FLARE Members in the Newsview all news

Art Chadwick Featured on Richmond News
03/23/2026

Art Chadwick Featured on Richmond News


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Stewart McLaurin Contributes Essay on James Monroe
03/18/2026

Stewart McLaurin Contributes Essay on James Monroe

Read the latest In Pursuit Essay


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Catherine Allgor Contributes to In Pursuit
03/12/2026

Catherine Allgor Contributes to In Pursuit

Catherine Allgor, FLARE Inaugural Lifetime Member and 2023 recipient of the Gould Award, authored the essay on Dolley Madison for In Pursuit.


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FLARE Announcements all announcements

In case you missed it: A Visit to Montpelier - The Home of Dolley and James Madison
03/25/2026

In case you missed it: A Visit to Montpelier - The Home of Dolley and James Madison

Watch the virtual program on our YouTube Channel


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Conference Registration is Open!
03/18/2026

Conference Registration is Open!

Join us on May 15th at American University in Washington, D.C.


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FLARE Offers New Grant for Archives
03/12/2026

FLARE Offers New Grant for Archives


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American FLOTUS Podcasts View All Podcasts

Flare Podcasts

New podcast episode released March 26

On this episode of American FLOTUS, guests Colleen Shogan, 11th Archivist of the United States and CEO of In Pursuit, and Anita McBride, Director of the First Ladies Initiative at American University and Co-Chair of In Pursuit, discuss this new civic education project launched by the organization More Perfect. Drawing lessons from the unique perspective of our nation's presidents and many first ladies, the authors of the In Pursuit essays provide great examples of our leaders' successes and failures, civic excellence, strong character, and ethical leadership. And the authors themselves are leaders in their fields, including former presidents and first ladies, acclaimed historians, and many others. Join us on this episode to learn more about this important and exciting project that honors America's 250th birthday.

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Read the transcript

Melania Trump offers condolences for lost 'heroes' at UN Security Council
When Lady Bird Johnson asked the South to join the future
When Eleanor Roosevelt came to campus, she championed peace
Martha Washington Was a ‘Real Person’
View All First Ladies in the News
Our Mission

The mission of FLARE is to create and sustain a network to promote and publicize research and education relevant to the contributions, lives, impacts, and lasting legacies of U.S. First Ladies.

Our Vision

FLARE will be the primary association to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration and outreach among scholars, teachers, institutions, first ladies' staff, biographers, archivists, journalists, historians, and the general public interested in research and education about the lasting legacy of U.S. First Ladies. 

 

FLARE Focus more information

FLARE Focus on Betty Ford’s Dance with Vulnerability and Leadership

Jamey Grisham

Mrs. Ford in the Cabinet Room of the White House

“Betty Bloomer Ford’s vivid performance as our most candid first lady has made her memorable,” observes first daughter Margaret Truman.[1] Although much scholarship centers on Ford’s advocacy for breast cancer awareness and substance abuse, comparatively little has probed the influence of her early years as a professional dancer. Before her White House tenure, Ford trained rigorously in modern dance—a discipline that deeply informed her lifelong commitment to authenticity and empathy.
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Upcoming Events view all events

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Sat
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April 25, 2026

National First Ladies Day

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27
2026
April 27, 2026

Nominations Open for Gould Award

First Ladies Birthdays view all events

Wed
8
2026
April 8, 2026

Elizabeth “Betty” Bloomer Ford

April 8, 1918

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19
2026
April 19, 2026

Lucretia Rudolph Garfield

April 19, 1832

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26
2026
April 26, 2026

Melania Knavs Trump

April 26, 1970

* indicates Inaugural Lifetime Individual Member

*Kristin Ahlberg

*Catherine Allgor

Sara W. Armstrong

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Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Museum

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Andra Gillespie

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