Special thanks to The Bradford Education Fund, in honor of 140 years, Missouri Mansion Preservation is proud to unveil to the public for the first time, interviews with Missouri former First Ladies. In 2008, former First Lady Melanie Blunt hosted the only “First Ladies Luncheon” to raise funds for restoration of the Mansion. The interviews with former First Ladies were featured at that event.
The former First Ladies and stewards of the Mansion share what life was like, how they brought history alive, enjoyed the beauty of the home, raised children there and participated in the living restoration. We hope you enjoy their personal recollections.
View all of the First Lady interviews by playing the video above or click the links below to play them individually.
- Betty Cooper Hearnes 1965-1973
- Carolyn Reid Bond 1973-1977 and 1981-1985
- Mary Theresa Ferkenhoff Teasdale 1977-1981
- Janet Roede Ashcroft 1985-1993
- Jean Carpenter Carnahan 1993-2000 (Fountain featured in video: The Missouri Children’s Fountain © Jamie G. Anderson 1996)
- Pat O’Brien Wilson 2000-2001
- Lori Houser Holden 2001-2005
- Melanie Anderson Blunt 2004-2009
Missouri Mansion Preservation (MMP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that leads fundraising efforts to support heritage tourism, education and historic preservation, in partnership with the State of Missouri. MMP was founded in 1974 by former First Lady Carolyn Reid Bond to preserve the Mansion.
