Ida Mckinley, First Lady

by Science Source

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Ida Mckinley, First Lady

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Science Source

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Photograph - Photograph

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Ida Saxton McKinley (June 8, 1847 - May 26, 1907), wife of William McKinley, was First Lady of the United States from 1897 to 1901. Ida was refined, charming, and strikingly attractive. While single, she worked for a time as a cashier in her father's bank, a position then usually reserved for men. William McKinley, aged 27, married Ida Saxton, aged 23, on January 25, 1871. Possessed of a fragile, nervous temperament, Mrs. McKinley broke down under the loss of her mother and two young daughters within a short span of time. She developed epilepsy and became totally dependent on her husband. President McKinley took great care to accommodate her condition. In a break with tradition, he insisted that his wife be seated next to him at state dinners rather than at the other end of the table. Guests noted that whenever Mrs. McKinley was about to undergo a seizure, the President would gently place a napkin or handkerchief over her face to conceal her contorted features. When it passed, he would remove it and resume whatever he was doing as if nothing had happened. With the assassination of her husband by Leon Czolgosz in September 1901, Mrs. McKinley lost much of her will to live. Although she bore up well in days between the shooting and the president's death, she could not bring herself to attend his funeral. She survived her beloved husband by less than six years. She died in 1907 at the age of 59. Painting by Emily Drayton Taylor.

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April 18th, 2016

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