The Most Impactful First Daughters in History

By Stuart Wolf - Dec 27, 2024

Everybody's heard of the First Lady, but the term First Daughter isn't so well known. Many US president's daughters have stepped up to the plate to act as unofficial First Ladies, gone into politics, or used their family name to help the world as activists and philanthropists. We can't cover them all, but — in no particular order of importance or chronology — here are the most impactful First Daughters in history.

Ivanka Trump

Ivana Marie Trump, aka Ivanka, is the oldest daughter of President Donald Trump and his first wife, Ivana. Growing up in the spotlight, she became a model, strutting catwalks for major fashion houses like Versace. Then, she opened a Manhattan jewelry store, became executive VP of the Trump Organization, and worked with her father on The Apprentice.

Instagram // @ivankatrump

This wealth of experience saw her controversially become a senior advisor and the director of the Office of Economic Initiatives and Entrepreneurship during her father's first presidency.

Anna Roosevelt Halsted

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt Halsted was the daughter of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the most important, popular, and wise First Lady… Eleanor Roosevelt. Anna was her father's closest confidant and helped him through the last years of his wheelchair-bound presidency. She even accompanied FDR to meet Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin during World War II.

Wikimedia Commons // Harris & Ewing // Library of Congress // Public Domain

Anna joined the Citizen's Advisory Council on the Status of Women and even became Vice-Chairwoman of the President's Commission for the Observance of Human Rights. What an impressive First Daughter!

Caroline Bouvier Kennedy

Caroline Bouvier Kennedy is the daughter of John Fitzgerald and Jackie Bouvier Kennedy. Born in 1957, she was just five years old when her father was assassinated, and she's one of the few family members to survive the Kennedy Curse. Her uncle, Bobby Kennedy, was assassinated in 1968, and her brother, John F. Kennedy Jr., lost his life in a plane crash.

Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

Carolyn became an author, diplomat, attorney, and advocate for education and the arts. She's also served as the United States ambassador to Australia and Japan.

Mary Garfield

Mary “Mollie” Garfield Stanley-Brown was born in 1867 and was the daughter of James A. Garfield, the 20th President of the United States, and First Lady Lucretia Garfield. In 1881 — four months into her father's presidency — 14-year-old Mollie witnessed her dad's tragic assassination.

Wikimedia Commons // Library of Congress // Public Domain

The event deeply impacted Mollie, but she became one of the first women to enroll at Williams College. She married her father's private secretary, Joseph Stanley-Brown, and they settled into a quiet life. Mary helped preserve her father's legacy through Ohio's James A. Garfield National Historic Site.