Frances Cleveland

Frances Clara Cleveland Preston (, christened Frank Clara; July 21, 1864 – October 29, 1947) was the first lady of the United States from 1886 to 1889 and again from 1893 until 1897, as the wife of President Grover Cleveland. She was the first to hold the position nonconsecutively. Having married Cleveland at age 21, she was the youngest first lady in American history.

When Folsom was an infant, she first met Grover Cleveland. Her father, Oscar Folsom, was a close friend to Cleveland. When her father died in 1875, Cleveland became the executor of the estate, paid off the family's outstanding debts, and provided for the well-being of Frances and her mother, Emma. After graduating from Wells College, she married Grover Cleveland during his first presidential term. When he lost reelection in 1888, the Clevelands went into private life for four years and began having children. After Grover Cleveland was elected president again in 1892, Frances dedicated much of her time in the second term to her children.

The Clevelands had five children, four of whom survived to adulthood. Cleveland became involved in education advocacy, serving on the Wells College board, supporting women's education, and organizing the construction of kindergartens. Grover Cleveland died in 1908, and in 1913, Frances married Thomas J. Preston Jr.. She continued to work in education activism after leaving the White House, becoming involved with Princeton University. During World War I, she advocated military preparedness. She died in 1947 and was buried alongside her first husband in Princeton Cemetery.

Early life

Childhood

Born in Buffalo, New York, on July 21, 1864, Her father was a lawyer who had a law partnership with Grover Cleveland. her father's gambling habits and his penchant for helping others with his money caused them financial trouble as she grew. When not in school, she regularly spent time with Cleveland,

Folsom's father died in a carriage accident on July 23, 1875.

Wells College When Folsom was 14, she joined the Presbyterian Church, to which she remained devoted throughout her life. Folsom received two more marriage proposals at Wells, both on the same day. She accepted one of them, but this engagement was also ended by a decision to remain friends. He visited her, sent her flowers, and brought her on tours of New York when her schedule permitted. Cleveland proposed marriage by letter in August 1885, while Folsom was visiting a friend in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Rumors grew after reporters caught up with the Folsoms and found them shopping for a wedding gown. Cleveland visited Folsom in New York while he was in the city attending a Decoration Day parade on May 30, 1886,

Cleveland was credited with an increase in the president's sociability after their marriage. The president set aside time in his busy schedule to be with his wife, attending the theater and going on carriage rides.

The Clevelands left the White House, sold the Red Top house, and moved to Madison Avenue in New York. She holds the record as the first lady with the longest post-presidency. She was buried in Princeton Cemetery next to President Cleveland.

Legacy

Cleveland was much-loved as first lady, drawing an unprecedented level of media and public attention. Contemporaries ranked her among the greatest of first ladies. The most recent survey (conducted in 2020) ranked her 26th of 40.

Fashion and image Much of Cleveland's fame and media coverage focused on her appearance and her fashion, and her fashion choices were widely imitated by women throughout the United States. These included her hairstyle, a low knot over a shaved nape, which became known as the à la Cleveland. Her fashion choices and purchases influenced the behavior of consumers, and products she reportedly used enjoyed an increase in popularity. An article published by the Atlanta Constitution falsely stated that she no longer purchased bustles, causing a decline in their popularity. The Woman's Christian Temperance Union wrote to her requesting that she dress more modestly, fearing that she was setting a poor example. She declined to do so.

Cleveland's immense popularity led to the extensive use of her image in advertising, and many products falsely claimed to have her endorsement. It became such a problem that a bill was introduced to Congress that would establish personality rights for women and criminalize the unauthorized use of a person's image, but the bill did not pass. Cleveland updated her fashion choices during her husband's second term. Reflecting the trends of the Gay Nineties, she wore tight gowns, feather boas, and picture hats. News articles on her activities continued to reference her sense of fashion in her old age.

Politics

Although she was personally interested in politics, Cleveland did not publicly support political causes while serving as first lady. One exception to her avoidance of politics was her interest in the political situation of the Republic of Hawaii, where she endorsed the restoration of monarchy with Princess Ka'iulani's claim to the throne as the heir apparent. She also supported the temperance movement, personally abstaining from alcohol and donating to the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, but she was unwilling to impose these beliefs on others and continued to serve wine at White House receptions.

She worked with charity groups, including the Needlework Guild, which made clothes for the poor, and the Christmas Club and the Colored Christmas Club, which gave gifts to children during the holiday season. Cleveland's activism focused heavily on the arts, and she was a supporter of international copyright protections, attending a convention on the subject while first lady in 1888. She also provided charitable support, sponsoring many aspiring musicians.

Cleveland supported women's education and believed it to be an important step in gender equality. She did not support women's suffrage, and she avoided commenting on the controversial issue during her tenure as first lady. Like many female anti-suffragists of her generation, she felt that politics was an unfortunate duty to be avoided and that it risked women's control of the domestic sphere. Despite this, she chose to vote in elections after the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment.