The Most Impactful First Daughters Throughout History

Martha Johnson Patterson played a crucial role as First Lady in all but name during Andrew Johnson’s presidency, stepping in after the death of her mother. Known for her dedication to restoring dignity to the White House following the Civil War and Andrew Johnson’s controversial presidency, Martha managed the household with grace and competence. Post-White House, she retired to her family’s Tennessee home, focusing on historical preservation.

Ruth Cleveland, born during her father Grover Cleveland’s second term, became a beloved figure as the first child born to a sitting U.S. president in the 20th century. Nicknamed “Baby Ruth,” she captivated the public, symbolizing hope and joy during Cleveland’s presidency. Tragically, Ruth passed away at the age of 12, cutting short her potential influence. Her death was mourned nationwide, demonstrating the deep affection Americans felt for her. While she did not have a post-White House legacy, her legacy endured.

Ashley Biden, the daughter of President Joe Biden, has used her platform to champion social justice, community development, and women’s rights. During her father’s tenure as Vice President and later President, Ashley maintained a relatively private profile, preferring to focus on grassroots initiatives. Post-White House, she founded Livelihood, a socially conscious fashion line that raises funds for underserved communities. A trained social worker, Ashley has also worked extensively on youth development, juvenile justice reform, and mental health initiatives.

Fanny Hayes served as a charming and gracious figure in her father Rutherford B. Hayes’ administration. Often assisting her mother, Lucy Hayes, who was one of the most active First Ladies, Mollie helped host dignitaries and elevated the White House’s reputation as a respectable family-oriented institution. After leaving the White House, Mollie continued to focus on social causes and charitable work, particularly in education and prison reform, along with her father.

Mary Harrison McKee, daughter of President Benjamin Harrison, contributed significantly as a White House hostess during her father’s presidency. She upheld social traditions and was instrumental in helping her mother, First Lady Caroline Harrison, organize significant events. In fact, Mary eventually took on the role of acting First Lady. Post-White House, Mary focused on philanthropic efforts, particularly in women’s education and civic causes, consistent with the Harrison family’s advocacy. Although her influence remained predominantly domestic, it had a widespread impact.

Amy Carter was one of the youngest First Daughters in White House history, bringing youthful energy and curiosity to the Carter administration. Her presence drew attention to the challenges of raising a child in the public eye. Amy occasionally engaged in protests and political activism during her father’s presidency, making headlines for her outspoken nature. Post-White House, she continued her involvement in progressive causes, becoming an activist for human rights, education, and social justice.

Malia Obama spent her teenage years in the White House as the eldest daughter of President Barack Obama. She became a symbol of grace and poise while navigating life in the public eye. Malia’s influence, while subtle during her father’s presidency, highlighted the warmth and relatability of the first African American First Family. Post-White House, she attended Harvard University and pursued a career in film and entertainment, working on major productions and advocating for creative storytelling. Internationally, her family’s status and global reach positioned her as an aspirational figure for young women.

Sasha Obama, the younger daughter of Barack and Michelle Obama, brought a relatable and youthful charm to the White House. Growing up in the spotlight, Sasha balanced her public role with a sense of normalcy, drawing admiration for her maturity and resilience. Post-White House, she enrolled at the University of Southern California, further pursuing her personal and academic goals. Though she avoids the political sphere, Sasha remains an influential public figure, inspiring young people globally as part of the historic Obama legacy.

Dorothy Bush, also known as Dorothy Walker Bush LeBlond Koch, is the only daughter of former President George H. W. Bush and his wife, First Lady Barbara Bush. She is also the younger sister of George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States, and spent her formative years following her family around on their political engagements. She was even baptized in the People’s Republic of China when she accompanied her parents on a trip to the East. She spent her adult years raising her family and doing charity or non-profit work, as well as writing a book about her life as a president’s daughter.

Margaret Woodrow Wilson was the oldest child of the 28th President Woodrow Wilson and former First Lady Ellen Louise Axson. Her mother passed away early in her father’s term as president, which led Margaret to assume the role of First Lady of the White House, then referred to as the White House social hostess. She did not hold this position until the end of her father’s term, having handed over the responsibility to her father’s second wife, Edith Bolling, once they married in 1915. Aside from her life in the White House, Margaret spent her time singing and even made a number of recordings.

As the only daughter of 33rd President Harry S. Truman and his wife Bess Truman, Mary Margaret Truman Daniel was frequently spotted with her father during his presidential term from 1945 to 1953. She was much loved by the media of the time and was a strong presence during important political events with her father. She herself pursued a career as an operatic soprano singer upon graduating from university before leaving behind the world of show business to pursue a career in journalism and radio. During her later years, she even took to writing both fiction and non-fiction novels, including a famous biography about the lives of her parents.

The only child of former 42nd President Bill Clinton and presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Victoria Clinton has lived up to her parents’ legacy as a former U.S. Secretary of State and U.S. Senator. She was an ardent campaigner during her mother’s campaigns for the presidency, first in 2007–2008 and again in 2016. In the latter year, she made over 200 appearances and earned master’s degrees from two major universities. Aside from politics, Chelsea has served on many boards and worked for major corporations such as NBC, Columbia University, New York University, and McKinsey & Company. She is also a published author who has received high praise for her research on global health policy.

Eleanor Wilson McAdoo was the youngest daughter of 28th President Woodrow Wilson and former First Lady Ellen Louise Axson. Eleanor was a great beauty of her time, something which is evident from existing photos. However, she didn’t focus her time on social issues or building a career, opting instead to do what was typical of the time and become a homemaker. She married and had two children before divorcing some years later. That being said, Eleanor did write a biography detailing the life of her father and even offered counsel for the 1944 biographical film Wilson.

Luci Baines Johnson is the daughter of 36th U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson and former First Lady “Lady Bird” Johnson. Initially born with the name Lucy, she decided to change the spelling to “Luci” in her teenage years as a way of exerting her independence. She converted to Roman Catholicism at the young age of 18, further rebelling against her Protestant and Episcopalian parents. Despite her rocky younger years, she went on to become the chairwoman of several businesses and a philanthropist for charities such as the Center for Battered Women, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and the American Heart Association.

Anna Roosevelt Halsted was the eldest daighter of 32nd U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. She was a newpaper journalist and editor who major publications, as well as an advisor to her father during his presidential term throughout the second world war. She was also appointed to the Citizen’s Advisory Council on the Status of Women, as well as the vice-chairman of the President’s Commission for the Observance of Human Rights.

Maureen Elizabeth Reagan is the first child of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan and his first wife, Jane Wyman. Jane was also an actress in her own right, but Maureen avoided a career in show business, instead opting for a life as a political activist. She was the first child of a president to be elected as co-chair of the Republican National Committee, although that endeavor ended in failure. She also ran for U.S. Senate in 1982 and 1992 but was unsuccessful both times. She was a proud Republican, but she held several views that differed from those of her father. Her personal life became a topic of interest once it was revealed that she had been living with a married police officer as a young woman, and she was married a total of three times throughout her life.

Patricia Davis, also known as Patti, is the daughter of 40th U.S. President Ronald Reagan and his second wife, former First Lady Nancy Reagan. She is the older sister to Ron Reagan, half-sister to Maureen Reagan, and younger adoptive sister of Michael Reagan, who admitted to having an addiction to prescribed amphetamines during her younger years. She went on to become a film and TV actress as well as a published author, generally avoiding getting too involved with politics. Despite her famous family, Patti carved out her own career, preferring a path more related to show-business.

Jessie Woodrow Wilson Sayre was the daughter of the 28th president of the United States Woodrow Wilson and his wife Ellen Louise Axson. She could have lived her life comfortably as the daughter of a president and a member of high society, but she was, in fact, a political activist who worked tirelessly for women’s causes. She was a proud suffragette who gave speeches, endorsed Democratic presidential nominees, and even became the secretary of the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee.

Lynda Bird Johnson Robb is the oldest daughter of former U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson and his wife, former First Lady “Lady Bird” Johnson. She is a magazine editor and the oldest living child of a U.S. president. She also served as the chairwoman of the board of Reading Is Fundamental, the largest children’s literacy organization in the country. A graduate of the University of Texas, she holds an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from several universities.

Helen Taft Manning was the only daughter born to 27th U.S. President William Howard Taft and his wife, Helen Herron. Born in 1891, Helen led a relatively studious life, having studied at Bryn Mawr College and later marrying a Yale history professor. She spent her life working as a historian, dean, and acting president of the college where she earned a scholarship in her youth, and went on to have two daughters of her own, who also pursued careers in academia. Helen was also a suffragist who traveled all around the country, lecturing and educating others on women’s rights.

Alice Roosevelt Longworth was the eldest daughter of former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and the only child he had with his first wife, Alice Hathaway. Despite her life as First Daughter, she was infamously controversial during her lifetime, having married Nicholas Longworth III, a Republican U.S. House of Representatives member, but conducting many extramarital affairs. She famously had a difficult relationship with her stepmother and thrived on public attention and rule-breaking.

At only 31 years of age, the impact and influence that Tiffany Trump will have have yet to be fully established. She is the fourth child of president-elect Donald Trump, but the only child born from his marriage to Marla Maples. Despite her young age, she made several public appearances during her father’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns, but her professional interests have previously appeared to lie outside of politics. She released a music video in 2011, after which she admitted to being on the fence about pursuing music professionally, and she previously modelled for a fashion show in 2016.

Ethel Roosevelt Derby was the daughter of the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, and his wife, Edith Kermit Carow. As the youngest daughter of the former president, she took on a preservational role in her adult life, working to conserve and safeguard both her father’s legacy and their New York family home. It was a role previously filled by her mother, but Ethel stepped up to the task upon Edith Carow’s passing. She also worked as a nurse during World War I and later as a Red Cross chairwoman during World War II.

Patricia Nixon Cox, also known as Tricia, is the eldest daughter of the 37th President of the United States, Richard Nixon, and First Lady Pat Nixon. She garnered a lot of public attention for her striking looks, and during her father’s presidential term, she assumed a more symbolically significant role rather than a politically active and engaged one. She would attend campaign events and state trips around the globe, before getting married and enjoying a private life away from the public eye. She has since become a board member of many medical research institutions and the nonprofit Richard Nixon Foundation.

Julie Nixon Eisenhower is famous for being the youngest daughter of former President Richard Nixon and former First Lady Pat Nixon. Her formative years were spent in the public eye due to her father’s presidency, but her mother made efforts to shield her from politics and excessive public exposure. That being said, in her adult life, she hasn’t shied away from supporting her father’s campaign or taking an active role in White House duties. She is also a published author and has remained an outspoken voice in her later years, whether by “trying to explain her father to the world” or endorsing political candidates who do not align with the positions her family has historically supported.

Susan Ford Bales is the youngest of four children of former U.S. President Gerald Ford and former First Lady Betty Ford, but their only daughter. Her father held office during the 1970s, during which time she enrolled at George Washington University. Having initially trained as a photographer and worked as a photojournalist, she eventually served as a board member and later chair of the Betty Ford Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse, a position previously held by her mother.

The daughter of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, and his wife, Jackie Kennedy, Caroline Kennedy has carved out a successful career as an attorney and diplomat. Since 2022, she has been serving as the U.S. ambassador to Australia, having previously served as the ambassador to Japan from 2013 to 2017. She grew up in the public eye, having been only two years old when her father became president in 1960. As the only surviving child of John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy, Caroline has been the subject of significant public interest and continues to wield considerable influence.

Jenna Bush Hager is the daughter of former President George W. Bush and his wife and former First Lady Laura Bush. As the fraternal twin sister of Barbara, Jenna shares many of the same attributes, but her career is not one of them. She is the co-host of a daytime television show and has made a name for herself as a TV personality and journalist. She is also the author to a number of books and serves on the board of the  Greenwich International Film Festival. Unlike many of her family members, she has chosen not to identify with any particular political party.

As the daughter of former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush, Barbara Bush was born into one of the most powerful families in the United States. She had some big shoes to fill and appears to have met the challenge head-on throughout her life. As the fraternal twin sister of Jenna Bush, Barbara enjoyed a comfortable upbringing in Dallas before moving on to Yale and Harvard Kennedy School. She has spent her adult years focusing on humanitarian causes and co-founding and chairing the Global Health Corps nonprofit.

As the oldest daughter of President Donald Trump and his wife Ivana, Ivanka Trump has always lived a life under intense public scrutiny. We know her today as having served as the senior advisor to her father’s administration during his term as the 45th president of the United States, as well as the director of the Office of Economic Initiatives and Entrepreneurship. But before she embarked upon her political career she was dabbling in the world of fashion, walking up and down runway shows for major fashion houses like Versace.