Hayes, Lucy

Hayes, Lucy (Ware b. Webb)

(1831–89) First Lady; born in Chillicothe, Ohio. She married Rutherford B. Hayes in 1852. She was well-educated and committed to emancipation for black slaves and to temperance. She sometimes accompanied her husband when he was an officer during the Civil War. As first lady, she was known for her simplicity and frugality. She banned alcohol from the White House. Following the presidency, she worked for charitable activities.

The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.