9 American First Ladies Who Weren’t Married to the President

1. Martha Jefferson Randolph

When Thomas Jefferson became president in 1801, he had already been a widower for almost two decades. For most of his time spent in office, the role of White House hostess was either unoccupied or filled by the cabinet members’ spouses, including future first lady Dolley Madison.

The only noteworthy exceptions happened during the social season of 1802-03 and later in 1805-06, when the president’s daughter Martha Jefferson Randolph joined him in Washington.

While the responsibilities of the US first lady were still not clearly settled at the time (there had been only two first ladies before), Martha Jefferson, or “Patsy”, as her father called her, served as the president’s social organizer, welcoming important figures at presidential receptions.

In 1806, she gave birth to her son James — the first child born in the White House.