Role in practice

The role of the second lady is unpaid and not formally defined.^[2] The wife of the vice president of the United States was traditionally expected to serve as a hostess and appear at society functions.^[3][4] Jennie Tuttle Hobart, wife of Vice President Garret Hobart (1897–1899) is often cited as the first woman to style herself as "Second Lady".^[5][4] Hobart took over the hostess duties on behalf of First Lady Ida Saxton McKinley, who had chronic health issues including epilepsy.^[4] Starting in 1917, the wife of the vice president took on the unofficial role of convener of the Red Cross Senate Wives, presiding over their lunches; the organization later became known as the Senate Spouses Club.^[4] The question of the second lady's status became a topic of debate in 1929 when Dolly Curtis Gann, the sister of Vice President Charles Curtis (1929–1933), assumed the role of hostess on his behalf, since he was widowed.^[6] Gann had waged a public "battle of precedence" against Alice Roosevelt Longworth, the wife of the late speaker of the House.^[7]

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.^[4] In 2010, Marie Claire magazine described the role of second ladies as being "relegated to roast-chicken charity dinners and sit-and-smile political functions. They cherry-pick a cause or two...and pretty much stay out of the way."^[8] 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.^[9]

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.^[10] 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.^[10] As she undertook missions of goodwill across the world, she insisted on visiting schools, orphanages, hospitals and village markets rather than attend tea or coffee functions. In this sense, Nixon essentially created the modern role of the second lady; historian Kate Andersen Brower wrote, "she helped to define this nebulous role for an entire generation of women who would succeed her."^[10] Historian Cormac O'Brien says that Pat Nixon "may have well been the most extraordinary second lady in American history" because of her role in accompanying Vice President Richard Nixon on a tour of the world as a goodwill ambassador.^[3] She also traveled independently of the vice president and attended events, including campaign tours, on her own.^[6][4] According to O'Brien, Second Lady Nixon proved popular "as a paragon of graciousness, composure, and elegance", and made a conscious effort to travel to locations where local women were banned, to spread a subtle message for equal rights.^[3]

During the Reagan administration, Second Lady Barbara Bush hosted more than one thousand events and traveled over 1.5 million miles at home and abroad over eight years, and championed literacy, a cause she continued to support when she later became First Lady.^[3]

Tipper Gore, former wife of Vice President Al Gore, was active in several campaigns to remove material she found objectionable from popular American entertainment like movies, television shows and music, starting when her husband was a senator. She challenged performers over their use of profane lyrics and often debated with her critics, such as Dead Kennedys singer Jello Biafra. Lynne Cheney, wife of Vice President Dick Cheney, championed education reform, citing specific failures of the American public education system during her tenure as second lady. She is a particularly outspoken supporter of American history education, having written five bestselling books on this topic for children and their families.^[11] 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.^[8][12] 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 was elected the first female vice president. He is the first attorney,^{[citation needed]} the first Jewish person, and the first husband to assume this ceremonial role.^[13] Emhoff is a law professor at Georgetown University Law Center;^[14] he is thought to be the second person in American history to maintain a paid position while married to a serving vice president.^{[citation needed]} His top priority in office has been to advocate for food security across the United States, fight antisemitism on the international stage, address climate change, and push for equal access to justice. He has 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.^{[citation needed]}