1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:02,800 Speaker 1: Ugh, here we go. As we get ready to elect 2 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:05,480 Speaker 1: a president again in twenty twenty four, we got to 3 00:00:05,519 --> 00:00:08,119 Speaker 1: come to terms with the fact that we have never 4 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:12,000 Speaker 1: had a female president, or have we. Well, it seems 5 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:15,640 Speaker 1: we had a woman secretly acting as president before women 6 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: even had the right to vote, and she was embroiled 7 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:20,800 Speaker 1: in a scandal too while at the White House. I'm 8 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:28,640 Speaker 1: Patty Steele, the secret President. Next on the backstory. We're 9 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 1: back with the backstory. All right. Here we are twenty 10 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:35,920 Speaker 1: twenty four, an election year, and amazingly, the United States 11 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:38,920 Speaker 1: has never had a president who was a woman. In 12 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:41,279 Speaker 1: the past eighty years, there have been more than one 13 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty five women who were presidents or prime 14 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 1: ministers around the world, in countries like India, England, Ireland, Israel, France, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Taiwan, Ethiopia, 15 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 1: and so many more, but again none in the US. Now, 16 00:00:57,040 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 1: the thing is, we never allowed women to even vote, 17 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,920 Speaker 1: much less run for office for almost our first one 18 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty years. New Zealand gave women the right 19 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 1: to cast their votes in eighteen ninety three. Australia soon followed, 20 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 1: as did Finland, Norway and Denmark. Most of Europe and 21 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 1: Asia followed after that, but the US didn't send women 22 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 1: to the polls until nineteen twenty. But there was one woman, 23 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 1: Edith Galt Wilson, who wasn't even able to vote for 24 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:29,680 Speaker 1: her future husband when he was elected president in nineteen twelve, 25 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:33,399 Speaker 1: but she became one of the most powerful first ladies ever, 26 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 1: the acting president at the end of her husband's second term, 27 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 1: despite the fact their relationship was at first considered sort 28 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:47,480 Speaker 1: of scandalous. Woodrow Wilson was a total academic. He had 29 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 1: a PhD in history and another one in political science 30 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:55,600 Speaker 1: from Johns Hopkins University. Then he taught at several colleges, 31 00:01:55,960 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 1: and finally he became president of Princeton University. For thirty years. 32 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 1: He was married to his first wife, Ellen, but just 33 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 1: a year after he was elected president in nineteen twelve, 34 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 1: Ellen died along comes Edith Gault, a recent widow as well, 35 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 1: and President Wilson was smitten immediately. She was brilliant, beautiful, 36 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 1: and sixteen years younger. He proposed right after meeting her, saying, 37 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 1: in this place, time is not measured by weeks or 38 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:31,360 Speaker 1: months or years, but by deep human experiences. Wow, is 39 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 1: that of sales pitch or what I think I'd marry 40 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 1: him too. But anyway, the public not so smitten with 41 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:41,520 Speaker 1: the love affair. Some gossips said President Wilson had cheated 42 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 1: on his first wife with Edith, and it got worse 43 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 1: than that. Some folks claimed that Wilson and Edith had 44 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 1: murdered his first first lady. It so disturbed him Wilson 45 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: was on the verge of breaking the engagement to Edith 46 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:59,640 Speaker 1: to save his presidency and his reputation, but Edith stayed calm. 47 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: She insisted on just postponing the wedding until the end 48 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 1: of Wilson's first official year of mourning over Ellen's death. 49 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 1: They finally married on December eighteenth, nineteen fifteen. Edith was 50 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 1: a pretty quick study, and she was a terrific First 51 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 1: Lady during World War One. To set an example, she 52 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 1: instituted rationing at the White House, including gasless Sundays, neatless Mondays, 53 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: and wheatless Wednesdays. She brought in sheep to graze on 54 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:31,880 Speaker 1: the White House lawn rather than use men to mow 55 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 1: it with machines, and then she had the sheep's wool 56 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 1: auctioned off to benefit the Red Cross. She also became 57 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:42,200 Speaker 1: the first first lady to visit Europe while her husband 58 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: was in office, visiting troops with him in nineteen eighteen 59 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 1: and nineteen nineteen during World War One, and also being 60 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 1: on hand when he was there to sign the Treaty 61 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 1: of Versailles. But late in nineteen nineteen, the year before 62 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 1: women finally got the right to vote in the US, 63 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 1: Woodrow Wilson had a severe stroke. It left him bedridden 64 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:06,960 Speaker 1: and partially paralyzed. In order to keep his condition from 65 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,839 Speaker 1: the public, even his vice president and his cabinet were 66 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:13,120 Speaker 1: kind of kept out of the loop with regards to 67 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 1: how sick he was. At first, Edith acted as a 68 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 1: sort of gatekeeper to the president, dealing with major decisions, documents, 69 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 1: and meetings without bothering him. She went over all his 70 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:27,640 Speaker 1: paperwork and correspondence, and she only ran things by him 71 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:30,680 Speaker 1: when he sort of was able to go over things 72 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:34,360 Speaker 1: and also was feeling a little bit better. Cabinet members 73 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 1: had to go through Edith to get info to the president, 74 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 1: and insiders called her the Presidentress or the secret President. 75 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:46,560 Speaker 1: She was making major policy decisions, plus consulting with doctors 76 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:51,039 Speaker 1: and advisors, all while maintaining the image the president, Wilson 77 00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:54,159 Speaker 1: was still fully in charge, a heck of a lot easier, 78 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:57,000 Speaker 1: I guess in the days before TV or even much radio, 79 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 1: and she maintained the role and the secret for the 80 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 1: rest of his presidency until early nineteen twenty one. Edith 81 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 1: did have her critics, folks who suspected she was overstepping 82 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:11,640 Speaker 1: her bounds and taking on a role she didn't have 83 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:15,440 Speaker 1: the constitutional authority to take on. And once again, she 84 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 1: was a woman. She couldn't even vote, much less run 85 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:21,719 Speaker 1: for office, much less be the president. Now on the 86 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 1: other side, supporters said whatever she was doing she did 87 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 1: out of loyalty to her husband and the nation during 88 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:32,080 Speaker 1: a vulnerable post World War One time, in a time 89 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:35,480 Speaker 1: when women didn't have much of a public voice, Edith 90 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:39,479 Speaker 1: Gault Wilson made hers heard loud and clear, and what 91 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 1: she did altered the course of American history. If you 92 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 1: have any stories you would like me to take a 93 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:55,479 Speaker 1: deep dive into and share, please feel free to direct 94 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:59,400 Speaker 1: message me on Facebook at Patty Steele or on Instagram 95 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 1: at real Payatty Steele. I'm Patty Steele. The Backstories a 96 00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:08,840 Speaker 1: production of iHeartMedia Premiere Networks. The Elvis Durand Group and 97 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:12,799 Speaker 1: Steel Trap Productions. Our producer is Doug Fraser. Our writer 98 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:16,640 Speaker 1: Jake Kushner. We have new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. 99 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 1: Feel free to reach out to me with comments and 100 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:23,280 Speaker 1: even story suggestions on Instagram at Real Patty Steele and 101 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 1: on Facebook at Patty Steele. Thanks for listening to the 102 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 1: Backstory with Patty Steele, the pieces of history you didn't 103 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:31,280 Speaker 1: know you needed to know.