MAMIE: Overview

Mamie reveled in her role as First Lady. She took great pride in running the White House and delighted in her role as a fashion icon. It was clear to her though that her most important duty as First Lady was to support her husband. She was fiercely protective of him during his illnesses, strictly regulating his diet and calendar after his 1955 heart attack. Despite her concerns, she backed his decision to run for a second term knowing that he had yet to fulfill many of his presidential goals. 

Her devotion to her husband was best summed up in her own words, “I have but one career, and his name is Ike.”