Second Ladies and Gentlemen of the United States

The Second Gentleman of the United States is the husband of the Vice President of the United States. The Second Lady of the United States would be the wife of the Vice President. The name took shape as late-20th-century and early-21st-century vice presidential wives took on public policy roles that attracted a great deal of media attention. Tipper Gore, wife of Vice President Al Gore of Tennessee, was active in several campaigns to remove indecent material from popular American entertainment like movies, television shows and music, starting when her husband was a senator.
The current Second Gentleman is Douglas Emhoff.[1]
At this date, there are six living current or former Vice Presidents' wives or husbands:
- Marilyn Quayle, wife of Dan Quayle.
- Tipper Gore, wife of Al Gore.
- Lynne Cheney, wife of Dick Cheney.
- Jill Biden, wife of Joe Biden
- Karen Pence, wife of Mike Pence
- Douglas Emhoff, husband of Kamala Harris
List of spouses of the Vice Presidents[change | change source]
18th century[change | change source]

- Abigail Smith Adams, wife of John Adams (1789-1797)
- Vacant: Thomas Jefferson (1797-1801) was a widower
19th century[change | change source]

- Vacant: Aaron Burr (1801-1805) was a widower
- Vacant: George Clinton (1805-1813) was a widower
- Ann Thompson Gerry, wife of Elbridge Gerry (1813-1814)
- Hannah Minthorne Tompkins, wife of Daniel D. Tompkins (1817-1825)
- Floride Bonneau Colhoun Calhoun, wife of John C. Calhoun (1825-1832)
- Vacant: Martin Van Buren (1833-1837) was a widower (his daughter-in-law Angelica Van Buren would serve as his First Lady)
- Vacant: Richard Mentor Johnson (1837-1841) was unmarried, yet some considered Julia Chinn to be his common law wife with whom he had two children.
- Letitia Christian Tyler, wife of John Tyler (1841)
- Sophia Nicklin Dallas, wife of George M. Dallas (1845-1849)
- Abigail Powers Fillmore, wife of Millard Fillmore
- Vacant: William R. King (1853) was unmarried
- Mary Cyrene Burch Breckinridge, wife of John C. Breckinridge
- Ellen Vesta Emery Hamlin, wife of Hannibal Hamlin
- Eliza McCardle Johnson, wife of Andrew Johnson
- Ellen Maria Wade Colfax, wife of Schuyler Colfax
- Vacant: Henry Wilson (1873-1875) was a widower
- Vacant: William A. Wheeler (1877-1881) was a widower
- Vacant: Chester A. Arthur (1881) was a widower
- Eliza Morgan Hendricks, wife of Thomas A. Hendricks
- Anna Livingston Reade Street Morton, wife of Levi P. Morton
- Letitia Green Stevenson, wife of Adlai E. Stevenson
- Jennie Tuttle Hobart, wife of Garret Hobart
- Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt, wife of Theodore Roosevelt
20th century[change | change source]
- Cornelia Cole Fairbanks, wife of Charles W. Fairbanks
- Carrie Babcock Sherman, wife of James S. Sherman
- Lois Irene Kimsey Marshall, wife of Thomas R. Marshall
- Grace Goodhue Coolidge, wife of Calvin Coolidge
- Caro Dana Blymyer Dawes, wife of Charles G. Dawes
- Vacant: Charles Curtis (1929-1933) was a widower
- Mariette Rheiner Garner, wife of John Nance Garner
- Ilo Browne Wallace, wife of Henry A. Wallace
- Elizabeth Virginia Wallace Truman, wife of Harry S. Truman
- Elizabeth Jane Rucker Hadley Barkley, wife of Alben W. Barkley
- Thelma Catherine Ryan "Pat" Nixon, wife of Richard Nixon
- Claudia Alta Taylor "Lady Bird" Johnson, wife of Lyndon Johnson
- Muriel Faye Buck Humphrey, wife of Hubert Humphrey
- Elinor Isabel Judefind Agnew, wife of Spiro Agnew
- Elizabeth Ann Bloomer Warren Ford, wife of Gerald Ford
- Margaretta Large Fitler Murphy Rockefeller, wife of Nelson Rockefeller
- Joan Adams Mondale, wife of Walter Mondale
- Barbara Pierce Bush, wife of George H. W. Bush
- Marilyn Tucker Quayle, wife of Dan Quayle
- Mary Elizabeth "Tipper" Aitcheson Gore, wife of Al Gore, Jr.
21st century[change | change source]
- Lynne Ann Vincent Cheney, wife of Dick Cheney
- Jill Tracy Jacobs Biden, wife of Joe Biden
- Karen Batten Pence wife of Mike Pence
- Douglas Emhoff (Second Gentleman), husband of Kamala Harris
Living former Second Ladies[change | change source]
As of January 2021, there are five living former Second Ladies.
Marilyn Quayle
served 1989–93
born 1949 (age 72)
wife of Dan QuayleTipper Gore
served 1993–2001
born 1948 (age 73)
wife of Al GoreLynne Cheney
served 2001–09
born 1941 (age 80)
wife of Dick CheneyJill Biden
served 2009–17
born 1951 (age 71)
wife of Joe BidenKaren Pence
served 2017–21
born 1957 (age 65)
wife of Mike Pence
References[change | change source]
- ↑ "Kamala Harris' husband will be the second gentleman. She'll still call him 'honey'". TODAY.com. Retrieved 2020-12-05.