Lucy Hayes Trivia

1. Lucy Hayes was the first wife of a US president to achieve what educational distinction?

From Quiz Lucy Webb Hayes

Answer: She was the first to obtain a higher education degree

As a girl Lucy attended the Miss Baskerville School and the Chillicothe Female School from 1837 to 1844. For about three years she attended what is now known as Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio before transferring to the Cincinnati Female Wesleyan College in 1847. She graduated from there in 1850 earning a liberal arts degree. Though generally considered the first wife of a US president to have a college degree, some historians question that achievement. There is some uncertainty about the school being a bona fide college on par with other educational institutions for women at the time.

From Quiz Little Known First Ladies: Lucy Hayes

Answer: A temperance pledge

Isaac Cook was Lucy's maternal grandfather who was something of a militant in the temperance movement. He encouraged Lucy to sign a temperance pledge vowing to never drink or serve alcohol. Lucy signed the pledge and was dedicated to temperance for the rest of her life, although she never became formally active in temperance organizations.

From Quiz Lucy Webb Hayes

Answer: US Civil War

Rutherford B. Hayes served in the 23rd Ohio Regiment during the Civil War. The Brigadier General was wounded three times during the war and had four horses shot out from under him. During the war Lucy was known to visit the camps and became famous for her support of the soldiers. She would care for their wounds, patch up their uniforms and provide encouragement. Caring for veterans and their families was a life long passion. As first lady of the state of Ohio she led an effort to open an orphanage for the children of Civil War veterans.

From Quiz Little Known First Ladies: Lucy Hayes

Answer: Cincinnati Wesleyan Female College

Lucy attended a few universities, some of which were male-only (she received special permission to attend). She graduated from the Cincinnati Wesleyan Female College with a liberal arts degree. As a student, she was considered spectacularly brilliant and earned the praise of her professors and peers. She focused primarily on the influence religion on the social issues of the day. She took strong Christian positions and used them to push for women's rights and the abolition of slavery.

From Quiz Lucy Webb Hayes

Answer: First Lady

Legend states that the phrase "first lady" was first used by President Zachary Taylor in an 1849 eulogy honoring Dolly Madison. Later the term was sometimes used in Washington DC social circles when referring to a president's wife. During the inauguration of Rutherford B. Hayes a female reporter, Mary Ames, referred to Lucy as the "First Lady of the Land". Soon other reporters referred to her as the "first lady". Lucy's popularity, which led to extensive nationwide news coverage, caused the title to become a popular nationwide term. Since that time every wife of a US president has been given the title of "First Lady of the Land".

From Quiz Little Known First Ladies: Lucy Hayes

Answer: She was too young

Lucy was only fourteen years old when she met Rutherford who was twenty-three. Their mothers were friends who had hoped they would one day marry each other and were disappointed when their children's initial meeting went nowhere. Rutherford was also intimidated by Lucy's intelligence and worldliness, something that lasted their entire marriage.

From Quiz Lucy Webb Hayes

Answer: White House Easter egg roll

Easter egg rolling was a famous 19th century Washington DC tradition. However, in the early 1870s public Easter egg rolls were held on the Capitol grounds not the White House. In 1876, Congress, concerned about the children hurting the lawn, passed the Turf Protection Act prohibiting the use of the Capitol grounds for a playground. Rain did not allow the event to happen in 1877. But in 1878, apparently under the direction of Lucy Hayes, the egg roll was moved to the lawn of the White House and the tradition of the White House Easter egg roll was born and continues.

From Quiz Little Known First Ladies: Lucy Hayes

Answer: A ring

After first meeting and their relationship never starting, Rutherford and Lucy met up again at a mutual friend's wedding. Rutherford's sister had long been pushing for him to meet up with Lucy again but he always resisted. At the wedding, Rutherford won a prize by finding the ring in the wedding cake. He gave it to Lucy as a profession of his love and they began courting afterward. After they were married, Lucy gave Rutherford the ring back and he wore it every day of his life. They married in 1852 and had eight children: seven sons and one daughter.

From Quiz Lucy Webb Hayes

Answer: Because of a White House ban on serving liquor during her husband's administration

Lucy was a life long abstainer of alcohol. Although President Hayes took the credit for the policy, many blamed Lucy for the alcohol ban placed in the White House. However, in spite of the controversy Lucy was recognized as a gracious White House hostess and the social events held there were usually well received. Reportedly the nickname "Lemonade Lucy" was not applied to Mrs. Hayes until after she left the White House.

From Quiz Little Known First Ladies: Lucy Hayes

Answer: Fight

Lucy was sometimes militant in her views especially regarding the abolition of slavery and universal suffrage (though her support for women's suffrage is unclear). She often advocated violence as a means to an end. While Rutherford, also an abolitionist, didn't think the issue was worth fighting for, Lucy convinced him otherwise and he enlisted in the Union Army. Lucy herself had wished she could join the frontlines and fight. This was especially true after the surrender at Fort Sumter. Lucy claimed that women would never surrender and in her infrequent writings from the time lamented the struggles of being a woman. Lucy said she had all the answers and the will but was prevented from acting on them because she was a woman. Instead, Lucy focused her war effort on treating Union soldiers. Lucy used to bring her whole family to the middle of the battlefield to visit her husband and she often treated injured soldiers. She became known to many soldiers as a mother-figure. Future President William McKinley was one of the soldiers Lucy met with and he may have had a brief crush on her. However, her efforts were cut short when two of her children died and she was forced to stay home more often. In addition, she cared for her elderly mother and mother-in-law who both died shortly after the war ended.

From Quiz Lucy Webb Hayes

Answer: Women's Christian Temperance Union

Although she was a strong supporter of temperance, Lucy Hayes rebuffed efforts by the WCTU to become a leader in their organization. Part of her reasoning may have been political, afraid that joining the movement would hurt her husband's political career. Early in her adult life she declared that she would not partake of alcoholic beverages and admitted that serving wine at parties was "sorrowful" but she chose not to publicly preach against drinking but persuade by example. This strategy often put her at odds with the more militant members of the WCTU.

From Quiz Little Known First Ladies: Lucy Hayes

Answer: Abraham Lincoln

Lucy admired John C. Fremont, who had lost the presidential election in 1856. The Hayeses supported Lincoln 1860 but Lucy quickly became disillusioned with him when he fired John C. Fremont for insubordination during the Civil War. She also believed Lincoln was not doing enough for former slaves as well slaves in the border states who had not been freed by the Emancipation Proclamation. After her husband became president in 1877 and ended Reconstruction, Lucy went through similar emotions. She believed the South had not paid dearly enough for the sin of slavery and dividing the nation and asked Rutherford not withdraw troops from the South.

From Quiz Lucy Webb Hayes

Answer: Abolition of slavery

Lucy Hayes' views on the abolition of slavery remained strong throughout her life. As a child her father, Dr. James Webb, inherited slaves from his family in Kentucky and quickly decided to set them free. However, on his return home to do so he reportedly died while treating those slaves and his family for cholera. Lucy was two years old at the time. Supposedly, when her now widowed mother was told to sell the slaves so she would have money to help support her family, Lucy's mother stated that they were not hers to sell and granted them their freedom. As an adult, Lucy continued the family tradition of supporting abolitionism. She helped abandoned African-American children find safe havens, helped educate African-American women and spoke favorably of a racially-integrated Methodist Church service she attended in Montreal, Canada. Her views led her to be a strong supporter of the newly formed Republican Party and many feel she influenced her husband to leave the Whig Party and join the Republican cause as well. She was an active supporter of John C. Fremont in the 1856 election and worked in the two presidential campaigns for Abraham Lincoln.

From Quiz Lucy Webb Hayes

Answer: 8

Lucy gave birth to seven sons and one daughter. Three of the sons died under the age of three years old. Her surviving sons grew into successful citizens. Birchard Austin Hayes was a successful attorney, Webb Cook Hayes was a successful businessman and a Medal of Honor recipient. Rutherford Platt Hayes was a respected librarian and Scott Russell Hayes was successful in business. Fanny Hayes Smith was the only daughter and after Lucy's death she was her father's constant companion until his death. She was an active proponent of prison reform and education reform.

From Quiz Lucy Webb Hayes

Answer: Woman's Home Missionary Society of the Methodist Church

The Woman's Home Missionary Society of the Methodist Church was established for the purpose of helping poor and destitute women. Lucy reluctantly agreed to serve as the group's leader and in that capacity attended conventions, made speeches and called for women to have greater opportunities to receive an education. With Rutherford's support she continued in this role until her death.

From Quiz Little Known First Ladies: Lucy Hayes

Answer: Greenhouses

Lucy was a lover of nature, especially plants and animals. She had the White House conservatories expanded and replaced several gaming rooms with greenhouses. Most notably, she removed the billiard table which had long caused controversy because of its association with gambling. These greenhouses no longer exist as there were knocked down to build the West Wing. In addition to these renovations, Lucy advocated strongly for the resumption of building the Washington Monument which was stalled during the Civil War. She also commissioned a very elaborate set of china which made many guests feel uncomfortable eating off of because of how realistic the animals on the pieces were painted.

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