Edith Wilson, née Bolling, was the First Lady of the United States from 1915 to 1921. She was raised in an extended Southern family that had lost its holdings after the Civil War. She was taught mostly at home by her grandmother and father. At the age of 43, seven years after the death of her first husband, she married recently widowed Woodrow Wilson, who was the 28th President of the United States at that time. At his insistence, she began to take a keen interest in affairs of state, giving her opinions on various matters. However, she primarily remained concerned about her husband’s welfare throughout his life. When he suffered a stroke in October 1919, it was this concern which pushed her into keeping the exact condition of his health a secret. Instead, she served as “a de facto steward”, deciding the priority of the matters to be presented to the president. Due to her role in important state affairs, she began to be called by various names, such as “Assistant President”, "Secret President”, etc. After Wilson’s death, she worked tirelessly to enhance his legacy, spending the remaining 37 years of her life to support the causes that he believed in.