Lucy Ware Webb Hayes
Born: August 28, 1831 at Chillicothe, Ohio
Died: June 25, 1889 (aged 57) at Fremont, Ohio
Spouse: Rutherford Hayes (m. 1852 – 1889)
Children: Sardis Birchard Hayes, James Webb Cook Hayes, Rutherford Platt Hayes, Joseph Thompson Hayes, George Crook Hayes, Frances “”Fanny”” Hayes-Smith, Scott Russell Hayes, Manning Force Hayes
Offices held:
First Lady of the United States (1877 – 1881)
Facts about Lucy Ware Webb Hayes
She was the first First Lady to have graduated college. As first lady, Lucy Hayes was widely heralded for her simplicity and good sense, shunning the fancy lifestyle favored by her predecessor, Julia Grant.
Lucy Hayes was a very popular First Lady. Women copied her hairstyle and clothing. She earned the nickname “”Lemonade Lucy”” because she refused to serve alcohol in the White House. Therefore, Hayes administration became known as “”the cold water regime.”” Lucy Hayes was also marked by an unusually strong respect for animals, especially birds.
Before the American Civil War, Lucy Hayes supported the abolition and women’s rights movements. Hayes’s sister-in-law inspired her to play an active role in both movements.
Lucy Ware Webb Hayes Childhood
Born in Chillicothe, Ohio, the daughter of James Webb, a doctor, and Maria Cook-Webb, Lucy was descended from seven veterans of the American Revolution. Her father died when she was a child. After his death, she, her mother and the other children freed the family slaves and continued to give them assistance and show an interest in their welfare. With her mother, she moved to Delaware, Ohio where in 1847 she met Rutherford B. Hayes.
Later that year, she enrolled at Wesleyan Womens College, class of 1850 (which later merged with Ohio Wesleyan University), from which she graduated with first honors; she was the first first lady to have graduated from college and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. Hayes was by this time practicing law in Cincinnati, and the two began dating seriously. He proposed in June 1851.
Where is Lucy Ware Webb Hayes buried?
She was interred in the Fremont City Cemetery as was her husband. Many years later they were transferred to the grounds of “”Spiegel Grove”” which today is the library of President Rutherford Hayes and a popular tourist destination.
How did Lucy Ware Webb Hayes die?
She died of a stroke on June 25, 1889.