FLARE Members in the Newsview all news

Julia Dent Grant Embraced Change
04/22/2026

Julia Dent Grant Embraced Change

The Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site commemorates the former first lady’s bicentennial with a yearlong series of events and an exhibit that tells her story.


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Christopher Leahy Contributes 'In Pursuit' Essay on John Tyler
04/21/2026

Christopher Leahy Contributes 'In Pursuit' Essay on John Tyler

Ambiguity demands decisive leadership


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‘A Speech of Self-Defense’
04/13/2026

‘A Speech of Self-Defense’

Tammy Vigil comments on Melania Trump's recent speech


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National First Ladies Day - April 25
04/23/2026

National First Ladies Day - April 25

Join FLARE in celebrating National First Ladies Day on April 25 to recognize the contributions of U.S. first ladies and to engage in community service activities to honor all they did for the country.


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FLARE Virtual Program: Jackie Kennedy & Brooklyn's Design Works
04/13/2026

FLARE Virtual Program: Jackie Kennedy & Brooklyn's Design Works

Join us April 27

Phyllis Ross will explore a little-known chapter in Jackie Kennedy’s post–White House life: her involvement in launching The Design Works of Bedford-Stuyvesant.


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Conference Registration is Open!
03/31/2026

Conference Registration is Open!

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


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American FLOTUS Podcasts View All Podcasts

Flare Podcasts

New podcast episode released April 23

From White Haven to the White House: The 200 Year Legacy of First Lady Julia Grant

On this episode of American FLOTUS Robert Lippert and Nick Sacco from the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site join host Alan Lowe to discuss the remarkable life and legacy of Julia Grant in the year we celebrate her 200th birthday.  From her youth in Missouri and meeting a young Ulysses Grant, to the horrors of the Civil War and her eight historic years as First Lady, Sacco and Lippert paint a picture of a woman who left her mark on Washington and our nation.

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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

 April 2026 
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Sat
25
2026
April 25, 2026

National First Ladies Day

Mon
27
2026
April 27, 2026

Nominations Open for Gould Award

Mon
27
2026
April 27, 2026
7:00PM - 8:00PM EDT

FLARE Virtual Program: Jackie Kennedy & Brooklyn's Design Works

FLARE YouTube Channel

First Ladies Birthdays view all events

Wed
8
2026
April 8, 2026

Elizabeth “Betty” Bloomer Ford

April 8, 1918

Sun
19
2026
April 19, 2026

Lucretia Rudolph Garfield

April 19, 1832

Sun
26
2026
April 26, 2026

Melania Knavs Trump

April 26, 1970

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