WHITE HOUSE

PICTURES: First Ladies and the Issues They Support

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Updated: October 24, 2012 | 8:09 a.m.
July 9, 2011 | 11:11 a.m.

Perhaps Jacqueline Kennedy's biggest contribution as first lady was as a cultural ambassador. She pressed for the creation of the National Cultural Center in Washington, which would eventually be named for her husband, she hosted jazz, opera and other cultural events at the White House, and was instrumental in creating the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Arts. (National Archives)

Every first lady from Betty Ford on, and maybe a handful before, has come to be associated with a personal cause. Here's a look at the first ladies of the 20th and 21st centuries—and issues they supported.

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