WASHINGTON – Douglas Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris and the first second gentleman, visited the Library of Congress this month to do some “homework” on his new role. He heard the story a century ago from Lois Marshall, then the second lady in a Democratic government, and Grace Coolidge, the incoming second lady in a Republican government.
Mrs. Coolidge was nervous and unfamiliar with the city and its culture on the way to Washington. But Mrs. Marshall was there to greet her at the station when she arrived, said Meg McAleer, a history specialist in the manuscript department of the Library of Congress.
“It’s just the most empathetic contact a woman in this role makes with the woman who will take on the role,” Ms. McAleer said in an interview. “And it is not important to anyone that you switch from a Democratic to a Republican government.”
The atmosphere in the capital 100 years later is completely different after President Donald J. Trump’s efforts to undermine the 2020 election result. Mr. Emhoff had no direct contact with Karen Pence, his predecessor as Vice President, until they met on Wednesday during Inauguration Day ceremonies at the Capitol.
But she and her partners appeared at least outwardly friendly in a belated interaction on the Capitol steps before Mrs. Harris and Mr. Emhoff waved goodbye to the Pences. If nothing else, it was the kind of high profile, eagerly scrutinized moment where political spouses must learn to be graceful, and one that was unusual only because Mr. Emhoff was the first of his gender to fill that role.
With the inauguration of Mrs. Harris as the first female, black and Asian-American Vice President, the 56-year-old Emhoff registered two firsts of his own: the first male and the first Jewish wife of a President or Vice President. Although the details of what Mr Emhoff could do with the platform are unclear – he has discussed the focus on “access to justice” – his presence suggests a slow shift in gender roles in politics and beyond.
However, because of this shift, Mr. Emhoff is responsible for defining the roles of the men who come after him and for changing traditional perceptions of the role of a high profile spouse.
“I doubt people will look so carefully at what he’s wearing or whether he’s decided to get new carpeting in the living quarters of the vice president’s residence,” said Katherine Jellison, a history professor at Ohio University who studies history and women First ladies.
Ms. Harris and Mr. Emhoff were married in 2014 while Ms. Harris was the California Attorney General. Mr. Emhoff, a consumer electronics lawyer, became an avid replacement for his wife on the campaign. After the general election, Mr. Emhoff quit his job at the DLA Piper law firm, wondering if his work could lead to conflict for the Biden-Harris ticket. A transition officer declined to make him available for an interview.
The role of the vice president’s spouse is different for each person who holds it, former chiefs of staff told the vice president’s wives, with many using the platform to pursue different projects. Ms. Pence highlighted art therapy. Jill Biden, a full-time writing teacher at Northern Virginia Community College, helped launch an initiative for military families.
Like Mr. Emhoff, Marilyn Quayle, the wife of former Vice President Dan Quayle, gave up legal prosecution when her spouse entered the administration. She was looking for a law firm before Mr Quayle got on the presidential ticket with George Bush in 1988, but was later advised that the conflicts would be too big for her to practice as a lawyer and that her new position would provide a better platform to she Former Chief of Staff Marguerite Sullivan said after speaking with Ms. Quayle.
Lynne Cheney, the wife of former Vice President Dick Cheney, continued to work at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, while her husband served in the George W. Bush administration, said Debra Dunn, her former chief of staff.
Mr. Emhoff joined the faculty at Georgetown University Law Center and this semester is teaching a course called Entertainment Law Disputes. Ms. Pence taught art at an elementary school in Northern Virginia. Dr. Biden, who wishes to continue teaching at Northern Virginia Community College, will be the first first lady to continue her work outside the White House.
John Bessler, the husband of Senator Amy Klobuchar, Democrat of Minnesota, spent time with Mr. Emhoff on the campaign, calling him a “great ambassador” for Mrs. Harris. During the Democratic primary, a protester went on stage with little security for the candidates and took the microphone off Ms. Harris. You could see Mr. Emhoff climbing onto the stage and trying to take the microphone from the man’s hands.
Subsequently, Mr Bessler, whose wife was also a presidential candidate, sent an email to Mr Emhoff welcoming his efforts. “He was now officially the security chief for Kamala’s campaign,” Bessler recalled.
Chasten Buttigieg, a former theater teacher and husband of Pete Buttigieg, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate and Biden’s election as Transportation Secretary, recalled a moment on the campaign with Mr. Emhoff. “I’m not a theater type,” said Chasten Buttigieg, Mr. Emhoff told him. “I’m just a husband and I’m here to tell people why I love Kamala.”
With Mr. Emhoff’s new role, men in the United States could see that they could step back and “let women lead,” Chasten Buttigieg said in an interview. “And women can be the ones who have power and like what it means to be a loving and supportive spouse, and sometimes that means taking a back seat or encouraging your spouse to fly.”
Speaking of his visit to the Library of Congress in an interview posted on his Twitter account Tuesday, Mr Emhoff reflected on the legacy he might leave to future spouses of the Vice President.
“I’m really going to take what I’ve learned when I move into this role, but I’ll make it my own too,” he said. “I understand that I’m the first gentleman to take this role, and I definitely don’t want to be the last.”
