Ingram, John Dwight

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The First  First Gentleman :  The Role of President Jane Doe\u27s Husband

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Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the LawVolume 7 | Issue 3 Article 51999The First "First Gentleman": The Role of PresidentJane Doe's HusbandJohn Dwight IngramFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/jgsplPart of the Politics Commons, and the Women CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Washington College of Law Journals & Law Reviews at Digital Commons @ AmericanUniversity Washington College of Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law by an authorized administratorof Digital Commons @ American University Washington College of Law. For more information, please contact fbrown@wcl.american.edu.Recommended CitationIngram, John Dwight. “The First "First Gentleman": The Role of President Jane Doe's Husband.” The American University Journal ofGender, Social Policy & the Law 7, no.3 (1999): 523-542.523THE FIRST “FIRST GENTLEMAN”:  THEROLE OF PRESIDENT JANE DOE’SHUSBANDJOHN DWIGHT INGRAM*I.  INTRODUCTION............................................................................ 524II.  FROM WHENCE COMETH PRESIDENTS?........................................ 525A.  Sources in the Past..................................................................... 525B.  Women in Such Positions............................................................ 5261.  Congress ................................................................................ 5262.  Governors .............................................................................. 5293.  Others ................................................................................... 530III.  THE ROLE OF THE “FIRST GENTLEMAN” ..................................... 532A.  Hostess and White House Manager ............................................. 532B.  Campaign and Other Public Appearances .................................... 533C.  Major Project and Champion of Causes ....................................... 533D.  Homebody, Wife and Mother....................................................... 534E.  Adviser/Political Partner ............................................................ 536F.  More of a “Spur” than a Partner.................................................. 536G.  Foreign Relations....................................................................... 537H.  A Continuing Career for the President’s Spouse............................. 538IV.  THE EXAMPLES OF FOREIGN “FIRST GENTLEMEN” ...................... 538V.  HUSBANDS OF POSSIBLE FEMALE PRESIDENTS .............................. 539VI.  WHAT ROLE SHOULD A FIRST GENTLEMAN PLAY?....................... 540                                                                *Professor of Law, John Marshall Law School; A.B., Harvard University 1950; J.D., John MarshallLaw School 1966.  The valuable contributions of my very capable Research Assistants, JenniferStewart, Lisa Santos, Jennifer LaMell, Nella DiSanto and Christene Fisher are gratefullyacknowledged.1Ingram: The First "First Gentleman":  The Role of President Jane Doe's HuPublished by Digital Commons @ American University Washington College of Law, 1999524 JOURNAL OF GENDER, SOCIAL POLICY & THE LAW [Vol. 7:523I.  INTRODUCTION**It seems inevitable that sooner or later we will have a femalepresident of the United States.  A recent survey indicates that sixty-four percent of 1,000 American adults surveyed believe that a womanwill be the President within thirty years.1  Speaking at WellesleyCollege’s commencement in 1990, then-First Lady Barbara Bush said:“Who knows . . . somewhere out there in this audience may even besomeone who will one day follow in my footsteps and preside over theWhite House as the President’s spouse.”  She paused briefly beforeadding  “And I wish him well.”2  This article first explores the field ofpotential female presidents, and then discusses the role that might beplayed by “President Jane Doe’s” husband.Many people share the prediction of former First Lady Betty Fordwhen she said that the first female president will have first served asvice president.3  Presidential candidates consider many factors whenchoosing a vice presidential running mate in order to “balance theticket.”  These factors may include geography, position on issues,religion, and gender.  As more women become active in politics,4gender may become increasingly important in “balancing the ticket,”as evidenced by Geraldine Ferraro’s unsuccessful run for vicepresident in 1984.5  Since 1984, Democrats and Republicans alikehave discussed possible female candidates during their politicalconventions every four years, and there will surely be other womennominated to run for vice president in the near future.The most likely scenario for a female vice president’s succession to                                                                **I was born in 1929, while Herbert Hoover was president.  Through sources such as newspapersand magazines, radio, newsreels, and television, I have “known” every president and First Ladyfrom Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt to Bill and Hillary Clinton, as well as many other publicfigures.  There are many facts and impressions about these people which are part of mypersonal knowledge and recollection.  As to such matters, I have made no attempt to find asource that could be cited in these notes.  Where more specific information has been the basisfor a statement in the text of this article, I have cited the source.1. Michele Weldon, Americans Envision Woman President, CHI. TRIB., June 1, 1997, § 13, at3.2. EDITH P. MAYO, THE SMITHSONIAN BOOK OF THE FIRST LADIES: THEIR LIVES, TIMES ANDISSUES 268 (1996).3. CARL SZERRAZZA ANTHONY, 2 FIRST LADIES 441 (1991).4. See generally Ronald Brownstein, In California Money Can’t Buy You Love; The SurpriseIssue: Who’s a Real Democrat, U.S. NEWS & WORLD REP., May 18, 1998, at 303 (noting that themajority of females voting in California have helped women defeat men in four contestedprimaries since 1990); see also Emily MacFarquhar, The War Against Women: In Much of the World,Political and Economic “Progress” Has Been Dragging Them Backward, U.S. NEWS & WORLD REP.,Mar. 28, 1994, at 4245 (finding “in America . . . women have made great strides in politics”).5. See MICHAEL BARONE & GRANT UJIFUSA, THE ALMANAC OF AMERICAN POLITICS 1996, lii-liii (1985) (discussing the general election results of 1984 and noting Democrats WalterMondale and Geraldine Ferraro’s loss to Republicans Ronald Reagan and George Bush).2Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law, Vol. 7, Iss. 3 [1999], Art. 5http://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/jgspl/vol7/iss3/51998-1999] THE FIRST “FIRST GENTLEMAN” 525the Presidency is an automatic ascension upon the death orresignation of the President.  This ascension has happened manytimes in the last 200 years, most recently with presidents Coolidge,Truman, Johnson and Ford.  Three of those four went on to winelection to the Presidency in their own right at the next election.Also, many vice presidents have become the Presidential nominee oftheir party upon the completion of two terms by their predecessors.Recent examples are Richard Nixon and George Bush, althoughNixon was not successful until his second run in 1968.Of course, a woman can also reach the Presidency without previousservice as vice president.  While there is undoubtedly lingeringprejudice and reluctance about a female candidate for high office,6the country has seen that such feelings need not be fatal.  Forexample, John F. Kennedy became the first Roman Catholicpresident.  Further, in 1996, many people believed that GeneralColin Powell could have been the first Black president if he had beenwilling to accept the nomination of either party.7II.  FROM WHENCE COMETH PRESIDENTS?A.  Sources in the PastAs indicated above, many of our presidents first served as vicepresidents, and it is likely that this will continue to be true.  As welook toward the 2000 election, Vice President Al Gore is a leadingDemocratic candidate,8 and former Vice President Dan Quayle issometimes mentioned as a possible candidate on the Republicanside.9  Many American presidents previously served as generals in thearmy: Washington, Jackson, Harrison, Taylor, Grant andEisenhower.10  In the twentieth century, some Presidents were former                                                                6. See, e.g., Donald Baer & Mike Tharp, Snow White’s Biggest Test, U.S. NEWS & WORLD REP.,June 18, 1999, at 2021 (noting that doubts about Dianne Feinstein’s resolve in her bid for thegovernor’s office in California would not have been visited on a “male politician”).  But c.f.James Carney, Liddy the Closet Liberal, TIME, Mar. 22, 1999, at 54 (explaining that criticism ofElizabeth Dole by conservatives was directed at her alleged ideology and not her gender).7. Jessie Jackson has been a continuing candidate for the Presidency, but his goal seemsmainly to focus interest and awareness on issues of importance to him.  I would be surprised ifReverend Jackson seriously believes that he will win the nomination of the Democratic party.Powell took significant steps in preparing for a presidential campaign, including puttingfundraising and polling mechanisms in motion.  See Elizabeth Drew, The Campaign that PowellCouldn’t Run, WASH. POST, Nov. 12, 1995, at C1.8. See MICHAEL BARONE & GRANT UJIFUSA, THE ALMANAC OF AMERICAN POLITICS 1998 45(1997) (noting Al Gore as the obvious front-runner for the Democratic nomination in 2000).9. See id. at 46 (including Dan Quayle in a list of plausible Republican presidentialcandidates in 2000).10. It is interesting to note that there have been no former Admirals.3Ingram: The First "First Gentleman":  The Role of President Jane Doe's HuPublished by Digital Commons @ American University Washington College of Law, 1999

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The First First Gentleman : The Role of President Jane Doe\u27s Husband

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