Complete Story
05/20/2021
Myra G. Gutin, Ph.D.
FLARE Immediate Past President,
Myra G. Gutin (Ph.D. University of Michigan) is Professor Emerita in the Department of Communication, Journalism and Media at Rider University. Myra has had a life-long interest in American first ladies and was privileged to attend the first national first ladies conference convened by Betty Ford in 1984.
She is the author of The President's Partner: The First Lady in the Twentieth Century and Barbara Bush: Presidential Matriarch. She contributed to Report to the First Lady, a compendium of articles about the history and function of the Office of the First Lady that was presented to former first lady Laura Bush.
A frequent media commentator, she has written book chapters, journal articles, op. ed. pieces and over the years and has made numerous presentations at national and regional communication conferences. Myra served as a special consultant to the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling first ladies exhibit during its sojourn at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, spoke about former first lady Barbara Bush as part of C-SPAN’s American First Ladies series and spoke about first ladies at the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia during the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Myra has taught the courses “The American First Lady in the 20th and 21st Centuries,” “Political Communication,” “Campaign Persuasion” and “The Making of the President.”
FLARE is the culmination of years of hoping and planning for the evolution of a national organization that would pull together research and education efforts about first ladies. Myra is honored to serve as President of the organization.
