Name/Title
Doll of Frances Clara Folsom Cleveland PrestonScope and Content
Frances Clara Folsom Cleveland Preston
The wife of the 22nd President of the United States
Frances was born July 21, 1864 to Oscar Folsom and Emma Harmon Folsom Perrine in Buffalo New York.
Her Father was a lawyer and died in a carriage accident in July 1873. Emma Follsom remarried Henry Edward Perrine, Henry died in May 1901.
When Oscar Folsom died his close friend and lawyer, Grover Cleveland , became the executor of his quarter million-dollar estate. Cleveland did not become guardian of Frances.
Frances had one sister. Nellie Augusta Folsom born, December 18, 1871, died February 7, 1872.
Frances was born of English ancestry they settled in the upper New England states eventually moving to western New York. Considering the time line and life expectancy both her grandmother was alive at the time she became First Lady, upon her marriage to President Cleveland her maternal grandmother Ruth Harmon was alive but it's unknown if she attended the wedding.
Frances was very educated for a female of her time. She attended Madame Brecker's French Kindergarten, (1870-1871), in Buffalo New York. Followed by Miss Bissell's School for Young Ladies, a grammar school, Medina Academy for Boys and Girls high schools, dropping out her senior year, she did receive a certificate of completions. In 1882 after taking exams in Latin and German to gain entrance in the winter semester at one of the first liberal arts college in the U. S., Wells College, studying a wide variety of subjects including Political Science, Frances acquired a prestigious number of potential career choices she would have been able to put in to practice if she had not chosen to married so young
Frances married President Grover Cleveland June 2, 1886, becoming the youngest First Lady. Frances is still the only First Lady to marry in the white house and due to the President being 30 years her senior, the only First Lady to live the longest after leaving the White House.
The Clevelands married fourteen months after he began his first term, Frances being only 21. They were married in the Blue Room and honeymooned in a private cabin at Deer Park Lodge in Maryland. They returned to the White House but only lived there during the active seasons, November to December and then February to April. The President wanted more privacy for himself and his new bride. President Cleveland purchased a 27-acre farm in the Georgetown Heights section of Washington, later called "Cleveland Park." The house was known as "Oak Park" by the First Lady but called by others "Red Top" for its roof. The property was sold at a profit after his first term.
During their marriage they were blessed with four daughters, Ruth Cleveland (1891-1904). In 1921 the Curtis candy Company supposedly honored Ruth by naming the "Baby Ruth" candy bar after her.
Esther Cleveland Bosanquet (1893-1980). Esther was the only child of a President to be born in the White House. Marion Cleveland Dell Amen (1895-1977). Two sons, Richard Folsom "Dick" Cleveland (1897-1974); Francis Grover Cleveland (1903-1995)
Because of President Clevelands beliefs as to the duties of the First Lady, Frances did not get involved with the political end to her position. She did however, because of her popularity, influence many aspects of his presidency.
Frances became very popular as the First Lady, she traveled with the President and had souvenir coins struck to honor her presence, the newspaper Harper's and Leslie's put on the cover, in drawings, showing many events she attended and sold more copies from the doing so. Her hair styles, poses from photos even her dress, helped the bustle demise in our country. The Women's Christen Temperance Unions were very concerned about the effect her bared shoulder gowns would have on young ladies, they requested she not wear them, alas she refused to comply. Because of the fashion in which Frances dressed, businessmen began to promote endorsements without her permission. The Democratic Congressman attempted to pass a bill to prevent the use of any woman's image for commercial purposes. It failed.
Frances, trying to use her popularity for better ways to influence her countrywomen, started to host Saturday receptions at the White House for the working class women. This was unprecedented behavior and the Harper's Weekly put it on the cover in November 1887. Frances chose to lift the ban on liquor at the White House, but did not partake. She also supported young women musicians choosing to become professionals, agreed to sponsor Washington African-American women. Establish the Washington Home for Friendless Colored Girls, raised money to purchase a building for the orphanage, was a visible member of the Colored Christmas Club, and accepted a position on the board of Wells College, she helped to found the University Women's Club, later she was instrumental in urging the State of New Jersey to open educational opportunities to young women like young men which resulted in the founding of the New Jersey College for Women.
Finding her correspondence from the public over whelming led to the hiring of the first Social Secretary that was non family. Not being a government-paid job the Clevelands paid the wage. They also created the first form letters.
At the age of 28 Frances became the only former First Lady to return to the White House four years later. Her roll this time was that of a mature woman. She was a very different person from the bride of the first term. Her priorities were, of course, her three daughters (two were born in the second term) their safety as well as that of her husband. The second term became, do to political depression and wide spread unemployment, a time of increased death threats to the President. Without his knowledge, Frances ordered the increase of secret service protection at the White House. At Buzzard's Bay, their summer home, she feared for her children, having the secret service establish family protection.
That summer the President became ill with cancer of the jaw. Frances was instrumental in the deception of the press and public to again protect circumstances from adding to the national instability.
In 1897 the Clevelands departed the White House permanently, retiring to Princeton, New Jersey. Here, Frances turned down many offers for positions because they would involve political obligations taking her away from her children. During this time Frances gave birth to their sons. Making her the only First Lady to give birth to children after her term in the White House.
In 1904 France lost her 12-year-old firstborn daughter, Ruth, from diphtheria, causing her a deep depression. Four years later her husband died, leaving her a widow at age 44 with four children.
Continuing to serve as Wells College trustee and in that capacity she pushed for Thomas Jex Preston, Jr. (1863- 1955) to assume the presidency of the college. Preston was a successful manufacture, classicist, archaeologist and Ph. D. an art student. Francis married Preston on February 10, 1913.
From 1915 through 1939 Frances was involved in a couple of programs that because of her controversial thoughts where not so well received. Her statements that the American people did not unite in support of a strong defense because the "huge percentage of unassimilated population that cannot think or act together." and again her statement that women were yet intelligent enough to vote and when they were given the vote, were not successful in politics and should instead focus their civic activities on welfare charities. She was also the president of New Jersey Association Opposed to Women's Suffrage.
During the First World War and the Great Depression Frances served in projects and organizations. Using her skill of needle work, she helped make necessary clothing, linens and bedding as part of the Needlework Guild, also delivered speeches on the radio.
Being mis-diagnosed with impending blindness, Frances learned Braille and to translate materials on a Braille typewriter. Later learning the diagnosis was wrong, she continued to transform reading materials into Braille.
Frances Cleveland died in Baltimore, Maryland on October 29, 1947 and is buried in Princeton, New Jersey.Acquisition
Accession
2008.0007Source or Donor
Amacher, Dorothy
