Keuka College will mark Constitution Day on Thursday with a free public program examining what the Constitution says — and does not say — about the role of America's first ladies.
The presentation begins at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 17 in Norton Chapel and will be followed by a question-and-answer session.
History professor Christopher Leahy and independent scholar Sharon Leahy will lead the discussion. The couple wrote the forthcoming biography “Presidentess: The Life of First Lady Julia Gardiner Tyler,” which is scheduled for publication Sept. 29.
The Constitution provides no formal guidelines for the first lady's duties, Christopher Leahy said. The speakers will use examples from their research on Tyler, the wife of the nation's 10th president, to explain how first ladies shaped the office through custom rather than constitutional language.
Christopher Leahy said Julia Gardiner Tyler contributed to the evolution of the role. The program also connects with his fall course on the history and experiences of American first ladies.
His earlier work includes 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 first ladies.
Sharon Leahy specializes in 19th-century American history, print culture and first ladies. Her published work includes a study of Mamie Eisenhower's dealings with prominent industrialists.
Both speakers are lifetime members of the First Ladies Association for Research and Education. Constitution Day commemorates the signing of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787.
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