Mary Arthur McElroy

First Lady of the United States

Mary McElroy (née Arthur;July 5, 1841 – January 8, 1917) was the sister of the 21st president of the United States, Chester A.

Arthur, and served as a hostess (acting as the first lady) for his administration (1881–1885).She assumed the role because Arthur's wife, Ellen, had died nearly two years earlier.

She was born in Vermont and attended the progressive Emma Willard School.She married insurance salesman John Edward McElroy and worked for a period of time as a teacher.

When her brother Chester A.Arthur became president, she lived in the White House during winter months to host social events and care for her niece.

As acting first lady, McElroy ended the tradition of suspending social events during Lent, and she held large weekly receptions.

McElroy was a popular hostess, and she was celebrated in contemporary Washington social life for her lively receptions.When her tenure as hostess ended, McElroy returned to her family in Albany, New York, and she later worked in Northern Ireland to preserve the Arthur family homestead.

She handled her brother's affairs during his illness and after his death, taking responsibility for his funeral and his presidential legacy.

McElroy died in Albany in 1917.She is one of the most obscure first ladies, and there exists relatively little scholarly research about her life.

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