The woman who was the first female White House Chief of Staff

Wars & Conflicts · Published 17 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: History often overlooks the shadows behind the throne. While Eleanor Roosevelt captured the public spotlight, Marguerite "Missy" LeHand served as Franklin D. Roosevelt's closest confidant and de facto chief of staff for over two decades. She wasn't just a secretary; she was the gatekeeper of a presidency.

Marguerite LeHand entered the Roosevelt orbit in August 1920, initially supporting FDR’s Vice Presidential campaign. After his defeat, Eleanor Roosevelt invited her to Hyde Park to manage correspondence. Her competence led FDR to hire her as his full-time secretary while he worked on Wall Street. This partnership became foundational when FDR was stricken with polio in August 1921. During his long recovery, LeHand became one of the few people allowed into his Manhattan apartment and a constant companion during his therapeutic cruises aboard the houseboat Larooco.

LeHand's influence spanned from private rehabilitation to public policy. She acted as hostess for FDR’s Warm Springs home in Georgia, where he developed the foundation that eventually became the March of Dimes. When FDR won the governorship of New York in 1928, she was dubbed his "Right Hand Woman" by reporters. She managed his transition into the presidency in 1932, arriving in Washington as the first woman to hold the position of secretary to the president.

Despite her immense power, LeHand's legacy was obscured for years. Because she suffered a stroke in 1941 and left the White House, many of her papers were mistakenly attributed to her assistant, Grace Tully, until they were identified as Missy’s in 2010. While historians debate the romantic nature of her bond with FDR—noting she was simultaneously involved with Ambassador William C. Bullitt Jr.—her role as a primary architect of Roosevelt's political life remains a central study in executive power.

LeHand lived a life of significant physical sacrifice. At age 15, she contracted rheumatic fever which permanently damaged her heart, leading to chronic atrial fibrillation and her eventual death in 1944. Despite these health struggles, she managed the grueling demands of Albany and Washington, eventually receiving an honorary doctor of laws from Rosary College in 1937 for her professional achievements.

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