Who is Edith Wilson?
Edith Bolling was born in Wytheville, Virginia on October 15th, 1872. She was the seventh of eleven children and experienced an impoverished upbringing. At 23 years of age, Edith married Norman Galt, a wealthy jeweler, and together they moved to Washington, D.C. shortly after. After losing a son in infancy in 1903, Edith was left a widow five year later in 1908. She then inherited her late husband's jewelry store, taking over operations, and hiring staff to run the store. Years later, she was introduced to President Woodrow Wilson through friends and family. Within nine months, President Woodrow Wilson and Edith were married on December 18, 1915, and she became known as First Lady, Edith Bolling Galt Wilson. Later, Edith would go on to make history as secretary to the president, what she coined as her "stewardship".
How Edith Wilson Made History
October 1919, while in his second term as President of the United States, Edith's husband, Woodrow Wilson, suffered a massive stroke leaving him incapacitated. Because of the weakened state of the country after WWII, Edith and the president's doctor decided, for the betterment of the nation, to conceal his condition from Congress and the public. Edith claimed the President was only suffering from extreme exhaustion and needed ample rest. She then began her "stewardship" for her husband, screening all important documentation, memos, questions, and requests and running them between the President and his Cabinet. Through her screening, she determined what pressing matters were important enough to present to her bedridden husband. Edith was successful in helping run the U.S. government and did so until the end of Woodrow Wilson's second term as President, 17 months after his stroke.
The Importance of Conserving Edith's Story
Edith Wilson is arguably the first female President of the United States. She ran the country for 17 months as if she, herself, were president, and governed important decisions President Woodrow Wilson was unable to make due to his condition. Edith is worthy of rediscovery and recognition for her love for her husband and service to her country. Her story is important because it is one that all women can draw inspiration from and is truly deserving of conservation in American history.