Edith Wilson

First Lady of the United States from 1915 to 1921

Source-basedRising

Lived 1872–1961, aged 89United States

United States PoliticiansPolitician

Fame31.8
Momentum9.4
United States rank#176
Wikipedia13.6K

Wikipedia
45 languages
Cross-language footprint
Rank in United States
#176
Politicians
Era
1872–1961
Aged 89

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People connected to Edith Wilson

SpouseWoodrow Wilson

Summary

Updated 2026-05-29

Second wife of Woodrow Wilson who became the de facto gatekeeper of the presidency after his 1919 stroke, controlling what information reached the bedridden president until 1921. She called it a "stewardship"—others might call it running the country.

Biography

About

Edith Wilson was First Lady of the United States from 1915 to 1921 as the second wife of President Woodrow Wilson. She married the widower Wilson in December 1915, during his first term as president. Edith Wilson played an influential role in President Wilson's administration following the severe stroke he suffered in October 1919. For the remainder of her husband's presidency, she managed the office of the president, a role she later described as a "stewardship", and determined which communications and matters of state were important enough to bring to the attention of the bedridden president…

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