Mary Harrison McKee

Mary Scott McKee (née Harrison) was born on April 3, 1858, in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Benjamin Harrison and Caroline Harrison. She received her early education through private schooling and was taught piano and painting by her mother. As a teenager, she expressed an interest in learning to dance, but her father forbade it on religious grounds. Following high school, she attended the Chestnut Street Female Seminary in Philadelphia.

During her father's tenure as a U.S. senator, she relocated to Washington, D.C., but found the city unsatisfactory. On November 5, 1884, she married J. Robert McKee at the First Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, with the reception held at her family home. The couple's honeymoon residence was also in her family's house, where her parents continued to reside in Washington, D.C. Mary McKee and J. Robert McKee had children, including Benjamin Harrison McKee, born on March 15, 1887, and Mary Lodge McKee, born on July 4, 1888.

In the 1888 presidential election, Harrison played a supportive role in the campaign, assisting her mother with social functions. Her campaign involvement was limited by her responsibilities as a mother.

When her father was elected president in 1888, McKee and her family moved into the White House. She shared the residence with her immediate family, including her mother, Caroline Harrison, and her cousin Mary Dimmick. She was one of three women named Mary in the White House, earning the nickname "Mamie." During this period, she assisted her mother with White House hostess duties, including overseeing visitors and organizing social events, such as a notable ball held on April 23, 1890. She also contributed to the White House renovation efforts and accompanied her family on a presidential tour of the United States in 1891.

McKee’s young son gained national fame as "Baby McKee" through photo sessions organized by Caroline Harrison, which garnered significant public attention.

Following her mother Caroline Harrison's health decline and subsequent death on October 25, 1892, McKee assumed the role of acting White House hostess. Her tenure was brief, lasting approximately four months, ending with the return of First Lady Frances Cleveland after the 1892 election. During this period, McKee was primarily involved in mourning and overseeing minimal social functions, including events for the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Cleveland family shortly before they vacated the White House.

After her departure from the White House, McKee remained in Indianapolis with her father. She was present during his travels and worked with him on remodeling their residence. She was deeply affected by her father's remarriage in 1896 to Mary Dimmick, her cousin and former family acquaintance. She did not attend the wedding and distanced herself from her father afterward.

Benjamin Harrison passed away in 1901. In 1928, McKee contributed 165 items to her father’s presidential papers collection. She received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Miami University in June 1930. She died on October 28, 1930, in Greenwich, Connecticut, where she had moved with her husband. She was buried alongside her parents at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her husband lived in Greenwich until his death by suicide at age 84 in October 1942.