Volume 39, Number 17 · October 22, 1992
A Doll's House?
By Garry Wills
Hillary Clinton was pointedly introduced, at this year's meeting of the American Bar Association, as 'the next First Woman.' First Lady has been tainted by association with such phrases as 'the little lady.' But First Woman hardly solves the problem. When a woman is elected president, it will make as little sense to call her husband the First Man (what ever happened to Adam?) as to call him the First Gentleman (what ever happened to Beau Brummel?). The spouse's role in our republic properly has no title. Kings have queens, and princes have princesses; but there is no presidentess—nor a Mrs. President. (In the latter case, the spouse of the first woman president would be—Mr. President.)
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