Letitia Tyler Semple

Letitia "Letty" Christian Semple (née Tyler) was born on May 11, 1821, in Charles City County, Virginia. She was the daughter of John Tyler, who later became the 10th President of the United States, and his first wife, Letitia Christian Tyler. Semple was the fourth child and second daughter in her family.

In February 1839, at the age of 17, Letty Tyler married James A. Semple. The marriage was characterized by discord, and the couple became estranged during her father's presidency owing to James Semple's mental illness. Following her father's assumption of office on April 4, 1841, Semple moved into the White House with her parents and siblings.

During John Tyler's presidency, after the death of his first wife Letitia Christian Tyler, Semple and her sister-in-law Priscilla Tyler assumed roles as unofficial First Ladies and White House hostesses. This period lasted from March to June 1844, during which time their activities included hosting social events and representing the presidency in an unofficial capacity. These women served as "First ladies who never married presidents," a designation recognized by the National First Ladies' Library. Governance and social hosting during this transitional period accounted for a unique arrangement, with four women serving as First Lady, two of them unofficially.

Tevi Troy, a historian, described this arrangement as "non-traditional." The Chattanooga Times noted that Semple was "the friend of the most famous statesmen and public men the country has produced" during her tenure as White House hostess.

Following the Civil War, Semple served as a volunteer nurse for Confederate soldiers at Williamsburg, Virginia. After the war's conclusion, she established the Eclectic Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, which trained young women, typically enrolling about 20 students at a time. She also became involved in philanthropic activities.

Semple's relationship with her stepmother, Julia Gardiner Tyler, was strained; Semple reportedly resented Julia and they never reconciled. During the 1870s, William Wilson Corcoran provided Semple with room and board at the Louise Home, an institution for elderly women of distinguished background who found themselves in economic hardship. During her later years, Semple maintained friendships with First Ladies Lucy Hayes and Ida McKinley, who provided her with assistance when needed.

Semple and her husband, James Semple, never reconciled and did not have children. She died on December 28, 1907, at the Louise House in Washington, D.C.