edith concealed the severity of Woodrow's and handled many of his responsibilities. Wilson had rare contact with anyone other than family or doctors until January 1920, and didn't meet with his cabinet until April 1920.
Wilson or Obama: Who Is The Better President? Vote in Newsmax’s Presidential Survey – Click Here Now
According to the Miller Center, Edith Wilson was caring for Woodrow but essentially served as president by making decisions such as deciding which visitors should be granted access and which issues warranted attention. The 25th Amendment, ratified in 1967, added a provision dealing with an incapacitated president.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.