Caroline Harrison
Encyclopedia
Caroline Lavinia Scott Harrison (October 1, 1832 – October 25, 1892), wife of Benjamin Harrison
, was first lady of the United States
from 1889 until her death. She was the first “first lady” to be born in October.
, the second daughter of the Reverend Dr. John Witherspoon Scott
, a Presbyterian minister and professor of science and math at Miami University
, and Mary Potts Neal. Although the family was not well-off, Caroline's father made sure that his children were well-educated. Wherever they lived, he always filled the house with books, art, and music. Religion, too, played a large part in his and the family's life.
In 1845, Dr. Scott, along with several other professors, were fired from their positions after a dispute with the university president, George Junkin
, over slavery; Scott opposed it, Junkin supported it. After his dismissal, the entire family moved to College Hill, near Cincinnati, where Scott had accepted a job teaching chemistry and physics at Farmer's College
. It was in Cincinnati that young Caroline met one of her father's students and her future husband, Benjamin Harrison. The two began a courtship that would last nearly a decade before their marriage in 1853.
, Kentucky
to teach music. Suffering from the effects of pneumonia, she returned to Ohio soon afterwards.
Benjamin, or "Ben" as he was known, had studied under Caroline's father at Farmer's College near Cincinnati for nearly two years. In 1850, a year after the Scotts had returned to Oxford, Ben transferred to Miami University, partially for its strong academic reputation and partially to be near Caroline. Though their personalities were markedly different (Ben's serious and solemn, Caroline's humorous and lighthearted), the two fell in love. Caroline often took Ben dancing against the wishes of his father, a strict Presbyterian whose church frowned upon such activities. In 1852, during Benjamin's senior year at Miami, the couple became engaged. They decided to postpone the wedding while Benjamin studied law in the law office of Storer & Gwynne in Cincinnati and she finished school.
, Ohio
. They lived at the Harrison family's home for some time while they saved money and finally settled in Indianapolis
, Indiana
, after Benjamin completed his law studies a year later.
The first few years of marriage was a struggle. The couple rarely spent time time together as Benjamin spent his time working to establish his law practice. Caroline became pregnant, and because Benjamin worked such long hours, she returned to Oxford to stay with her parents during the pregnancy. In 1854, their first child, Russell
, was born, and she moved back to Indianapolis. Not long after her return, a fire consumed their house and everything they owned. The family managed to recover financially after Benjamin took a job handling cases for a local law firm whose founder had decided to run for office.
In 1858, Caroline gave birth to a daughter, Mary Scott
. In 1861 she gave birth to a second daughter who died shortly afterwards.
In 1862, Benjamin was commissioned as a colonel in the Union Army and raised a regiment of over 1,000 men from Indiana. During the day, he trained his men, and at night he studied military strategy. In 1865, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. After the war, he returned home to a hero's welcome and spent the next decade practicing law and getting involved in politics.
. Caroline had suffered from poor health ever since her bout with pneumonia years earlier, and thus was unable to participate in social events in the capital. However, she supported charities and headed the Garfield Hospital Aid Society.
In 1888, Benjamin was nominated by the Republican Party as its presidential candidate, and that November defeated incumbent Grover Cleveland.
During the administration the Harrisons' daughter, Mary Harrison McKee
, her two children, and other relatives lived at the White House. The First Lady tried in vain to have the overcrowded mansion enlarged and managed to assure an extensive renovation with up-to-date improvements. As First Lady, Mrs. Harrison secured $35,000 in appropriatations from Congress to renovate the White House. She purged the mansion of its growing rodent and insect population, laid new floors, installed new plumbing, painted and wallpapered, and added more bathrooms. In 1891 she installed electricity but was so frightened of it that she refused to handle the switches; instead, she left the lights on all night until the engineer came in to turn them off in the morning.
In 1889 she put up the first Christmas tree in the White House. She also introduced the custom of using orchids as the official floral decoration at state receptions. A talented artist herself, she conducted china-painting classes in the White House. She served as the first president-general of the Daughters of the American Revolution
. She worked for local charities as well.
With other ladies of progressive views, she helped raise funds for the Johns Hopkins University
Medical School on condition that it admit women.
The centennial of President Washington's inauguration in 1889 heightened the nation's interest in its heroic past, and in 1890 she lent her prestige as First Lady to the founding the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and served as its first President General. She took a special interest in the history of the White House, and the mature dignity with which she carried out her duties contrasted with the fun-loving spirit that had charmed Ben Harrison when they met as teenagers.
. At first, Mrs. Harrison tried to continue to fulfill her social obligations; but after her condition worsened, she traveled to spend the summer of 1892 in the Adirondack Mountains
, in what had become an increasingly forlorn attempt to fight the disease. After her condition became terminal, she returned to the White House
, where she died on October 25, 1892. After preliminary services in the East Room, her body was returned home for a final funeral at her church in Indianapolis.
After the period of official mourning ended, Mrs. McKee took up the duties of hostess for her father during the last months of his term. In 1896, Benjamin Harrison married his late wife's widowed niece and former secretary, Mary Scott Lord Dimmick
.
Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States . Harrison, a grandson of President William Henry Harrison, was born in North Bend, Ohio, and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana at age 21, eventually becoming a prominent politician there...
, was first lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
from 1889 until her death. She was the first “first lady” to be born in October.
Early life
Caroline Scott was born in Oxford, OhioOxford, Ohio
Oxford is a city in northwestern Butler County, Ohio, United States, in the southwestern portion of the state. It lies in Oxford Township, originally called the College Township. The population was 21,943 at the 2000 census. This college town was founded as a home for Miami University. Oxford...
, the second daughter of the Reverend Dr. John Witherspoon Scott
John Witherspoon Scott
The Rev. Dr. John Witherspoon Scott was an American Presbyterian minister and academic whose daughter, Caroline Harrison became first lady of the United States as wife of Benjamin Harrison....
, a Presbyterian minister and professor of science and math at Miami University
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
, and Mary Potts Neal. Although the family was not well-off, Caroline's father made sure that his children were well-educated. Wherever they lived, he always filled the house with books, art, and music. Religion, too, played a large part in his and the family's life.
In 1845, Dr. Scott, along with several other professors, were fired from their positions after a dispute with the university president, George Junkin
George Junkin
Rev. George Junkin, D. D., LL. D. was an American educator and Presbyterian minister who served as the first president of Lafayette College and later as president of Miami University and Washington College .-Biography:He was the son of Joseph Junkin, and the sixth of fourteen children born in...
, over slavery; Scott opposed it, Junkin supported it. After his dismissal, the entire family moved to College Hill, near Cincinnati, where Scott had accepted a job teaching chemistry and physics at Farmer's College
Ohio Military Institute
The Ohio Military Institute was a higher education institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1890, it closed in 1958.-History:...
. It was in Cincinnati that young Caroline met one of her father's students and her future husband, Benjamin Harrison. The two began a courtship that would last nearly a decade before their marriage in 1853.
Education and romance
In 1849, the Scotts moved back to Oxford, where Dr. Scott became the first president of the Oxford Female Institute in the former Temperance Tavern, which he had purchased in 1841. Mrs. Scott joined the school as its matron and the Head of Home Economics and Caroline enrolled as a student, studying English literature, theater, art, and painting. In her senior year, she joined the faculty as an Assistant in Piano Music. She graduated with a degree in music in 1853 and subsequently moved to CarrolltonCarrollton, Kentucky
Carrollton is a town in Carroll County, Kentucky, at the confluence of the Ohio River and the Kentucky River. Its population was 3,846 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Carroll County....
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
to teach music. Suffering from the effects of pneumonia, she returned to Ohio soon afterwards.
Benjamin, or "Ben" as he was known, had studied under Caroline's father at Farmer's College near Cincinnati for nearly two years. In 1850, a year after the Scotts had returned to Oxford, Ben transferred to Miami University, partially for its strong academic reputation and partially to be near Caroline. Though their personalities were markedly different (Ben's serious and solemn, Caroline's humorous and lighthearted), the two fell in love. Caroline often took Ben dancing against the wishes of his father, a strict Presbyterian whose church frowned upon such activities. In 1852, during Benjamin's senior year at Miami, the couple became engaged. They decided to postpone the wedding while Benjamin studied law in the law office of Storer & Gwynne in Cincinnati and she finished school.
Marriage and family
Benjamin and Caroline were married on October 20, 1853 at her house, with her father officiating. The newlyweds honeymooned at North BendNorth Bend, Ohio
North Bend is a village in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 603 at the 2000 census.-History:President Benjamin Harrison was born in North Bend. His grandfather, President William Henry Harrison is buried in the William Henry Harrison Tomb State...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. They lived at the Harrison family's home for some time while they saved money and finally settled in Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, after Benjamin completed his law studies a year later.
The first few years of marriage was a struggle. The couple rarely spent time time together as Benjamin spent his time working to establish his law practice. Caroline became pregnant, and because Benjamin worked such long hours, she returned to Oxford to stay with her parents during the pregnancy. In 1854, their first child, Russell
Russell Benjamin Harrison
Russell Benjamin Harrison , also known as Russell Lord Harrison, was the son of United States President Benjamin Harrison and Caroline Harrison.-Life:...
, was born, and she moved back to Indianapolis. Not long after her return, a fire consumed their house and everything they owned. The family managed to recover financially after Benjamin took a job handling cases for a local law firm whose founder had decided to run for office.
In 1858, Caroline gave birth to a daughter, Mary Scott
Mary Harrison McKee
Mary Scott Harrison McKee was the first lady to her father President Benjamin Harrison, when her mother, Caroline Harrison, was seriously ill and then died....
. In 1861 she gave birth to a second daughter who died shortly afterwards.
The Civil War
At the onset of the Civil War, both Benjamin and Caroline sought to help in the war effort. Caroline joined local groups such as the Ladies Patriotic Association and the Ladies Sanitary Committee, which helped care for wounded soldiers. At the same time, she joined the church choir and raised her two children.In 1862, Benjamin was commissioned as a colonel in the Union Army and raised a regiment of over 1,000 men from Indiana. During the day, he trained his men, and at night he studied military strategy. In 1865, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. After the war, he returned home to a hero's welcome and spent the next decade practicing law and getting involved in politics.
Wife of a politician
Benjamin ran for governor of Indiana in 1876 and lost. Five years later, in 1881, he was elected to the United States Senate. He and the family moved to Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. Caroline had suffered from poor health ever since her bout with pneumonia years earlier, and thus was unable to participate in social events in the capital. However, she supported charities and headed the Garfield Hospital Aid Society.
In 1888, Benjamin was nominated by the Republican Party as its presidential candidate, and that November defeated incumbent Grover Cleveland.
First lady of the United States
Mary Harrison McKee
Mary Scott Harrison McKee was the first lady to her father President Benjamin Harrison, when her mother, Caroline Harrison, was seriously ill and then died....
, her two children, and other relatives lived at the White House. The First Lady tried in vain to have the overcrowded mansion enlarged and managed to assure an extensive renovation with up-to-date improvements. As First Lady, Mrs. Harrison secured $35,000 in appropriatations from Congress to renovate the White House. She purged the mansion of its growing rodent and insect population, laid new floors, installed new plumbing, painted and wallpapered, and added more bathrooms. In 1891 she installed electricity but was so frightened of it that she refused to handle the switches; instead, she left the lights on all night until the engineer came in to turn them off in the morning.
In 1889 she put up the first Christmas tree in the White House. She also introduced the custom of using orchids as the official floral decoration at state receptions. A talented artist herself, she conducted china-painting classes in the White House. She served as the first president-general of the Daughters of the American Revolution
Daughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
. She worked for local charities as well.
With other ladies of progressive views, she helped raise funds for the Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
Medical School on condition that it admit women.
The centennial of President Washington's inauguration in 1889 heightened the nation's interest in its heroic past, and in 1890 she lent her prestige as First Lady to the founding the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and served as its first President General. She took a special interest in the history of the White House, and the mature dignity with which she carried out her duties contrasted with the fun-loving spirit that had charmed Ben Harrison when they met as teenagers.
Illness and death
Mrs. Harrison was noted for her elegant White House receptions and dinners. In late 1891, however, she began to battle tuberculosisTuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. At first, Mrs. Harrison tried to continue to fulfill her social obligations; but after her condition worsened, she traveled to spend the summer of 1892 in the Adirondack Mountains
Adirondack Mountains
The Adirondack Mountains are a mountain range located in the northeastern part of New York, that runs through Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Saint Lawrence, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties....
, in what had become an increasingly forlorn attempt to fight the disease. After her condition became terminal, she returned to the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, where she died on October 25, 1892. After preliminary services in the East Room, her body was returned home for a final funeral at her church in Indianapolis.
After the period of official mourning ended, Mrs. McKee took up the duties of hostess for her father during the last months of his term. In 1896, Benjamin Harrison married his late wife's widowed niece and former secretary, Mary Scott Lord Dimmick
Mary Dimmick Harrison
Mary Dimmick Harrison was the second wife of the 23rd United States president Benjamin Harrison. She was 25 years younger than Harrison, and was the niece of his first wife.- Biography :...
.
Children
The Harrisons had a son and a daughter:- Russell Benjamin HarrisonRussell Benjamin HarrisonRussell Benjamin Harrison , also known as Russell Lord Harrison, was the son of United States President Benjamin Harrison and Caroline Harrison.-Life:...
(1854–1936) - engineer, soldier, lawyer, state legislator. Born in Oxford, Ohio, he graduated with degree in mechanical engineering from Lafayette CollegeLafayette CollegeLafayette College is a private coeducational liberal arts and engineering college located in Easton, Pennsylvania, USA. The school, founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter,son of General Andrew Porter of Norristown and citizens of Easton, first began holding classes in 1832...
in Easton, PennsylvaniaEaston, PennsylvaniaEaston is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
, in 1877, and after brief employment with an Indianapolis gas company, was appointed assistant assayer at the U.S. Mint in New Orleans and later assayer at Helena, MontanaHelena, MontanaHelena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
. In 1884, he married May Saunders, daughter of Senator Alvin SaundersAlvin SaundersAlvin Saunders was a U.S. Senator from Nebraska, in the United States, as well as the governor of the Nebraska Territory for most of the American Civil War.-Education:Saunders was born in Fleming County, Kentucky...
of Nebraska. A man of varied interests, he also raised livestock and published the "Helena Daily Journal". He served as private secretary to his father during Harrison's term as president. Subsequently he was president of a streetcar company in Terre Haute, IndianaTerre Haute, IndianaTerre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
. During the Spanish-American WarSpanish-American WarThe Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, he rose from major to lieutenant colonel of U.S. volunteers. At its conclusion, he prematurely hoisted the American flag over Morro Castle, Cuba, in violation of the surrender terms and thereby drew an official reprimand. He nevertheless was appointed inspector general for Santiago Territory and provost martial for Puerto RicoPuerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. Discharged from the army in 1900, he became a lawyer and served as Mexico's legal representative in the U.S. for many years. He also served in both houses of the Indiana state legislature. - Mary "Mamie" Scott Harrison-McKeeMary Harrison McKeeMary Scott Harrison McKee was the first lady to her father President Benjamin Harrison, when her mother, Caroline Harrison, was seriously ill and then died....
(1858–1930). Born in Indianapolis, she in 1884 married J. Robert McKee, later a founder and vice president of General Electric Company. She was assistant hostess at the White House during the Harrison administration.