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
“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.
Upcoming Events view all events
Sat
17
2026
October 17, 2026
3:00PM - 7:30PM EDT
Edith Bolling Wilson's 154th Birthday Celebration
Wytheville, VA
Visit Wytheville to celebrate the 154th birthday of First Lady Edith Bolling Wilson with an extraordinary afternoon and evening filled with history, celebration, and the unveiling of an important new chapter in the story of Mrs. Wilson's birthplace.
First Ladies Birthdays view all events
