Roosevelt, Edith

Roosevelt, Edith (Kermit b. Carow)

(1861–1948) First Lady; born in Norwich, Conn. She was Theodore Roosevelt's second wife (the first had died in 1884); they were married in 1886. She promoted a sense of harmony in the White House, using caterers for entertaining and a personal secretary to handle her correspondence. Following Roosevelt's death in 1919, she became active in charity work and remained a firm Republican, openly opposing Franklin Roosevelt's bid for the presidency in 1932.