Keuka College will mark Constitution Day with a public program examining the role of America’s first ladies and the fact that the U.S. Constitution provides no formal duties or guidelines for the position.
The Sept. 17 presentation will be led by Keuka College Professor of History Christopher Leahy and independent scholar Sharon Leahy, his wife and co-author of the forthcoming biography “Presidentess: The Life of First Lady Julia Gardiner Tyler.” The event begins at 6:30 p.m. in Norton Chapel and is free and open to the public. (Keuka College)
A C-SPAN crew is scheduled to record the program for later broadcast, giving the Finger Lakes event a national audience. A question-and-answer session will follow the presentation. (Keuka College)
The program will focus on the unusual constitutional status of the first lady. Unlike the president and other federal offices established or described in the Constitution, the role of first lady developed through custom, personality and historical circumstance rather than a formal set of constitutional responsibilities.
Christopher Leahy said the presentation will use Julia Gardiner Tyler as a case study in how first ladies helped shape the position over time.
“She really contributed to the evolution of the role of first lady,” Leahy said. (Keuka College)
Julia Gardiner Tyler was the wife of John Tyler, the nation’s 10th president, and is the subject of the Leahys’ biography, which is scheduled for publication Sept. 29.
The couple plans to draw on their research to illustrate the unofficial duties and influence first ladies have exercised despite the absence of constitutional authority defining the position.
The event also connects with Christopher Leahy’s fall history course at Keuka College, which focuses on the history and experiences of American first ladies.
Leahy previously wrote the 2020 biography “President without a Party: The Life of John Tyler.” He also edits the Journal of First Ladies Studies, a scholarly publication focused on the influence and achievements of U.S. first ladies. (Keuka College)
Sharon Leahy specializes in 19th-century American history, print culture and the history of first ladies. Her published work includes research on Mamie Eisenhower’s relationships with prominent industrialists. Both Leahys are lifetime members of the First Ladies Association for Research and Education. (Keuka College)
Constitution Day is observed each year on Sept. 17, commemorating the signing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787.
Keuka College’s program will use that anniversary to examine an office that became an important part of American political and cultural life without ever being established by the document itself.
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