The 2025 Louisiana Book Festival will be held on Saturday, November 1.
This website has a .gov link

The .gov means it’s official.

Louisiana government websites often end in .gov. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a Louisiana government site.

HTTPS Connection

The site is secure.

The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Nancy Kegan Smith

Home Featured Authors & Panelists Featured Participant Lineup Nancy Kegan Smith

Nancy Kegan Smith was an archivist at the National Archives and Records Administration from 1973 to 2013, retiring as Director of the Presidential Materials Division. She has authored book chapters on Lady Bird Johnson and Michelle Obama, is co-editor of Modern First Ladies: Their Documentary Legacy, and lectures on first ladies. She is a founder and current President of the First Ladies Association for Research and Education. 

 

Schedule

9:00 am to 9:45 am

State Capitol, Senate Chamber

Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America's History-Making Women

Diana B. Carlin, Anita McBride, and Nancy Kegan Smith with moderator Rebecca Boggs Roberts

 

10:00 am to 10:45 pm

Cavalier House Books Tent

Book Signing

Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America’s History-Making Women

Cognella Press is proud to announce the publication of Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America's History-Making Women by Diana B. Carlin, Anita B. McBride, and Nancy Kegan Smith. Remember the First Ladies is a groundbreaking book showing the evolutionary role of first lady and its historic importance on the American presidency. The book shines a light on the influential women who broke barriers and made a mark on our country and, at times, our world, during their tenures in the White House.

 The book includes both biographical and thematic chapters. It examines the influence of first ladies on topics such as civil rights, political campaigns, major speeches, and the White House across the span of the nation's history. Profiles of first ladies bring their histories, achievements, and legacies to life. Readers learn about the development and expansion of the role of first lady, from its origins under Martha Washington through its current iteration under Dr. Jill Biden. The book explores how first ladies have been uniquely positioned to influence American society, policy, diplomacy, and the life in the White House.

The three authors write and lecture extensively on first ladies and are founding members of the First Ladies Association for Research and Education (FLARE).