Lucy Webb Hayes

Lucy Ware Hayes, née Webb, was born on August 28, 1831, in Chillicothe, Ohio. Her parents were Dr. James Webb and Maria Cook. She had two older brothers, both of whom became medical doctors. Her earliest American ancestor was Giles Webb, who emigrated from England in the early to mid-1600s. In 1833, her father moved the family to Lexington, Kentucky, where he went to free 15–20 slaves inherited from his aunt during a cholera epidemic that ultimately led to his death. Following her father's death, the family faced social pressure regarding the freed slaves; her mother, Maria Cook, refused to sell the slaves and instead took in washing to earn income. The Webb family adhered to Methodist religious beliefs.

In 1844, the family relocated to Delaware, Ohio. Lucy's brothers enrolled at Ohio Wesleyan University, but women were not permitted to study there. Nonetheless, she was allowed to enroll in the college prep program, and a 1845 report from the vice-president of Ohio Wesleyan noted her conduct as "unexceptionable." She later transferred to Cincinnati Wesleyan Female College, from which she graduated in 1850. During her college years, she wrote essays on social and religious issues, including topics such as traveling on the Sabbath and the influence of Christianity on national prosperity. She also expressed views supporting women's intellectual equality and suffrage.

Lucy became acquainted with Rutherford B. Hayes at Ohio Wesleyan University. She first met Hayes when she was 14 and he was 23. Initially, Hayes considered her too young to fall in love, but by 1850, he revisited her. In a diary entry from 1851, Hayes expressed strong affection and admiration for Lucy. They became engaged after Hayes visited her again, and she returned him a wedding ring that he had found in a wedding cake, which he wore for the rest of his life. The couple married on December 30, 1852, at her mother's residence in Cincinnati. Their honeymoon was spent in Columbus, Ohio, where Hayes practiced law and Lucy developed a close friendship with Hayes's sister, Fanny Platt.

The Hayeses had eight children: Birchard Austin (1853–1926), Webb Cook (1856–1934), Rutherford Platt (1858–1927), Joseph Thompson (1861–1863), George Crook (1864–1866), Fanny (1867–1950), Scott Russell (1871–1923), and Manning Force (1873–1874). Fanny Platt, Lucy’s sister-in-law, died in childbirth in 1856, prompting Lucy to name her only daughter Fanny in her memory.

During the Civil War, Lucy supported the Union cause. She actively visited and assisted her husband in the field, especially after Rutherford was wounded in Middleton, Maryland, in September 1862. She traveled to Washington to find him and, after his convalescence, continued visiting his army camp, providing aid to wounded soldiers and securing supplies. Her efforts earned her the affectionate nickname "Mother Lucy" among soldiers. The family experienced personal loss when their infant son, Joe, died during this period.

While Hayes served in Congress, Lucy accompanied him to Washington, where she observed debates from the gallery and engaged in social and civic activities, including visiting sites affected by race riots and supporting care facilities for children and veterans. During Rutherford's terms as Ohio governor, Lucy was involved in numerous social initiatives, including establishing a soldiers' orphans home in Xenia, Ohio.

Rutherford B. Hayes was elected President of the United States in 1876, taking office in March 1877. He resigned as governor of Ohio on March 2, 1877, and was sworn in as president the following day. Lucy Hayes served as the 19th First Lady of the United States from 1877 to 1881. She was the first First Lady to have a college degree and was known for her more egalitarian style of hosting. She opposed alcohol consumption and abstained from serving alcohol in the White House, a decision that was controversial. She also supported African American causes prior to and after the Civil War and was the first White House occupant to invite an African-American professional musician to perform there.

Lucy Hayes was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, serving as a Past Grand of the Lincoln Rebekah Lodge, alongside her husband. She was known colloquially as "Lemonade Lucy," a nickname implying her advocacy for temperance, although she was not referred to by this name during her lifetime. She died of a stroke at the age of 57 on June 25, 1889, shortly after her husband's presidency.