Congresswoman Katherine Gudger Langley’s husband resigned his House seat after being convicted of violating Prohibition laws. Katherine Langley then defeated her husband’s successor and won election to the House in a “vindication campaign” designed to exonerate her disgraced spouse.
Catherine S. Long married into Louisiana’s legendary political family and spent nearly four decades immersed in state and national politics as a politician’s wife. When her influential husband died suddenly in 1985, Democratic Party leaders believed Cathy Long was a logical choice to succeed him, having served as his campaign surrogate and close advisor.
Succeeding her husband, Florence P. Kahn used charisma and humor to carve out her own political accomplishments as a California Representative.
Hattie Wyatt Caraway served for 14 years in the U.S. Senate and established a number of “firsts,” including her 1932 feat of winning election to the upper chamber of Congress in her own right.
Celebrated Mexican actress
Frances Parkinson Keyes was a prolific journalist, editor, memoirist, and biographer, but was most well known as a bestselling novelist.
Jean Childs Young was the first lady of Atlanta during the mayoral terms of her husband, Andrew Young, in the 1980s and was known nationally and internationally as an educator and advocate for children’s rights.
Upon her husband’s death, Frances inherited his large estate and soon married the Virginia governor, taking up residence at his estate, Green Spring, and vigorously supporting him during Bacon’s Rebellion during the summer of 1676.
Lucy Johnson Barbour was an American women’s leader and Whig Party activist.
Wife of Haitian Revolution leader Toussaint Louverture; she was tortured when captured by Napoleon. They demanded information about the whereabouts of her husband which she never divulged.