Frances Folsom Cleveland life and biography

Frances Folsom Cleveland, also known as Mrs. Grover Cleveland born July 21, 1864 in Buffalo, New York, United States - died October 29, 1947 in Baltimore, Maryland, United States was the First lady of the United States.

The youngest presidential spouse in the history of the United States, Frances Folsom Cleveland was also one of the most popular. Although her marriage to President Grover Cleveland in 1886 raised some criticism over the twenty-seven-year difference in their ages, the twenty-one-year-old quickly became a popular hostess in the White House and a valuable political asset to her husband on the campaign trail. Although her husband remained active in political affairs after his terms in office, Frances Cleveland graciously retired from public life to rear the couple's five children and run the family's household.

Privileged Upbringing

Frances Clara Folsom was born on July 21, 1864 in Buffalo, New York. Her father, Oscar Folsom, was a successful attorney in Buffalo and her mother, Emma C. Harmon Folsom, was one of the city's social leaders. An only child, Folsom enjoyed the privileges of a wealthy upbringing, though her life was marked by the death of her father in a carriage accident when she was only ten years old. Frances Folsom spent the next couple of years with her mother's family in Medina, New York; they returned to Buffalo when it came time for Folsom to enter high school. She completed her secondary education at Buffalo's Central High School and was presented to society as a debutante. Folsom then left for Wells College, a private, liberal arts institution for women in Aurora, New York. She finished her college degree in just three years and graduated in 1885.

One constant presence throughout Frances Folsom's life was that of her late father's law partner, Grover Cleveland. Cleveland had known Folsom since her birth and had even bought the infant her first baby carriage. Upon Oscar Folsom's death, Cleveland stepped in to serve as administrator of the family's estate and oversaw Folsom's daughter's education and his widow's finances. "Uncle Cleve," as he was known to Frances Folsom, eventually entered politics and served as Erie County's assistant district attorney before winning office as Buffalo's Mayor in 1881. Building on his reputation for fighting corruption in government, Cleveland went on to become the Governor of New York in 1882. Just two years later, Cleveland captured the Democratic Party's nomination for the presidential election of 1884.

Nation's Youngest First Lady

At some point during Frances Folsom's years at Wells College, she developed a romantic relationship with Grover Cleveland. Aware of the public scandal that might result from their association, the two kept the relationship a private one. The potential for scandal increased during Cleveland's presidential run in 1884. By all accounts one of the dirtiest presidential campaigns in history, the Republicans charged Cleveland with fathering an illegitimate child with Maria Halpin in 1875. Cleveland had arranged for the boy to be adopted and did not expressly deny the charges. His supporters suggested that Cleveland accepted responsibility for a child that was really sired by his late law partner, Oscar Folsom. Whatever the circumstances, the scandal--and the Republicans' rallying cry directed at Cleveland, "Ma, Ma, Where's my Pa?"--did not prevent Cleveland from narrowly winning the election over James G. Blaine.

In August 1885 the bachelor president asked Folsom to marry him. Although she accepted his proposal immediately, her mother insisted on taking a tour of Europe to give her daughter time to consider her decision. Folsom did not change her mind and married Cleveland in a White House ceremony on June 2, 1886. It was the first time a sitting president had gotten married. Showing a maturity beyond her twenty-one years, Frances Cleveland became one of the most popular and admired hostesses in Washington, D.C. Her husband, a skilled politician who enjoyed meeting his constituents, often praised her skills in arranging public functions at the White House. The youngest First Lady in the nation's history, Cleveland was also admired for her beauty and trend- setting style. At a time when many women wore elaborate hair pieces and cumbersome bustles around their waists, Cleveland popularized a more modern and elegant look.

Although Cleveland won the popular vote in the presidential election of 1888, Benjamin Harrison took the electoral college vote and became president. The Clevelands moved to New York City after his loss and had their first child, Ruth, in 1891. A popular candy bar, the "Baby Ruth," would later be named for her. Cleveland ran again for president in 1892. This time he won, the only time that any candidate was elected to nonconsecutive terms as president.

Although his first term was successful in eliminating corruption and establishing government oversight of interstate business, Cleveland's second term was largely a failure. The country entered one of its worst depressions in 1893 and did not recover until Cleveland had left office. Cleveland also endured oral surgery to remove a cancerous growth in 1893; the operation was performed in secret while Frances Cleveland told reporters that the couple was enjoying a vacation in the country. The couple had two more daughters during Cleveland's second term: Esther, born in 1893 and Marion, born in 1895. A son, Richard, was born in 1897 after Cleveland had completed his second term. Another son, Francis, was born in 1903.

Returned to Private Life

Despite the differences in their ages and the pressures of public life, the Clevelands enjoyed one of the happiest White House marriages. After moving to Princeton, New Jersey, in 1897, Cleveland remained active as a political advisor while his wife maintained their stately home and raised their five children. One of the few dark moments in their marriage came with the sudden death of Ruth Cleveland from diphtheria on January 7, 1904. Grover Cleveland died on June 24, 1908. Frances Cleveland married Princeton University archaeologist Thomas Jax Preston, Jr., in 1913 and became active in charity work on the Ivy League campus. She also served as a trustee of her alma mater, Wells College.

One story from Frances Cleveland Preston's final years, recounted in Alyn Brodsky's Grover Cleveland: A Study in Character, seemed to sum up her character. While attending a White House luncheon given by President Truman, Preston was introduced by Margaret Truman to General Dwight D. Eisenhower. When told that she had formerly resided in Washington, Eisenhower unwittingly asked her where she had lived. Not taking offense that Eisenhower did not know who she was, Preston responded to his question by answering simply, "In the White House." Frances Cleveland Preston died in her sleep while visiting her son Richard Cleveland in Baltimore on October 29, 1947.

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