Author Archives: Feather Schwartz Foster

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About Feather Schwartz Foster

Feather Schwartz Foster is an author-historian who has made more than 500 appearances discussing presidential history. She teaches adult education at the Christopher Wren Association (affiliated with William and; Mary College), and adult Education programs at Christopher Newport University. She has been a guest on the C-SPAN "First Ladies" program. She has written five books.

The Taft’s Silver Anniversary Party, or Nellie’s Happy Day

Posted on April 7, 2015 by Feather Schwartz Foster

Helen Herron Taft was not destined to fully enjoy her days as First Lady, but the Tafts would celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary in grand style. Nellie’s Ambition, and an Anniversary Precedent Helen Herron (1861-1943) was an Ohioan whose parents … Continue reading →

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Martha Randolph: Jefferson’s One Slender Thread

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Feather Schwartz Foster

Martha Jefferson Randolph had many advantages as Thomas Jefferson’s daughter, but her life was far from happy. Patsy: The Early Years Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was twenty-seven when he married Martha Wayles Skelton, a twenty-three year old widow with a toddler … Continue reading →

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Young Herbert Hoover’s Best Career Move

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Feather Schwartz Foster

The story of Herbert Hoover is a true Horatio Alger story. Poor boy makes good through his own pluck and hard work. And a little bit of help along the way. The Making of an Engineer Herbert Hoover was an … Continue reading →

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Chasing Grover Cleveland in 1886

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Feather Schwartz Foster

History would come to regard Grover Cleveland as one of our most tight-lipped Presidents. The secrecy surrounding his nuptials would rank high on that list. President Cleveland: Affianced for a Year When Grover Cleveland (1837-1908) was inaugurated in 1885, he … Continue reading →

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Civil War Medicine: Dr. Letterman’s System Evolves

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Feather Schwartz Foster

Dr. Jonathan Letterman had devised, implemented and had gained success with a well-trained ambulance corps.  Then he turned his attention to medical practices itself. Civil War Doctors and their Equipment By 1860s, medical practice in America had barely evolved since … Continue reading →

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FDR Glimpses the Future: 1920

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Feather Schwartz Foster

In 1920, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was thirty-eight years old, and the Democratic party’s candidate for Vice President. FDR: A Moderate Career Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945) was not a spectacular rise to success by any means. He had a rather spoiled … Continue reading →

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Andrew Jackson Introduces the Polks

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Feather Schwartz Foster

James Knox Polk and his wife, Sarah Childress, had a match made by none other than General Andrew Jackson himself. James K. Polk: Young Attorney James Knox Polk (1795-1849) was North Carolina born, but Tennessee raised and matured. An unimposing … Continue reading →

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Mrs. Madison: The Widow Dolley

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Feather Schwartz Foster

The widowed Dolley Madison spent the last decade of her life in poor finances, but rich in friendships. The Legacy of James Madison James Madison was eighty-five years old when he died, frail, nearly blind from cataracts, but mentally alert. … Continue reading →

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Mrs. Adams, Dr. Physick, and Her Unmentionable Problem

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Feather Schwartz Foster

Louisa Catherine Adams: A Brief Medical History Louisa Catherine Adams (1775-1852), London born and Paris educated, was raised to be exactly what she would become: a perfect consort for a man of distinction. John Quincy Adams was the US minister … Continue reading →

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President John Tyler Elopes!

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Feather Schwartz Foster

John Tyler was a man of Firsts.  The First Vice President-to-President, the First President to remarry, and the President with the most children – fourteen. The President John Tyler became President in April, 1841, only one month after William Henry … Continue reading →

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