America’s First Ladies: Impact and Legacy
FEATURING ANITA MCBRIDE
In Conversation with David Von Drehle
6:30 p.m., Thursday, March 26, 2026
Onstage and Online | Doors open at 6 p.m.
Unity Temple on the Plaza, 707 W. 47th Street, Kansas City, Missouri
“It is impossible to look at the arc of American history—or the impact of a president—without looking at the first ladies.”
— Anita McBride, co-author of Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America’s History-Making Women
(Selected as a Best Book of 2024 by Smithsonian Scholars)
IN HONOR OF AMERICA’S 250th anniversary, the Truman Library Institute’s annual Women Rising event invites you to explore the lives, influence and legacies of America’s First Ladies.
David Von Drehle, New York Times bestselling author and former Washington Post columnist, shares the stage with internationally recognized author and former White House staffer Anita McBride. Together, they will explore her groundbreaking research for Remember the First Ladies, in which McBride highlights the women who broke barriers and profoundly shaped our presidents, our country and the world. From civil rights to politics, public policy, and global diplomacy, First Ladies have transformed the “right-hand” role into one of lasting influence—both in public and behind the scenes.
As chief of staff to Laura Bush, McBride had an insider’s view of the First Lady’s evolving role. A knowledgeable and humorous storyteller, she will share insights into how First Ladies throughout history advanced the position of women and left their mark on the nation. She’ll also provide fascinating commentary on the under- and over-appreciated residents of the White House, drawing on her unique experience and extensive research.
In-person guests may purchase signed copies of Remember the First Ladies from Rainy Day Books before and after the program.
To register for this free public program, click below and choose in-person or livestream attendee.
REGISTER FOR THIS SPECIAL EVENT
Featured Guest
Anita B. McBride is executive-in-residence at the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University’s School of Public Affairs, where she leads the First Ladies Initiative. She also serves as an advisor to the university’s Sine Institute of Policy and Politics.
An internationally recognized expert on the legacies of American first ladies and operations of the White House, McBride is a founding member of the First Ladies Association for Research and Education (FLARE), a national organization affiliated with American University’s School of Public Affairs that promotes research and education about the lives, contributions and lasting legacies of U.S. first ladies.
She is co-chair of In Pursuit, a national civic education initiative of More Perfect in partnership with Substack, launched to mark America’s 250th anniversary. This project, with support from AU’s First Ladies Initiative, features essays by presidents, first ladies, justices, historians, and military and civic leaders that reflect on lessons of U.S. leadership and connect our history to the pursuit of a more perfect union.
McBride’s expertise on the White House and the influence of first ladies was acquired through her two decades of experience serving in senior roles under Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush in the White House and U.S. Department of State. She also served as Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush and directed the first lady’s work on a wide range of global and domestic initiatives and is one of the longest-tenured women in White House history.
McBride has also focused on elevating the influence and impact of first ladies around the world and co-founded the RAND African First Ladies Initiative and Fellowship program, now the Global First Ladies Alliance.
McBride is a highly sought-after speaker and media expert on first ladies, presidential transitions, and White House operations and has appeared on all major network and cable news outlets and in national print media. She also served as a consultant to HBO’s Emmy-award winning series, Veep.
She will be in conversation with David Von Drehle, a New York Times bestselling author and award-winning journalist, best known for his work as editor-at-large for TIME and as a twice-weekly columnist at The Washington Post. He has authored five books, including Rise to Greatness: Abraham Lincoln and America’s Most Perilous Year and The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man.
About Women Rising
Women Rising is generously sponsored by the Martha Jane Phillips Starr Field of Interest Fund to profile the women who found their place on the world stage during the Truman administration; to reflect on the contributions of women; and to serve as a catalyst for promoting women as activists and leaders.
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