Thesis advisor: Patrick Maney / Among American First Ladies, one presidential wife in particular consistently ranks among one of the most influential women to hold the office. Eleanor Roosevelt’s precedent-setting tenure in the White House established a lasting legacy that influenced many of the women who followed her. Two of these First Ladies, Betty Ford and Rosalynn Carter, are often overlooked in comparative studies of Eleanor Roosevelt with other presidential wives. Scholars typically highlight Hillary Rodham Clinton or Lady Bird Johnson, neglecting the First Ladyships of Ford and Carter. These two women, however, both pointed to Eleanor Roosevelt as an inspiration for their approach to the office. Both Betty Ford and Rosalynn Carter incorporated three main components of Eleanor Roosevelt’s impressive legacy into their tenures as First Lady of the United States: an ever-expanding public role, increased independence, and launching initiatives concerned with social welfare to improve the lives of their fellow Americans. All of these actions can be traced back to Roosevelt’s innovative First Ladyship and their appearance in the successive Ford and Carter administrations highlight the interconnectedness of all three First Ladies and their considerable impact on their country both during and after their time in the White House. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: College Honors Program. / Discipline: History.