Frances Folsom Cleveland
1885-1889 and 1893-1897

Frances Folsom was born in Buffalo, New York on July 21, 1864.
She was introduced to Grover Cleveland soon after her birth. Grover was her father's law partner. He gave the Folsom's a baby carriage as a present for Frances.

When her father died, Grover helped the family with the business of his estate.

Grover asked Frances' mother permission to write to her when she was attending college at Well's College. After she graduated from college he proposed to her.

Library of Congress

They were married in the White House on June 2, 1886. It was the first wedding of a President to take place in the White House. She was the youngest First Lady ever. She was 21 when she married President Cleveland. Grover Cleveland was forty-eight.

She was extremely popular as First Lady. Her image was placed on dishes, playing cards and numerous other items.

Cleveland lost the election of 1888, but was re-elected in 1892. His campaign posters and other materials featured a picture of Frances. Some people claim that she won the election for him.

They had five children. Ruth Esther was the first child to be born to a President in the White House.

• Ruth
• Esther
• Marion
• Richard Folsom
• Francis Grover

In 1904, their daughter Ruthie died of diphtheria. She was 12. This was extremely upsetting to the Clevelands.

On June 24, 1908, Cleveland died of a heart attack.

Five years later Frances re-married. She married Thomas J. Preston Jr. a professor at Princeton.

Frances died in her sleep when she was 83. She died on October 29, 1947.

She is buried next to President Cleveland in Princeton.

Visit our site on U.S. Presidents

Books and Websites

Books

Smithsonian Presidents and First Ladiesby James Barber and Amy Pastan.
First Ladies: Women Who Called The White House Home (First Ladies) by Beatrice Gormeley.

Websites

http://www.firstladies.org/ National First Ladies Library
http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/058_flal.htmlLibrary of Congress, Images of the First Ladies

Comments and/or corrections should be sent to Jim at jim@anewadventure.org.