These First Ladies Are Nearly Unrecognizable In Photos From Their Younger Years

First ladies have played a unique role in American history. They've always been of interest to the public. Long before Jackie Kennedy took on the role, Dolley Madison was praised by people around the nation for her fashion sense, and the entire country mourned along with Woodrow Wilson when his wife, Ellen Wilson, was laid to rest while the couple was still living in the White House. And first ladies have always had a certain level of involvement in the president's administration. Martha Washington set the precedent of hosting important guests and including the second lady in the activities, and Edith Roosevelt changed the nature of the office by being the first first lady to hire her own staff, further legitimizing the role and allowing first ladies to have influence beyond the White House.

Some first ladies have had major input on their husband's policies while others have preferred to stand away from the spotlight. Some first ladies weren't educated beyond high school while others came into the role with doctorate degrees. And while some first ladies exited politics as soon as their time at the White House ended, others went on to run for office themselves after watching their husbands make a career out of it. Each first lady's time in office has been a little different, and their vast differences in paths to becoming first lady prove it. Take a closer look at where some notable first ladies came from and their unrecognizable photos from their younger years.

The first part of Lou Henry Hoover's childhood was spent in Iowa. The future first lady was born in Waterloo, and when she was in upper elementary school, her family moved to California. The move proved fortuitous for Lou as she first earned a degree at California State University (then San Jose Norman School) in education, and she eventually studied at the Golden State's prestigious Stanford University where she met future president of the United States, Herbert Hoover. Lou's early life was marked by an affinity for the outdoors, especially enjoying camping and hiking.

Lou Henry Hoover's accomplishments are historically outshined by her husband's, but she was a successful woman, notably one of the first women in the country to earn a degree in geology. Stanford University remained an important part of her personal history far after she had moved on from the institution, and when she was first lady, she returned to campus to help establish the Friends of Music at Stanford, a program that still works to enhance the musical offerings at the school. Making the accomplishment even more impressive — Hoover's term as first lady was at the beginning of the Great Depression.

To this day, Eleanor Roosevelt is one of the most notable first ladies in American history. The wife of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eleanor is the only first lady to have held the position for more than two terms, and she made a major impact throughout her tenure. Long before that, though, Eleanor was a child of New York. She was born in New York City, but after tragically losing both her parents before the age of 12, she moved further north to live with her grandmother. At age 15, Eleanor moved to England to study at Allenswood Boarding Academy for girls.

Eleanor Roosevelt didn't stay in England forever. At age 18, she returned to the United States — New York City to be specific — and got involved in local happenings, notably the Junior League and teaching at the Rivington Street Settlement House. Eleanor eventually reconnected with her distant cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt, whom she'd first met as a child. The two got married on St. Patrick's Day in 1905, and her uncle, President Theodore Roosevelt, gave her away. Being so close to two presidents certainly helped Eleanor's status, but some of her greatest accomplishments were independent of the men in her life.

Bess Truman's life began in Missouri. She was somewhat destined to have a life in politics as her father was a public servant for much of his career, working as county treasurer, deputy surveyor, and in the United States Bureau of Customs office. Truman was the only daughter in her family, and she loved the outdoors and playing sports. Truman even played on her brother's baseball team. "The first girl I ever knew who could whistle through her teeth and bat a ball as far as any boy in the neighborhood," a classmate said of Truman, per her biography.

Part of Bess Truman's younger years was marred by tragedy. When she was a teenager, Bess' father died by suicide, and the death propelled her family to move to Colorado for a year. They eventually returned to Missouri, and Bess continued her education and became very involved in the community. Bess married Harry S. Truman, whom she had known since childhood, and when she became first lady, she continued her work as an organizer and a philanthropist. However, Bess didn't want attention for her work, so her life as first lady, though full, largely flew under the radar.

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No first lady has had as lasting an impact on pop culture in America as Jackie Kennedy. Known for her beauty, class, and fashion sense, Kennedy stood out from the start. As a child, Kennedy was witty and independent, and she was always praised for her looks. Kennedy is known for marrying two very wealthy men, but she came from a well-to-do family herself. Kennedy split her time as a child between her family's homes in Manhattan, the Hamptons, Virginia, and Rhode Island, and her hobbies included ballet, reading, and learning languages.

Jackie Kennedy was also a very accomplished equestrian. Per her mother, Kennedy's first time on a horse was at just one year old, and she won multiple national championships before she was 12. In 1940, The New York Times said of Kennedy's equestrianism, "Jacqueline Bouvier, an eleven-year-old equestrienne from East Hampton, Long Island, scored a double victory in the horsemanship competition. Miss Bouvier achieved a rare distinction. The occasions are few when a young rider wins both contests in the same show," per her biography. Horseback riding remained a hobby of Kennedy's throughout her entire life.

Jackie Kennedy was always an educated woman, and she continued her studies after high school at Vassar College in New York. The future first lady studied art, history, and literature, and she spent a life-changing year studying abroad in Paris. "I loved it more than any year of my life ... I learned not to be ashamed of a real hunger for knowledge, something I had always tried to hide," Kennedy said of her year abroad, per her biography. Kennedy eventually transferred to The George Washington University in D.C. and found work as a photographer after graduation.

Lady Bird Johnson was born and grew up in Karnack, Texas, and it was there that she developed a deep love for the outdoors. She also developed an affinity for reading, and she focused on her studies, convincing her father (Lady Bird's mother died when the future first lady was five years old) to let her attend St. Mary's Episcopal School for Girls in Dallas when she was 15. After that, she enrolled in The University of Texas at Austin, and not long after she graduated with degrees in history and journalism, she met Lyndon B. Johnson.

Lady Bird Johnson was able to balance marriage, raising a family, and a career. She and Lyndon B. Johnson got married just seven weeks after their first date, and about nine years later, they welcomed their first child (Lady Bird miscarried multiple times prior to the birth of their first child). But about a year before giving birth, Lady Bird bought a struggling radio station out of Austin and bolstered it enough to expand, all while raising her two children. Lady Bird even stayed actively involved in the business after her tenure as first lady.

Thelma Nixon doesn't get much recognition for her time as first lady due to her husband's scandal and subsequent resignation from the presidency, but Nixon was impactful in her role and is credited with making the White House more friendly to the public and more accessible for people with disabilities. Before that, Nixon was a California kid who graduated with distinction from the University of Southern California and began teaching thereafter. It was at a local theater production that Nixon met her future husband, and three years after graduating from college, Nixon got married.

Betty Ford's most famous photo from her time as first lady was taken just before she and her husband were set to leave the White House. Ford was captured dancing on a table, with few people now realizing that the first lady was a dancer all her life. Ford grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and when she was about 12 years old, she started taking dance lessons. In high school, Ford refined her dancing skills further with more specialized instruction, and after graduation, she attended Bennington College School of Dance in Vermont.

While at college, Betty Ford met Martha Graham, dubbed the mother of modern dance, and with an offer from Graham to join her school, Ford moved to New York City. She studied at the Martha Graham School, eventually becoming part of Graham's company and even performing at Carnegie Hall. Though Ford moved back to Michigan shortly thereafter, dance remained an important part of the future first lady's life. Ford began teaching dance again (as she had in adolescence), including lessons for children with disabilities, and she started her own dance troupe.

It's well known that Ronald Reagan was a famous actor before becoming president, but what fewer people realize is that Nancy Reagan had a career in Hollywood, too. Before becoming first lady, Nancy grew up in various cities around the United States. In college, she studied English and drama, and after graduating from Smith College in Massachusetts, she began seeking work as an actor. Nancy found work in television and on Broadway, and signed a seven-year contract with MGM starting in 1949. Some of her most notable roles include "Night into Morning" and "Hellcats of the Navy."

Barbara Bush grew up in Rye, New York. She met George H.W. Bush when she was just a teenager, and four years after they met, they got married. Most of Barbara's younger years were impacted by her relationship with George. Barbara dropped out of college to marry George, and her subsequent years were spent being a wife and mother. But Barbara's devotion to her family didn't hinder her ability to make change. She eventually gained a platform that allowed her to advocate for children's literacy and help raise awareness and funds for cancer research.

Hillary Clinton's stunning transformation began with her childhood in Illinois. Clinton was always a very civic-minded person, organizing food drives, participating in student government, and being involved in National Honor Society and her local youth group as an adolescent. Clinton was also very involved in Girl Scouts, an organization she was also involved with as first lady. Eventually Clinton found herself at Wellesley College, where she served as president of the Young Republicans Club before graduating and attending Yale Law. (Clinton changed her political affiliation due to the Vietnam War and the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., among other reasons.)

As noted, Hillary Clinton attended Yale Law after graduating from Wellesley College, and it was at Yale that she had another life-changing moment – Hillary met Bill Clinton for the first time. The couple began dating and eventually got married, and after graduation, Hillary took a teaching position at the University of Arkansas School of Law. During that time, Hillary also founded the Legal Aid Clinic and worked in prison advocacy. In addition to her various jobs, Hillary helped Bill run his first political campaign — a bid for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Laura Bush is another first lady who was born and raised in Texas. While growing up, Bush's parents stressed the importance of education, and through this she became an avid reader. After graduating high school, Bush enrolled in Southern Methodist University where she earned a degree in education. After graduating college, Bush continued her higher learning, earning a master's degree in library science from the University of Texas. Bush used her degree as both a public school teacher and a librarian, and she continued working outside the home until she became a mother.

Like one of her predecessors, Michelle Obama's stunning transformation began in Chicago, Illinois. Obama's father worked as a city pump operator, and her mother worked as a homemaker, and when Obama was in elementary school, she studied under her school's gifted program. The future first lady grew up in a close-knit family, noting that they all ate dinner together every night. "There was a process. There was a ritual of dinnertime ... All four of us sat together. We'd say our prayer," Obama said on an episode of the podcast "Your Mama's Kitchen." 

Michelle Obama is known for being highly educated, but there was a time in her schooling where the Ivy League graduate didn't know how things were going to pan out. When she was 16 years old and looking at post-high school options, Obama considered Princeton University, only to be discouraged by her school counselor. "I'm not sure if you're Princeton material," the counselor told Obama, per Vogue. Clearly the counselor was incorrect — Obama ended up graduating from Princeton with a degree in sociology before earning her J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Michelle Obama's flawless fashion has long been praised, but Michelle had a special relationship with fashion well before the nation was taken with her style. In a post on Instagram, Obama discussed what style means to her. "Long before I knew that my look might mean something to others, I spent many years figuring out what it meant to me ... [my] first style choices taught me that appearance and power are often intertwined. How you show up can be just as important as what you say or do," Obama said.

Melania Trump is just the second of all first ladies to be born outside the United States. She grew up in Slovenia (then Yugoslavia), and before embarking on a career in modeling, she spent a year studying at the University of Ljubljana. Melania initially stayed in Slovenia while modeling, but her work eventually took her to France and then the United States. Not long after arriving in New York, Melania began a relationship with Donald Trump, becoming his third wife and the mother of his youngest child.

Jill Biden has lived on the east coast her entire life. The former first lady was born in New Jersey and raised in Pennsylvania, and after studying at the University of Delaware and meeting Joe Biden, Jill stayed in The First State until becoming first lady. During their first several years of marriage, Jill balanced becoming a mother with pursuing more education and her career. By 1993, Jill had two master's degrees to go along with her bachelor's, and the year before her husband was elected vice president, Jill earned her doctorate.