Wilson, Edith Bolling (1872-1961), was one of the most influential first ladies in United States history. She was the second wife of Woodrow Wilson, who served as president from 1913 to 1921. Wilson’s first wife, Ellen Axson Wilson, died in August 1914. Edith and the president met in March 1915 and married in December.
Edith Wilson became one of her husband’s closest advisers. She went with him to Paris in 1918 to attend the peace conference after World War I. President Wilson suffered a paralytic stroke in October 1919. Edith Wilson believed he would more likely recover if he stayed in office than if he resigned. For many months, she decided who could see the president and what documents were given to him. Critics scornfully called Edith Wilson “the first woman president.” But she always denied that she had influenced government policy. Edith Wilson referred to the period of the president’s illness as “my stewardship.” From Woodrow Wilson’s death in 1924 until she died on Dec. 28, 1961, she worked to keep her husband’s memory alive.
Edith Wilson was born on Oct. 15, 1872, in Wytheville, Virginia. Her maiden name was Bolling. She had only two years of formal education but became known for her intelligence and judgment. She married Norman Galt in 1896. Galt died in 1908.
