Molly Meijer Wertheimer is professor of speech communications and affiliate associate professor of women's studies at Pennsylvania State University, Hazelton.

Molly Meijer Wertheimer's Inventing A Voice is an excellent addition to the first lady research shelf. Addressing an area not usually examined by first lady historians, this ambitious book examines the rhetorical discourse of first ladies from Ida McKinley to Laura Bush. The essays are interesting and well-researched and provide perspective on the most difficult unpaid job in America.

• Chapter 1 Editor's Introduction: First Ladies' Fundamental Rhetorical Choices: When to Speak? What to Say? When to Remain Silent?Chapter 2 1 The First Lady: A Site of "American Womanhood"Chapter 3 2 Ida Saxton McKinley: Indomitable Spirit or Autocrat of the Sick BedChapter 4 3 Edith Kermit Roosevelt: First Lady, First MommyChapter 5 4 Helen Herron Taft: Opportunity and AmbitionChapter 6 5 Ellen Axson Wilson: A Rhetorical Reassessment of a Forgotten First LadyChapter 7 6 Edith Bolling Galt Wilson: Actions Speak Louder than WordsChapter 8 7 Florence Kling Harding: Bridging Traditional and Modern Rhetorical RolesChapter 9 8 Grace Goodhue Coolidge: Articulating VirtueChapter 10 9 Lou Henry Hoover: Mining the Possibilities as Leader and First LadyChapter 11 10 Eleanor Roosevelt: A Rhetorical Reconstruction of First LadydomChapter 12 11 Bess Wallace Truman: "The Boss" from IndependenceChapter 13 12 Mamie Geneva Doud Eisenhower: Reflecting the Mood of the NationChapter 14 13 Jacqueline Kennedy: The Rhetorical Construction of CamelotChapter 15 14 Lady Bird Johnson: The Making of a Public First Lady with Private InfluenceChapter 16 15 Pat Nixon: Wisdom to Know the DifferenceChapter 17 16 Betty Ford: A Certain Comfort From a Candid First LadyChapter 18 17 Rosalynn Carter: Crafting a Presidential Partnership RhetoricallyChapter 19 18 Nancy Reagan: Leading Lady, Supporting Actress, or Bit PlayerChapter 20 19 Barbara Bush: Her Rhetorical Development and AppealChapter 21 20 Hillary Rodham Clinton: Using Her Vital VoiceChapter 22 Epilogue: Laura Bush: Using the "Magic of Words" to Educate and Advocate

Molly Meijer Wertheimer is professor of speech communications and affiliate associate professor of women's studies at Pennsylvania State University, Hazelton.

Molly Meijer Wertheimer's Inventing A Voice is an excellent addition to the first lady research shelf. Addressing an area not usually examined by first lady historians, this ambitious book examines the rhetorical discourse of first ladies from Ida McKinley to Laura Bush. The essays are interesting and well-researched and provide perspective on the most difficult unpaid job in America.

• Chapter 1 Editor's Introduction: First Ladies' Fundamental Rhetorical Choices: When to Speak? What to Say? When to Remain Silent?Chapter 2 1 The First Lady: A Site of "American Womanhood"Chapter 3 2 Ida Saxton McKinley: Indomitable Spirit or Autocrat of the Sick BedChapter 4 3 Edith Kermit Roosevelt: First Lady, First MommyChapter 5 4 Helen Herron Taft: Opportunity and AmbitionChapter 6 5 Ellen Axson Wilson: A Rhetorical Reassessment of a Forgotten First LadyChapter 7 6 Edith Bolling Galt Wilson: Actions Speak Louder than WordsChapter 8 7 Florence Kling Harding: Bridging Traditional and Modern Rhetorical RolesChapter 9 8 Grace Goodhue Coolidge: Articulating VirtueChapter 10 9 Lou Henry Hoover: Mining the Possibilities as Leader and First LadyChapter 11 10 Eleanor Roosevelt: A Rhetorical Reconstruction of First LadydomChapter 12 11 Bess Wallace Truman: "The Boss" from IndependenceChapter 13 12 Mamie Geneva Doud Eisenhower: Reflecting the Mood of the NationChapter 14 13 Jacqueline Kennedy: The Rhetorical Construction of CamelotChapter 15 14 Lady Bird Johnson: The Making of a Public First Lady with Private InfluenceChapter 16 15 Pat Nixon: Wisdom to Know the DifferenceChapter 17 16 Betty Ford: A Certain Comfort From a Candid First LadyChapter 18 17 Rosalynn Carter: Crafting a Presidential Partnership RhetoricallyChapter 19 18 Nancy Reagan: Leading Lady, Supporting Actress, or Bit PlayerChapter 20 19 Barbara Bush: Her Rhetorical Development and AppealChapter 21 20 Hillary Rodham Clinton: Using Her Vital VoiceChapter 22 Epilogue: Laura Bush: Using the "Magic of Words" to Educate and Advocate

Molly Meijer Wertheimer is professor of speech communications and affiliate associate professor of women's studies at Pennsylvania State University, Hazelton.

Molly Meijer Wertheimer's Inventing A Voice is an excellent addition to the first lady research shelf. Addressing an area not usually examined by first lady historians, this ambitious book examines the rhetorical discourse of first ladies from Ida McKinley to Laura Bush. The essays are interesting and well-researched and provide perspective on the most difficult unpaid job in America.

• Chapter 1 Editor's Introduction: First Ladies' Fundamental Rhetorical Choices: When to Speak? What to Say? When to Remain Silent?Chapter 2 1 The First Lady: A Site of "American Womanhood"Chapter 3 2 Ida Saxton McKinley: Indomitable Spirit or Autocrat of the Sick BedChapter 4 3 Edith Kermit Roosevelt: First Lady, First MommyChapter 5 4 Helen Herron Taft: Opportunity and AmbitionChapter 6 5 Ellen Axson Wilson: A Rhetorical Reassessment of a Forgotten First LadyChapter 7 6 Edith Bolling Galt Wilson: Actions Speak Louder than WordsChapter 8 7 Florence Kling Harding: Bridging Traditional and Modern Rhetorical RolesChapter 9 8 Grace Goodhue Coolidge: Articulating VirtueChapter 10 9 Lou Henry Hoover: Mining the Possibilities as Leader and First LadyChapter 11 10 Eleanor Roosevelt: A Rhetorical Reconstruction of First LadydomChapter 12 11 Bess Wallace Truman: "The Boss" from IndependenceChapter 13 12 Mamie Geneva Doud Eisenhower: Reflecting the Mood of the NationChapter 14 13 Jacqueline Kennedy: The Rhetorical Construction of CamelotChapter 15 14 Lady Bird Johnson: The Making of a Public First Lady with Private InfluenceChapter 16 15 Pat Nixon: Wisdom to Know the DifferenceChapter 17 16 Betty Ford: A Certain Comfort From a Candid First LadyChapter 18 17 Rosalynn Carter: Crafting a Presidential Partnership RhetoricallyChapter 19 18 Nancy Reagan: Leading Lady, Supporting Actress, or Bit PlayerChapter 20 19 Barbara Bush: Her Rhetorical Development and AppealChapter 21 20 Hillary Rodham Clinton: Using Her Vital VoiceChapter 22 Epilogue: Laura Bush: Using the "Magic of Words" to Educate and Advocate