The second spouse's visibility in the public sphere is a recent development. Although the role of the
first lady as
White House hostess dates from the beginning of the republic (and was typically filled by another member of the president's family if the president was unmarried or a widower), it was not until the late 20th and early 21st century that vice-presidential wives took on visible public roles. One exception was
Floride Calhoun, wife of Vice President
John C. Calhoun, who was a central figure in the
Petticoat Affair, a social-political scandal involving the social ostracism of Secretary of War
John H. Eaton and his wife
Margaret O'Neill Eaton. , with Vice President
Richard Nixon, led a delegation to
Ghana in 1957. One historian wrote that Pat Nixon "helped to define this nebulous role for an entire generation of women who would succeed her". In 1978,
Muriel Humphrey, wife of Vice President
Hubert Humphrey, became the only former second lady to hold public office; after her husband, who had returned to the
U.S. Senate after his term as vice president, died in office, she was appointed by
Minnesota governor Rudy Perpich to continue her husband's term. There have been 17 periods of vacancy in the role, the longest of which continued for 16 years between the service of vice presidential spouses
Abigail Adams and
Ann Gerry when there were three widower vice presidents and a one-year vacancy in the vice presidency. The most recent second lady vacancy was for 132 days in 1974, between the service of
Betty Ford and
Happy Rockefeller, when the vice presidency was also vacant.
Role in practice The role of the second lady or gentleman is unpaid and not formally defined. The wife of the vice president of the United States was traditionally expected to serve as a hostess and appear at society functions.
Jennie Tuttle Hobart, wife of Vice President
Garret Hobart (1897–1899) is often said to be the first woman to style herself as "Second Lady". Gann had waged a public "battle of precedence" against
Alice Roosevelt Longworth, the wife of former
speaker of the House Nicholas Longworth. (right), the first second gentleman of the United States, standing next to his wife,
Kamala Harris (left), the first female American vice president, during her inauguration on January 20, 2021. Over time, the spouse of the vice president started to become more visible as the
Office of the Vice President itself gained power and influence, and assumed additional responsibilities. Presidential historian
Gil Troy noted that during the
Kennedy administration, one of Second Lady
Lady Bird Johnson's roles was to replace First Lady
Jacqueline Kennedy when she withdrew from public appearances, often at the last minute; Johnson replaced Kennedy on more than 50 occasions.
Pat Nixon, wife of Vice President
Richard Nixon, was the first second spouse to add a great deal of substance to the role of the vice president's wife. When Nixon assumed the position in 1953, the role's only official function was to preside over the once-annual Senate Ladies Luncheon. Instead, Nixon launched her own initiatives, sensing great opportunities that her role provided. She established a schedule separate from that of her husband, which often consisted of solo activities. As second lady, Nixon traveled more than 125,000 miles around the world to six continents, including a two-month, 42,000-mile journey through Asia in 1953.
Jill Biden, wife of President
Joe Biden, worked as an English professor at
Northern Virginia Community College, and is thought to be the first second lady to hold a paying job while her husband was vice president. She has been involved in various causes, including breast cancer awareness and literacy.
Douglas Emhoff, husband of Vice President
Kamala Harris, became the first second gentleman of the United States when his wife became the first female vice president in 2021. He is also the first
Jewish person to assume this ceremonial role. Emhoff is a law professor at
Georgetown University Law Center. His priorities in office were advocating for
food security across the United States, fighting
antisemitism on the international stage, addressing
climate change, as well as pushing for equal access to justice. He traveled to several countries representing the United States, including France, Germany, Poland, Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Thailand, Ghana, Tanzania, and Zambia among others, having met with heads of state and attended inaugurations and
state dinners. In 2025
Usha Vance became the first Asian American, Telugu American, and
Hindu American second lady when her husband
JD Vance became vice president. == Current living second ladies and gentlemen ==