First Ladies: More Than a Dress!
Course | Registration opens 5/14/2026 8:00 AM EDT
Since 1912, tourists have flocked to the Smithsonian Museum to see the gowns of our First Ladies. Over time, our understanding and appreciation for the roles played by First Ladies widened beyond that of fashion icons to include activism in a variety of areas, including that of hostess, policy advocate, activist, political campaigner, and promoter of the arts. This course focuses on that evolution, starting well before the term “First Lady” even gained public usage.
Carol Nechemias
Carol Nechemias is an associate professor emerita of public policy and political science at Penn State Harrisburg. She earned her undergraduate degree from Washington University (St. Louis) and her Ph.D. in political science from Ohio State University. Her areas of specialization include Russian domestic politics and gender and politics.She taught courses on women and politics in the United States for more than thirty years.