Anita McBride

Anita McBride is an internationally recognized expert on the legacies of American first ladies and operations of the White House. In 2024 she co-authored Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America’s History-Making Women, showcasing the evolving role of the first lady and its historical influence on the American presidency, politics, policy and global diplomacy. She also co-authored a first of its kind textbook, U.S. First Ladies: Making History and Leaving Legacies (2023), filling a critical gap in academic literature on the study of first ladies and their accomplishments. In 2024, she co-authored with her daughter a children’s book, First Ladies Make History, published by the White House Historical Association. McBride also serves as executive-in-residence at the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University where she leads (the First Ladies Initiative). She also serves as an advisor to the University’s Sine Institute for Policy and Politics. McBride is a highly sought after speaker and media expert on first ladies, presidential transitions and White House operations and has appeared on all major network and cable news outlets and in national print media. She also has served as a consultant to HBO’s Emmy-award winning series, Veep. McBride’s expertise on the White House and the influence of first ladies was acquired through her two decades of experience serving in senior roles under Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush in the White House and U.S. Department of State. She is one of the longest-tenured women in White House history. As Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush, she directed the first lady’s work on a wide range of global and domestic initiatives including education reform, literacy, women’s health, historic preservation, promotion of the arts and culture and stewardship of our national parks. She directed the first lady’s travels to 67 countries in four years to support the Administration’s U.S. foreign policy objectives in advancing democracy, global health, education and literacy, and women’s empowerment.