Honoring America’s First Ladies: Two-Night Series at the Harry S. Truman Little White House in Key West Explores Presidential Partnerships and Legacies

The Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation announces a special two-evening celebration of American First Ladies, presented in partnership with America250, the organization leading the commemoration of the United States Semiquincentennial. Taking place January 23 and 24, 2026, on the elegant tropical grounds of the Harry S. Truman Little White House, 111 Front St., Key West, FL, the events will explore the vital roles of America’s First Ladies through panel discussions, personal stories and expert insights.
 
The weekend events begin on Friday, Jan. 23, with a moderated panel discussion featuring the three co-authors of “Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America’s History-Making Women.” Diana B. Carlin, Anita B. McBride, and Nancy Kegan Smith will explore the influential roles of America’s First Ladies throughout history in a conversation that brings their groundbreaking scholarship to life. The panel discussion begins at 5:00pm and will be preceded by a book signing with all the authors.
 
Lauded by Smithsonian Magazine as “a timely consideration of the often overlooked, yet influential ways in which presidential spouses have shaped America,” “Remember the First Ladies” examines the impact of first ladies on civil rights, political campaigns, key speeches and life in the White House throughout the nation’s history.
 
The book’s authors bring diverse expertise to the conversation: Diana B. Carlin is Professor Emerita of Communication Studies at the Saint Louis University and a founding member of the First Ladies Association for Research and Education (FLARE). Anita B. McBride is author/co-author of three books about American First Ladies, served as Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush, is Executive-in-Residence at American University’s Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies, and a founding member of FLARE; and Nancy Kegan Smith, FLARE’s Immediate Past President, is a distinguished historian who has written extensively about presidential history and served as director of the Presidential Materials Division at the National Archives and Records Administration.
 
On Saturday, Jan. 24, programming continues with an intimate conversation titled, “Remembering the Boss: Bess Truman,” featuring Clifton Truman Daniel, grandson of First Lady Bess and President Harry S. Truman and Anita B. McBride, author and internationally recognized expert on the legacies of America’s First Ladies and the workings of the White House. As the author of “Growing Up With My Grandfather: Memories of Harry S. Truman” and editor of “Dear Harry, Love Bess: Bess Truman’s Letters to Harry Truman 1919-1943,” Truman Daniel brings rare personal insight into the Truman family dynamic and his grandmother’s quiet yet formidable influence. Together, Daniel and McBride will offer a distinctive dialog that blends presidential family perspective with deep institutional knowledge. Gates open at 4:30pm; panel at 5:00pm.
 
Both evenings will be moderated by Dr. Kurt Graham, President of the Adams Presidential Center and former Director of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri. Dr. Graham’s deep expertise in Truman History and presidential scholarship will guide conversations that illuminate both the public duties and private realities of life in the White House.
 
“The stories of America’s presidency cannot be told without understanding the First Ladies who shaped the role and supported their partners through moments of crisis and triumph,” said Clinton Curry, the Foundation’s Executive Director. “We’re honored to welcome the authors who have documented these legacies and President Truman’s own grandson, who can share what Bess Truman was really like – not just as a First Lady, but as a grandmother, a partner, and the woman Harry called “The Boss.”
 
The U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, also known as America250, is a non-partisan congressional commission created in 2016 to plan and orchestrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. To learn more about the organization and its nationwide initiatives, visit www.america250.org.
 
The mission of The Harry S. Truman Foundation is to preserve the Harry S. Truman Little White House, Florida’s only presidential museum, and programming that supports civic engagement, education, and the historic and cultural influences of the Truman era.
 
A cash bar will be available on site. Tickets per evening are $40 for Foundation members and $60 for non-members, available at https://www.trumanlittlewhitehouse.org/foundation/events.