Lucretia Garfield

Lucretia Garfield ( Rudolph; April 19, 1832 – March 13, 1918) was the first lady of the United States from March to September 1881, as the wife of James A. Garfield, the 20th president of the United States.

Born in Garrettsville, Ohio, Garfield first met her husband at Geauga Seminary. After a long courtship, they married in 1858. Their early years were difficult, as James was often away and became romantically involved with other women. They would eventually have seven children together, five of whom lived to adulthood. Highly educated and knowledgeable of Washington politics, Garfield was a regular adviser for her husband, and she assisted him in his front porch campaign for the presidency. She was well regarded during her brief period in the White House, but after only a few months contracted malaria and went to Long Branch, New Jersey, to recuperate.

On July 2, 1881, Garfield's husband was shot; he died from infections related to the wounds two months later, during which time his wife stayed at his bedside and received much public sympathy. Garfield returned to her former residence in Ohio after being widowed, and she spent much of the rest of her life preserving her husband's papers and other materials, establishing what was effectively the first presidential library, before her death in 1918.

Early life Lucretia "Crete" Rudolph was born in Garrettsville, Ohio, on April 19, 1832. She was the daughter of carpenter Zebulon Rudolph and Arabella Mason Rudolph, the first of four children. She was raised as a member of the Disciples of Christ. Rudolph was often in poor health as a child, suffering from respiratory issues. Spending long periods of time bedridden as a child, she developed a love for reading.

Rudolph learned household skills from her mother, such as cleaning and cooking, as was common for girls at the time. Her parents also decided to have her receive a formal education, which was less common, and she attended the town's grammar school. The strength of their relationship fluctuated over the following years, as Garfield lamented Rudolph's reserved demeanor. They did not have a honeymoon after their marriage, instead moving straight into a boarding house. Over the following months, they held a front porch campaign in which countless voters visited the Garfield home to meet the candidate. In terms of cumulative assessment, Garfield has been ranked:

30th-best of 42 in 1982 28th-best of 37 in 1993 27th-best of 40 in 2020

Portrayals Garfield has been portrayed by: Maria Cuadra (1969) The Price of Power Kathryn Erbe (2016) Murder of a President; PBS documentary American Experience Betty Gilpin (2025) Death by Lightning; Netflix miniseries