Dr. Katherine Jellison, portrait
The Agence France Presse news service quotes Dr. Katherine Jellison, Professor & Chair of History at Ohio University, in a story headlined “White House 2020 spouses eye new title: First Gentleman.”
But first ladies expert Katherine Jellison, chair of the history department at Ohio University, said that while Americans for 200 years have expected the president’s wife to dress, behave and speak a certain way, the prospect of a first husband might shake up expectations.
“Particularly in the mass media age since the mid-20th century, we’ve expected our first ladies to be practically superwomen,” she told AFP.
But “fewer expectations” would likely be placed on a man in the position.
“A first gentleman might give Americans a chance to ‘make-over’ our unreasonable expectations for the spouse of a president and allow future first spouses, whatever their gender, to be more themselves, and not have to live up to the role of perfect spouse.”
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