Frances Cleveland

Frances Cleveland was born Frances Clara Folsom on July 21, 1864, in Buffalo, New York.
In the spring of 1885, while visiting Washington, D.C., with her mother, Frances received a marriage proposal from Grover Cleveland, the 22^nd & 24^th president of the United States. On June 2, 1886, at the age of 21, Frances married the president in the White House's Blue Room. Frances became the youngest-ever American First Lady. She was also the only First Lady ever to have been married at the White House and the only First Lady to preside at two nonconsecutive administrations.

After the newlyweds came home from their honeymoon, Frances took over the title of First Lady, which Grover's younger sister, Libbie, had assumed for the previous 14 months.

A statuesque beauty, Frances quickly became America's sweetheart. Before long, companies were asking her to endorse their products, somewhat to the displeasure of her husband, who feared for her safety as she was constantly surrounded by swarms of admirers. When she accompanied the president on his tour of the southern and western United States in 1887, it only made her more popular. After appearing on the covers of Harper's and Leslie's that year, "Frankie" became a fashion trendsetter for women all over the country.

Frances supported projects in Washington, including the Women's Christian Temperance Movement's "Hope and Help Project," and helped establish the Washington Home for Friendless Colored Girls.

After her husband's death in 1908, Frances remained in Princeton, New Jersey. On February 10, 1913, at the age of 48, she married Thomas J. Preston, Jr., a professor of archaeology at Frances' alma mater, Wells College. She was the First presidential widow to remarry.

Frances died at the age of 83 on October 29, 1947, in Baltimore. She was buried in Princeton next to President Cleveland. She lived longer than any other First Lady had after leaving the White House.