Smart is sexy. I'm adding Edith Wilson to this thread. Technically, she was the First Lady of the United States from late 1915 to early 1921. In reality, from the Fall of 1919 to March of 1921, she was the President of the United States. She married the recently widowed, President Woodrow Wilson, on December 18th, 1915. In September 1919, President Wilson went on a public speaking tour throughout the U.S. He was desperate for public support for the ratification of The Treaty of Versailles. His obsession was to establish "A League of Nations," to prevent another catastrophic World War like the one he just skillfully guided the United States through. His prized concept of "A League of Nations" was disintegrating right before his eyes. He couldn't garner enough support in the U.S House or Senate, and his European allies were bailing out left and right. So, under immense stress, he set out on a last ditch public speaking tour to rally support from the American people.
On September 25th, 1919 the President collapsed in Pueblo, Colorado. A week later things went from bad to much worse. The President suffered a devastating stroke that "almost totally incapacitated him. The stroke left him paralyzed on his left side, and only able to see out of the corner of his right eye." (source Wikipedia.) It was at this time that Edith Wilson effectively, and without doubt, became the acting President of the United States. It was all behind the scenes of course, but she was running the show. (To read more about this look up Woodrow Wilson, or Edith Wilson, on Wikipedia. If you look up Woodrow Wilson, click on "Incapacity," and you'll get a brief outline of all of this.)
It should be noted that, "with few exceptions, senior government officials were not allowed to see President Wilson for the remainder of his term." Edith Wilson and the President's puppet-on-a-string doctor, Cary Travers Grayson, simply refused to allow it. Eventually, Woodrow Wilson did start attending cabinet meetings again. However, he basically just sat there occasionally nodding and giving "yes" or "no" answers. His ever doting 5'9 shadow, Dr. Cary Travers Grayson, was always just a whisper away.
The ever doting Dr. Cary Travers Grayson
Edith Wilson took the helm. She "began selecting issues for the President's attention and delegating other issues to his cabinet heads." (source Wikipedia.) Remember, this was a little over 46 years before the 25th Amendment of the United States Constitution was set in stone. The 25th Amendment "deals with the succession to the Presidency and establishes procedures both for filling a vacancy in the office of the Vice President,
as well as responding to Presidential disabilities." (once again, source Wikipedia.) Edith Wilson was effectively the President of the United States from the Fall of 1919 until March 4th, 1921 (when President Wilson's second term expired.) She did an admirable, and mostly effective job, being the acting President.
President Wilson & First Lady Edith, before the U.S. entered World War I.
It should be noted that many powerful men in the government wanted Vice President, Thomas Marshall, to become the acting President. Many of President Wilson's own cabinet members clamored for Marshall to take the helm. The most prominent was the distinguished Secretary of State, Robert Lansing.
-the distinguished Robert Lansing.
Edith Wilson was mad that Lansing was pushing for Marshall to assume the Presidency. Rocked by his treachery, she asked for his resignation. He gladly gave it to her. He was succeeded by the bumbling Bainbridge Colby. Colby served twelve lackluster months as Secretary of State, and didn't leave a trace of achievement in the office. Colby died in 1950 at the age of 80. He was the last surviving member of the Wilson cabinet. Robert Lansing passed away in 1928 in New York City. He was 64 years old.
-the bumbling Bainbridge Colby. As a young lawyer his most notable client was Mark Twain.
Secretary of State Robert Lansing wasn't the only Washington power player wanting Marshall to become President. Several congressional leaders, from both the Democratic and Republican parties, also wanted this. However, they didn't have the votes to boot Wilson out. Edith Wilson, and her trusted advisors, were able to weather the storm.
Thomas Marshall refused to try and become President. He thought it would set a dangerous precedent to become President this way. He never knew how truly incapacitated Woodrow Wilson was. In those days Vice Presidents never attended cabinet meetings, and were rarely in Washington D.C. at all. Thomas Marshall wouldn't see Woodrow Wilson with his own eyes until March 4th, 1921. The last day of Woodrow Wilson's presidency.
In my opinion, Thomas Marshall was a man of honor. Would Lyndon B. Johnson have acted in this way? Would Richard Nixon, as young as he was, acted in this way? Would "The Little Magician," Martin Van Buren, have acted in such a manner? I like Martin Van Buren, but the answer is "no." The answer is "no" for all three of these extremely ambitious men. Thomas Marshall chose the cautious path, and in my opinion, the honorable one.
Vice President Thomas Marshall. A man of honor.
Vice President Marshall would die in 1925, of a heart attack in his own bed. The man who coined the funny phrase, "What this country needs is a really good five-cent cigar," was 71 years old.
28th President Woodrow Wilson would die in 1924, in the "elegant town house" that he & Edith shared, in Washington D.C. His death was a result of another stroke and heart related problems. He is interred in a sarcophagus in the astonishing Washington National Cathedral.
Edith White Bolling Galt Wilson lived for another 37 years after the death of her husband, President Wilson. She penned her memoir, and it was released in 1939. She also served as director of the Woodrow Wilson Foundation. Pretty small potatoes considering that she served as director of the United States for roughly 17 months. Very few historians will argue the fact, that Edith Wilson was the acting President of the United States, between October, 1919 until March 4th, 1921. She was in fact in charge of the Presidency at that time. Amazing. In early 1961, at the age of 88, she attended the Presidential inauguration of fellow Democrat, John F. Kennedy. Three days after Christmas, in 1961, she would die of congestive heart failure. Edith Wilson was 89 years old. She was buried next to her husband in the Washington National Cathedral.