“Women On Wednesdays”: Rebecca Boggs Roberts - “Untold Power”

In celebration of Women’s History Month, please join American University's Women & Politics Institute and the First Ladies Initiative for a virtual conversation with Rebecca Boggs Roberts, author of the new book, Untold Power: The Fascinating Rise and Complex Legacy of First Lady Edith Wilson and WPI Executive Director Betsy Fischer Martin. Introductory remarks will be given by AU First Ladies Initiative Director Anita McBride, who was the Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush.

Boggs Roberts tells the story of how Edith Wilson rose from poverty to become the First Lady of the United States, detailing her time as acting president while her husband was incapacitated in 1919 before women had the right to vote nationwide. Untold Power is a “nuanced portrait of the first acting woman president, written with fresh and cinematic verve by a leading historian on women’s suffrage and power.” Order the book here.

Co-sponsored by the First Ladies Association for Research and Education (FLARE).

ABOUT REBECCA BOGGS ROBERTS

Rebecca Boggs Roberts is an award-winning educator, author, and speaker. Currently, she is the curator of programming at Planet Word, a museum of words and language. She is the author of four books and has served on the Board of Directors of the Congressional Cemetery and advisory boards for the White House Historical Association, the Historical society of Washington, DC, and the federal Suffrage Centennial Commission. She is also a lifetime inaugural member of the First Ladies Association for Research and Education.

Boggs Roberts holds a B.A. in Politics from Princeton University and a M.A. in biological anthropology from George Washington University.

ABOUT BETSY FISCHER MARTIN

Betsy Fischer Martin is an Emmy-winning journalist and former TV news executive. Currently, she is the Executive Director of the Women & Politics Institute at American University and a faculty member in the School of Public Affairs, where she teaches courses on campaigns and elections. During her earlier career in television news, she spent 23 years at NBC News serving as the longtime Executive Producer of Meet the Press with Tim Russert and as the Managing Editor of NBC News Political Programming.

A native of New Orleans, Fischer Martin did her undergraduate and graduate work at American University in Washington, DC. She is a cum laude graduate of their School of Public Affairs and earned a master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from the AU School of Communication.

ABOUT ANITA B. MCBRIDE

Anita B. McBride is executive-in-residence at the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies in the School of Public Affairs at American University in Washington, D.C. She directs programming and national conferences on the legacies of America’s first ladies (the First Ladies Initiative) and their historical influence on politics, policy, and global diplomacy.

McBride's White House service spans two decades and three presidential administrations including as assistant to President George W. Bush and chief of staff to First Lady Laura Bush from 2005 to 2009. McBride is on the board of the White House Historical Association and is an advisor to George W. Bush Institute and several global non-profit organizations. She is a founding member of FLARE and is a co-author of the first textbook on U.S. First Ladies to be released in Fall 2023.

ABOUT THE WOMEN & POLITICS INSTITUTE

The nonpartisan Women & Politics Institute at American University provides academic training to young women that encourages them to become involved in the political process and facilitates research by faculty and students that enhances our understanding of the challenges and opportunities women face in the political arena.

ABOUT THE FIRST LADIES INITIATIVE

American University's Legacies of America's First Ladies initiative and conference series features distinguished guests - first ladies, former presidents, and first families, White House staff, scholars, authors, members of the media - who highlight the significant contributions these women make by using their platform to advocate for issues, promote change, and improve our society.

ABOUT THE FIRST LADIES ASSOCIATION FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION (FLARE)

The mission of the First Ladies Association for Research and Education is to create and sustain a network to promote and publicize research and education about the contributions, lives, impact, and lasting legacy of U.S. First Ladies.

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