Atleast two First Ladies, Bess Truman and Lady Bird Johnson, made ittheir business to send signals during their husbands' speeches. WhenLady Bird Johnson thought her husband was talking too long, she wrotea note and sent it up to the platform. It read, “It's time tostop!” And he did. Once Bess Truman didn't like what her husbandwas saying on television, so she phoned him and said,” If you can'ttalk more politely than that in public, you come right home.”

 AbigailFillmore and Eliza Johnson actually taught their husbands, MillardFillmore and Andrew Johnson, the thirteenth and seventeenthPresidents. A schoolteacher, Abigail eventually married her pupil,Millard. When Eliza Johnson married Andrew, he could not read orwrite, so she taught him herself.

 Itwas First Lady Helen Taft's idea to plant the famous cherry trees inWashington, D. C. Each spring these blossoming trees attractthousands of visitors to the nation's capital. Mrs. Taft alsoinfluenced the male members of her family and the White House staffin a strange way: she convinced them to shave off their beards!

Shortlyafter President Wilson suffered a stroke, Edith Wilson unofficiallytook over most of the duties of the Presidency until the end of herhusband's term. Earlier, during World War I, Mrs. Wilson had hadsheep brought onto the White House lawn to eat the grass. The sheepnot only kept the lawn mowed but provided wool for an auctionsponsored by the First Lady. Almost $100,000 was raised for the RedCross. 

DollyMadison saw to it that a magnificent painting of George Washingtonwas not destroyed during the War of 1812. As the British marchedtoward Washington, D. C., she remained behind to rescue the painting,even after the guards had left. The painting is the only object fromthe original White House that was not burned. 

 Oneof the most famous First Ladies was Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife ofPresident Franklin D. Roosevelt. She was active in political andsocial causes throughout her husband's tenure in office. After hisdeath, she became famous for her humanitarian work in the UnitedNations. She made life better for thousands of needy people aroundthe world.