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Frank: The Story of Frances Folsom Cleveland, America's Youngest First Lady
The first full-length biography of America’s youngest, and perhaps most underrated, First Lady.
195 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
7 people are currently reading
151 people want to read
About the author
Annette B. Dunlap
7 books1 followerAnnette Dunlap is an independent scholar and journalist. She lives in North Carolina."
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October 23, 2024Good way to learn about our nation's youngest first lady, Frances Cleveland. Enjoyed the included letters and primary sources.
June 14, 2015
A few years ago I read “A Secret Life: The Lies and Scandals of President Grover Cleveland” by Charles Lachman. I obtained the book from Audible. This book had a great deal of information about Frances’ but from Cleveland’s viewpoint. There was lots of information about Frances childhood, much more than in the biography by Annette Dunlop. Dunlop covers more from the time Frances enters Wells College and Cleveland was the Governor of New York. They married after he became President of the United States on June 2, 1886 in the blue room at the White House. There was a 27 years age difference between them.
Their first child Ruth was born in the time between Presidential terms. She later died of diphtheria and is buried in Princeton; Cleveland was buried next to her. The second child Esther Cleveland was born on September 8, 1893 in the White House. She was the second child to be born in the White House; the first was James Madison Randolph in 1806. His mother was Martha Randolph, daughter of President Thomas Jefferson.
Frances was a popular First lady. She was beautiful, gracious, well educated, and spoke multiple languages. The author compares her with Jackie Kennedy and they both had problems with the press following them and lack of privacy. Both First Ladies protected their children from the press and public.
The book is a delight for trivia buffs as there is just so much information. The book is fairly well written and researched. The author quoted from Frances’ letters frequently. Frances turned over all her and Cleveland’s papers to the Library of Congress which still house the Cleveland papers.
I read this e-book on my Kindle app for my iPad. The book is 195 pages with a number of photographs.
Their first child Ruth was born in the time between Presidential terms. She later died of diphtheria and is buried in Princeton; Cleveland was buried next to her. The second child Esther Cleveland was born on September 8, 1893 in the White House. She was the second child to be born in the White House; the first was James Madison Randolph in 1806. His mother was Martha Randolph, daughter of President Thomas Jefferson.
Frances was a popular First lady. She was beautiful, gracious, well educated, and spoke multiple languages. The author compares her with Jackie Kennedy and they both had problems with the press following them and lack of privacy. Both First Ladies protected their children from the press and public.
The book is a delight for trivia buffs as there is just so much information. The book is fairly well written and researched. The author quoted from Frances’ letters frequently. Frances turned over all her and Cleveland’s papers to the Library of Congress which still house the Cleveland papers.
I read this e-book on my Kindle app for my iPad. The book is 195 pages with a number of photographs.
June 27, 2021
A charming short book(168 pgs) about a charming First Lady. The author was on C-Span's series about First Ladies last week(online at C-Span.org). That's where I heard of the book. I especially enjoy the comments from the permanent White House staff about "Frank".
"After forty-five years of service in the White House, Crook wrote in his memoirs, "I am an old man now and I have seen many women of various types through all the long years of my service in the White House, but neither there nor elsewhere have I seen any one possessing the same downright loveliness which was as much a part of Mrs. Cleveland as was her voice, or her marvelous eyes, or her warm smile of welcome that instantly captivated every one who came in contact with her". -Colonel W.H. Crook pg, 31
"After forty-five years of service in the White House, Crook wrote in his memoirs, "I am an old man now and I have seen many women of various types through all the long years of my service in the White House, but neither there nor elsewhere have I seen any one possessing the same downright loveliness which was as much a part of Mrs. Cleveland as was her voice, or her marvelous eyes, or her warm smile of welcome that instantly captivated every one who came in contact with her". -Colonel W.H. Crook pg, 31
April 15, 2010
Her life story is fascinating. I learned more about that time in American life, as well as the Cleveland Whitehouse. Highly recommend it!
May 31, 2010
At times I found the book a little hard to follow because they jumped back and forth time-wise. Overall, I really enjoyed this book.
July 12, 2020
I learned about this book on CSPAN3's series on first ladies---Frank was the topic of the first episode that I watched. I could barely tell you anything about Grover Cleveland, let alone his wife. But that episode and this book brought this woman to life. She was the youngest First Lady of all, married a much older Grover Cleveland at the age of 21. The wedding took place in the White House. Although young, she was praised by all for her maturity and her charm and poise before dignitaries and power mongers alike. She was a fierce advocate of education---promoting the avant garde notion of kindergartens, early education for young children and their mothers, and she supported Free Kindergartens for those with no means to afford such a thing for their children. In some ways, she was very conservative in her thoughts---she was an anti suffagist (although she did exercise that right to vote once women had it), she was a supporter of temperance. In other ways, very progressive--she was a staunch supporter of legislation dealing with intellectual property.( At that time, American artists and writers could not collect royalties for their work published abroad.) The most refreshing bit to me was just that such a young woman could respond with intelligence and dignity to being thrown into the position of First Lady where she was watched by the whole country. In looking at our current situation in national government, I see so many much, much older women and men acting with petulance and with so very little class----honestly, I do hope that some of these people are showing signs of premature senility rather than a lack of wit and poise. Anyway, I find myself, as I observe so little wisdom and grace in our aged leaders, impressed by this very young woman carrying herself so admirably while in the public eye. Makes me think of 1 Timothy 4:12---Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in love, in faith and in purity. Great reading.
March 2, 2024
I am very much into reading about U.S. Presidents, but that interest never carried over to their First Ladies. I don't know how I was led to read about Frances Cleveland, but I am glad I was. Her husband is largely known as the only president who served non-consecutive terms. (NOTE: Please let him remain the only one!), but he appears to have been a pretty successful one . . . at least in his first term. He's also the only Democratic president in a sea of Republican Gilded Age presidents. For those who are unfamiliar with the Gilded Age, it was the period when robber barons (industrials) made huge profits at the expense of the other classes.
The Clevelands were a momentary breath of fresh air in the midst of political correuption and greed. For a long time Frances (Frank) was the Jackie Kennedy of the country before there was a Jackie Kennedy. The country loved her. She was considered beautiful (a matter of taste, I suppose) and charming. When there was a scent of women's suffrage ahead, she was a stand-by-your man type of woman who was against women's rights. She thought, as many still did at the time, that a woman's place was in the home running domestics. But that's not to say that she was strictly a homebody or against progress for women. She was a strong leader in establishing kindergartens for the poor, the Campfire Girls and the Girl Scouts. She didn't simply send organizations money but was active in the work of their causes.
After reading this book, I felt admiration for Frank Folsom Cleveland. In a time of great change, she stuck to her guns while also dedicating herself to the causes she believed in. I think her image suffers from the fact that she was 100% a feminist. Keeping in mind the world in which she lived, she was one incredible lady
The Clevelands were a momentary breath of fresh air in the midst of political correuption and greed. For a long time Frances (Frank) was the Jackie Kennedy of the country before there was a Jackie Kennedy. The country loved her. She was considered beautiful (a matter of taste, I suppose) and charming. When there was a scent of women's suffrage ahead, she was a stand-by-your man type of woman who was against women's rights. She thought, as many still did at the time, that a woman's place was in the home running domestics. But that's not to say that she was strictly a homebody or against progress for women. She was a strong leader in establishing kindergartens for the poor, the Campfire Girls and the Girl Scouts. She didn't simply send organizations money but was active in the work of their causes.
After reading this book, I felt admiration for Frank Folsom Cleveland. In a time of great change, she stuck to her guns while also dedicating herself to the causes she believed in. I think her image suffers from the fact that she was 100% a feminist. Keeping in mind the world in which she lived, she was one incredible lady
April 9, 2018
It took me some time to get into this book. I would often find myself having read a page or two but my eyes merely passed over the words without understanding them, and I would have to go back and reread.
As for the book, it offered some new insights into the life of this gilded-age first lady. She seems to be very much a person of her times. I often felt sorry for her as her role as wife and mother kept her from using her intelligence and talents, often leaving her bored at home. It seems later in life, after Mr. Cleveland died, she found greater opportunity to involve herself politically, even though she was a staunch anti-suffragist.
So, if you want to read a book about Frances Folsom Cleveland, I guess it will be this one as it's the only one I know of.
As for the book, it offered some new insights into the life of this gilded-age first lady. She seems to be very much a person of her times. I often felt sorry for her as her role as wife and mother kept her from using her intelligence and talents, often leaving her bored at home. It seems later in life, after Mr. Cleveland died, she found greater opportunity to involve herself politically, even though she was a staunch anti-suffragist.
So, if you want to read a book about Frances Folsom Cleveland, I guess it will be this one as it's the only one I know of.
May 7, 2019
One of the better biographies that my 1st Ladie's book club has read. It was quick, concise and full of information about a little spoken of First Lady. We wish there was more details about her 2nd marriage and the years between the presidencies. Using her letters was a brilliant touch.
February 27, 2025
This book was a very quick read. The author does a good job profiling our nation's youngest First Lady. Frances Cleveland ranks as one of our nation's most popular first ladies. My only wish with this biography was that it was more exhaustive.
July 16, 2020
Wished there was a little more national context, but overall fine biography of a first lady I knew nothing about
May 6, 2014
More an extended encyclopedia entry then a comprehensive biography, Annette Dunlap's survey of the life of America's youngest first lady sketches the life of an intriguing figure without ever going too far below the surface. Frances "Frank" Cleveland is a barely remembered First Lady, overshadowed by the tragic glamor of Jacqueline Kennedy, the social activism of Eleanor Roosevelt and even the lunacy of Mary Todd Lincoln. But Frank married Cleveland in more ways then one and as his second term was considered a failure best forgotten, so too has Frank been exiled from thought. Some historians have tried to rehabilitate Cleveland's reputation so it's not surprising that Frank would be resurrected as well. Dunlap herself clearly hopes to champion Frank but her polite narrative is far too brief to ever allow the reader a chance to form their own opinion.
Although the story of how Frank came to marry Grover Cleveland can be viewed with a romantic eye, it's impossible even for Dunlap's conservative eye to ignore the creepier aspects of a relationship that started when Frank was a little girl. Cleveland was her father's law partner and was left responsible for the family after Mr. Folsom's untimely death. Although she was only eleven, there were already hints that Cleveland had "tender feelings" for her. Asked about his plans for marriage by his sister, he even made the cryptic remark that "I am waiting for my sweetheart to grow up." He would continue to foster a friendship and while history is foggy on the exact point when relations became romantic, the fact remains that Frank married "Uncle Cleve" less then a decade after her father's death. It's a vaguely unnerving story by today's standards, although one does have to remember this was a much different age.
Still, one does have to wonder how this unique relationship at a key part in her development helped turn her into the "unconventional woman" of later years. She seems to have displayed a preternatural maturity when it came to handling both the press and the public, manipulating both as easily as they tried to manipulate her. She and Cleveland clearly had their stormier moments, as he strove to keep her out of politics even as she fought to find a way in. As First Lady, she performed charity work, helping bring copyright law to America, influenced the direction of American fashion by not wearing a bustle and was instrumental in helping to introduce the kindergarten to American children. Somewhere during this, she also found the time to have three children and raise a battalion of dogs.
After Cleveland's death, Frank continued the same sort of work, eventually lending her presence to the National Security League and to an organization that opposed women's suffrage. This last point is one of particular interest, as it seems the ultimate manifestation of her lifelong attempt to reconcile what were clearly some conflicting thoughts on a woman's role in the political sphere. But perhaps most revealing story is that one that took place in her golden years when she was suddenly faced with the possibility of going blind. Rather then sink into depression, Frank quickly taught herself Braille. This alone seems to demonstrate an enviable strength of character.
Too bad all this whizzes by the reader at lightning speed; anyone interested in reading Frank would be wise to read up on Gilded Age politics first (try Alyn Brodsky's biography of Cleveland, for a start). Dunlap assumes a familiarity with the era surrounding Frank that most modern readers may not have and it's this that ultimately keeps the book from achieving greatness. Frank is definitely a well-researched account, drawing on newspapers, websites, Cleveland's presidential papers and Frank's own cornucopia of letters; Dunlap has even dug up an unpublished memoir by one of Frank's contemporaries, allowing for some unique insights into the Cleveland family. But the author herself fails to translate the research into any insights of her own; she reports the facts but shies away from any deep analysis or applying the facts against the larger backdrop of history.
This is the enviable characteristic found in the truly great biographies: one person's life becomes a window into an age. To view the complexities of Gilded Age politics from the viewpoint of a twenty-one year old first lady, especially one wrestling with a woman's place in the world, would have been a truly fascinating thing. Dunlap has definitely revived Frank, but it may take another biographer to truly resurrect her so she can breathe again.
Although the story of how Frank came to marry Grover Cleveland can be viewed with a romantic eye, it's impossible even for Dunlap's conservative eye to ignore the creepier aspects of a relationship that started when Frank was a little girl. Cleveland was her father's law partner and was left responsible for the family after Mr. Folsom's untimely death. Although she was only eleven, there were already hints that Cleveland had "tender feelings" for her. Asked about his plans for marriage by his sister, he even made the cryptic remark that "I am waiting for my sweetheart to grow up." He would continue to foster a friendship and while history is foggy on the exact point when relations became romantic, the fact remains that Frank married "Uncle Cleve" less then a decade after her father's death. It's a vaguely unnerving story by today's standards, although one does have to remember this was a much different age.
Still, one does have to wonder how this unique relationship at a key part in her development helped turn her into the "unconventional woman" of later years. She seems to have displayed a preternatural maturity when it came to handling both the press and the public, manipulating both as easily as they tried to manipulate her. She and Cleveland clearly had their stormier moments, as he strove to keep her out of politics even as she fought to find a way in. As First Lady, she performed charity work, helping bring copyright law to America, influenced the direction of American fashion by not wearing a bustle and was instrumental in helping to introduce the kindergarten to American children. Somewhere during this, she also found the time to have three children and raise a battalion of dogs.
After Cleveland's death, Frank continued the same sort of work, eventually lending her presence to the National Security League and to an organization that opposed women's suffrage. This last point is one of particular interest, as it seems the ultimate manifestation of her lifelong attempt to reconcile what were clearly some conflicting thoughts on a woman's role in the political sphere. But perhaps most revealing story is that one that took place in her golden years when she was suddenly faced with the possibility of going blind. Rather then sink into depression, Frank quickly taught herself Braille. This alone seems to demonstrate an enviable strength of character.
Too bad all this whizzes by the reader at lightning speed; anyone interested in reading Frank would be wise to read up on Gilded Age politics first (try Alyn Brodsky's biography of Cleveland, for a start). Dunlap assumes a familiarity with the era surrounding Frank that most modern readers may not have and it's this that ultimately keeps the book from achieving greatness. Frank is definitely a well-researched account, drawing on newspapers, websites, Cleveland's presidential papers and Frank's own cornucopia of letters; Dunlap has even dug up an unpublished memoir by one of Frank's contemporaries, allowing for some unique insights into the Cleveland family. But the author herself fails to translate the research into any insights of her own; she reports the facts but shies away from any deep analysis or applying the facts against the larger backdrop of history.
This is the enviable characteristic found in the truly great biographies: one person's life becomes a window into an age. To view the complexities of Gilded Age politics from the viewpoint of a twenty-one year old first lady, especially one wrestling with a woman's place in the world, would have been a truly fascinating thing. Dunlap has definitely revived Frank, but it may take another biographer to truly resurrect her so she can breathe again.
September 1, 2017
At times a bit too concise. The author attempts to highlight a First Lady that is a bit unknown but her story seems to get lost as it lacks development.
June 7, 2016
I found this a fascinating, well-researched book. It was actually hard to put down, and one doesn't get to say that very often regarding biographies.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews