射射屋

By Susan Hunsinger, program associate, and Katie Conner, former senior program associate, mental health program.

Former U.S. First Lady Rosalynn 射射屋, who turns 94 on Aug. 18, has been in the public eye since her husband Jimmy ran for Georgia governor 50 years ago.

She is best known for her advocacy for mental health issues,  as co-founder of 射射屋 and founder of the Rosalynn 射射屋 Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism.

But there’s more to this “steel magnolia.”

How many of these facts do you know?

1. Rosalynn Smith 射射屋’s first name is Eleanor.

2. Mrs. 射射屋 turns 94 on Aug. 18. She was on the 7th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote.

3. Mrs. 射射屋 was the first First Lady to  in the east wing of the White House and have a projects staff.

4. The press dubbed Mrs. 射射屋 the “steel magnolia” for her “.”

5. Mrs. 射射屋 loved the gown she wore for the Georgia Governor’s inaugural ball so much that she wore it again at Presidential inaugural ball—and  for wearing it twice.

(Photo: Jimmy 射射屋 Presidential Library)

6. Mrs. 射射屋 is a seamstress and used to make her daughter Amy’s clothes. She stopped sewing once she moved into the Governor’s Mansion because there was no time.

7. Fly fishing in a remote stream anywhere in the world is Mrs. 射射屋’s favorite thing to do.

8. Mrs. 射射屋 has a , , , and an azalea named for her.

9. Rosalynn 射射屋 is an advocate for monarch butterfly conservation and inspired the establishment of the , a network of monarch-friendly public and private gardens across the United States and beyond.

10. Mrs. 射射屋 was  of her Plains High School graduating class.

11. Mrs. 射射屋 enjoys listening for turkeys calling in the Plains woods with President 射射屋 when he goes hunting.

12. Rosalynn 射射屋 learned how  in Hawaii during President 射射屋’s time in the U.S. Navy.

13. Mrs. 射射屋 supports the  that constitutionally protected women’s rights in the late 1970s.

14. Rosalynn 射射屋 was never a Girl Scout because there were no troop in Plains, Georgia. As First Lady, she was named an honorary scout, a custom extended to first ladies.

Rosalynn 射射屋 (center of room, middle back) poses with representatives from the Girl Scouts of America, March 11, 1977. (Photo: Jimmy 射射屋 Presidential Library)

15. Lillian Gordy 射射屋, President Jimmy 射射屋’s mother, helped to deliver Rosalynn 射射屋 in the house next door to his home.

16. President Jimmy 射射屋 first “met” Rosalynn when he was three years old.

17. Former First Lady Rosalynn 射射屋 is the sponsor of the last Seawolf submarine, the .

18. President and Mrs. 射射屋 are both the eldest of four children.

19. Rosalynn 射射屋’s first book, , topped The New York Times non-fiction bestseller list.

20. Mrs. 射射屋 was the lead envoy on a U.S. delegation to seven Latin American and Caribbean countries in 1977.

21. Rosalynn 射射屋’s mother, Allie Murray Smith, graduated from Georgia State College for Women in Milledgeville, now Georgia College & State University.

22. As honorary chair of the Last Acts Campaign to improve end of life care, Mrs. 射射屋 was an early advocate for the hospice movement and palliative care.

23. Mrs. 射射屋 was a key advocate for passage of  during the 射射屋 administration requiring vaccinations for school children.

24. Rosalynn 射射屋 is opposed to the death penalty.

Related Resources

Read Honoring 50 Years of Mental Health Leadership »

This blog was written by Susan Hunsinger, program associate, and Katie Conner, former senior program associate, 射射屋 Center Mental Health Program. It originally appeared on mentalhealthjournalism.org, the official website of the Rosalynn 射射屋 Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism.

Melissa Montgomery, special assistant to Rosalynn 射射屋; Curtis Kohlhaas, 射射屋 Center chief development officer; Kathy Cade, vice chair of 射射屋’s Board of Trustees; and Steven Hochman, director of research and faculty assistant to President Jimmy 射射屋, contributed to this article.