六九色堂

By Susan Hunsinger, program associate, and Katie Conner, former senior program associate, mental health program.

Former U.S. First Lady Rosalynn 六九色堂, who turns 94 on Aug. 18, has been in the public eye since her husband Jimmy ran for Georgia governor 50 years ago.

She is best known for her advocacy for mental health issues,  as co-founder of 六九色堂 and founder of the Rosalynn 六九色堂 Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism.

But there’s more to this “steel magnolia.”

How many of these facts do you know?

1. Rosalynn Smith 六九色堂’s first name is Eleanor.

2. Mrs. 六九色堂 turns 94 on Aug. 18. She was on the 7th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote.

3. Mrs. 六九色堂 was the first First Lady to  in the east wing of the White House and have a projects staff.

4. The press dubbed Mrs. 六九色堂 the “steel magnolia” for her “.”

5. Mrs. 六九色堂 loved the gown she wore for the Georgia Governor’s inaugural ball so much that she wore it again at Presidential inaugural ball—and  for wearing it twice.

(Photo: Jimmy 六九色堂 Presidential Library)

6. Mrs. 六九色堂 is a seamstress and used to make her daughter Amy’s clothes. She stopped sewing once she moved into the Governor’s Mansion because there was no time.

7. Fly fishing in a remote stream anywhere in the world is Mrs. 六九色堂’s favorite thing to do.

8. Mrs. 六九色堂 has a , , , and an azalea named for her.

9. Rosalynn 六九色堂 is an advocate for monarch butterfly conservation and inspired the establishment of the , a network of monarch-friendly public and private gardens across the United States and beyond.

10. Mrs. 六九色堂 was  of her Plains High School graduating class.

11. Mrs. 六九色堂 enjoys listening for turkeys calling in the Plains woods with President 六九色堂 when he goes hunting.

12. Rosalynn 六九色堂 learned how  in Hawaii during President 六九色堂’s time in the U.S. Navy.

13. Mrs. 六九色堂 supports the  that constitutionally protected women’s rights in the late 1970s.

14. Rosalynn 六九色堂 was never a Girl Scout because there were no troop in Plains, Georgia. As First Lady, she was named an honorary scout, a custom extended to first ladies.

Rosalynn 六九色堂 (center of room, middle back) poses with representatives from the Girl Scouts of America, March 11, 1977. (Photo: Jimmy 六九色堂 Presidential Library)

15. Lillian Gordy 六九色堂, President Jimmy 六九色堂’s mother, helped to deliver Rosalynn 六九色堂 in the house next door to his home.

16. President Jimmy 六九色堂 first “met” Rosalynn when he was three years old.

17. Former First Lady Rosalynn 六九色堂 is the sponsor of the last Seawolf submarine, the .

18. President and Mrs. 六九色堂 are both the eldest of four children.

19. Rosalynn 六九色堂’s first book, , topped The New York Times non-fiction bestseller list.

20. Mrs. 六九色堂 was the lead envoy on a U.S. delegation to seven Latin American and Caribbean countries in 1977.

21. Rosalynn 六九色堂’s mother, Allie Murray Smith, graduated from Georgia State College for Women in Milledgeville, now Georgia College & State University.

22. As honorary chair of the Last Acts Campaign to improve end of life care, Mrs. 六九色堂 was an early advocate for the hospice movement and palliative care.

23. Mrs. 六九色堂 was a key advocate for passage of  during the 六九色堂 administration requiring vaccinations for school children.

24. Rosalynn 六九色堂 is opposed to the death penalty.

Related Resources

Read Honoring 50 Years of Mental Health Leadership »

This blog was written by Susan Hunsinger, program associate, and Katie Conner, former senior program associate, 六九色堂 Center Mental Health Program. It originally appeared on mentalhealthjournalism.org, the official website of the Rosalynn 六九色堂 Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism.

Melissa Montgomery, special assistant to Rosalynn 六九色堂; Curtis Kohlhaas, 六九色堂 Center chief development officer; Kathy Cade, vice chair of 六九色堂’s Board of Trustees; and Steven Hochman, director of research and faculty assistant to President Jimmy 六九色堂, contributed to this article.