It’s depressing to be on the internet on a good day, but I remember the shock, several months ago, when “progressive Twitter” suddenly learned that Dr. Jill Biden is an academic doctor and that she’s a teacher/professor still, to this day. This sh-t was well-known during the Obama administration and beyond. After Joe Biden’s first wife passed away, he spent several years as a bachelor-widower, then he fell for Jill Biden and they married in 1977. She has worked throughout their marriage. She worked as a professor at a community college when Joe Biden was vice president. And guess what? She’ll still work if and hopefully when Joe Biden is elected president.
Jill Biden, a community college professor, says that if her husband, former Vice President Joe Biden, is elected president and she becomes first lady, she plans to continue her work as a teacher.
“I would love to. If we get to the White House, I’m going to continue to teach,” she said in an interview with CBS’ Rita Braver that aired on CBS Sunday Morning. “I want people to value teachers and know their contributions and to lift up the profession.”
It would not be the first time Jill Biden would have to balance official duties with her professional work. She taught English at Northern Virginia Community College during the eight years she served as second lady, along with working on initiatives to help military families.
This was so refreshing, I almost cried. Think about how amazing it will be to have a First Lady who talks like a community college professor and works in and around education. Compared to Melania Trump, who on her best day is merely an enigmatic golddigger, this is just nice and refreshing. Let’s get Dr. Biden into the White House so she can remain a professor.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red and Getty.
Why not? She can do it virtually. She doesn’t get paid to be First Lady (she should) and she is only stuck with a job because her husband wants to be president. After the current FLOTUS, I think US needs to rethink its approach to this aspect of Presidency.
I love Jill, she’s such a wonderful role model.
Jill Biden is what better represents the office of FLOTUS. A woman working – either within the WH for lasting change or outside it. If you think of Hillary or Michelle and compare them to Melania the role has become devalued.
I am worried for you that Trump will win and that in general the Democratic Party seems unable to move on but Jill Biden has to be part of Biden’s winning arsenal
What happens if the POTUS is unmarried? It feels like such a strange idea that it is always a married, practising Christian couple in the WH
Well, and also, always that the spouse is a woman. I think the role of First Spouse will change but only when women are elected President, and that’s a while off as we now know.
Also, race, because if you think Michelle Obama could have done this, you’re wrong. She’s beloved now but that was never a forgone conclusion. They tried to paint her as the angry black lady, if you remember the “whitey” tape. Which never existed, but that came close to setting the narrative. Michelle had to work very hard to make sure she was viewed as non-threatening. Years passed, and America loved her, but in the beginning? She had her work cut out for her. In no way could she have made the decision to continue her career.
Additionally, there would also have been issues with Michelle’s profession. Marilyn Quayle wanted to continue working as Second Lady but,as an attorney, there would have been ethics problems so she didn’t. Same for Hillary Clinton and Michelle, especially where Michelle was working as a healthcare attorney and her husband was pushing healthcare reform. It gets into all sorts of problems with whether the attorney is representing clients with business being legislated or if the client is trying to lobby for something.
I agree 100% re hetro and didn’t know about the majority protestant thing – that’s so interesting.
I felt that both Hillary and Michelle made a huge difference to the role of FLOTUS and I felt it was a backward flight of steps with Melania. This was what I was trying to say I certainly wasn’t shading them and I apologise if that was how my post came across.
In the distant past we have had single POTUS but now there seems to be an agreed format for what the ‘first family’ will consist of and it usually included a female spouse. I didn’t mean there never had been I meant within our memories.
In the past a big part of First Lady duties was being hostess at all the various events and parties. Also running the household. That was deemed to be a woman’s work.
When the president hasn’t been married (there have been some widowers and bachelors)-the hostess role has been filled by the president’s sister, niece, daughter in law or second lady. The only non married First Lady recognized by the WH historical society is James Buchanan’s niece.
The president hasn’t always been married. There have been unmarried presidents or widowed presidents. Daughters and nieces have filled the spot in the past. Harriet Lane, James Buchanon’s niece is considered one of the most active First Ladies.
And yes, it has so far always been a Christian, although whether they practice or not is up for debate. Trump is not a practicing Christian. And it has pretty much always been a Protestant. Until now, only three Catholics have been a major party nominee – Al Smith, John Kennedy, and John Kerry with Biden being the fourth. Kennedy was the only Catholic President and Biden was the only Catholic Vice President. Joe Lieberman was the only Jewish nominee for Vice President.
I hope this brings more attention to community college. I know so many people who have been able to start their college educations going to community college when other options weren’t financially or geographically available to them. I went to law school with a guy who didn’t have the financial means to go to a four year state school, so he did the first two years at community college and worked before transferring. He ended up at University of Michigan Law, which is no easy feat. I say, go Dr. Jill! Bring some attention to community colleges!
I know a lot of kids who were very solid students high school students with good grades who are doing the first two years in community college to get their required credits. It’s become the norm for a lot of working- and middle-class families.
I love that she has continued teaching at community college. I’m sure she’s been offered a ton of other positions at prestigious universities, especially in the past few years. There are 2 county community colleges near me, and both are really nice, and so much more affordable than others.
I had a hard time in high school and didn’t get great grades, went to community college and transferred to one of the best public schools in the country. And saved a bundle of money. It wasn’t me, it was high school. I highly recommend it for kids, you get smaller classes and more attention, while you are learning to adjust to college. Big universities have massive class sizes and it can be overwhelming, especially for your general ed.
There’s a lot of work going on right now with community colleges and four year universities in regards to exchanging credentials. It’s a going to be a pretty exciting time in the next few years.
I’m with you Kai. Some of my tweets have been tied to the Biden campaign on Twitter. I’ve said, “I’m looking forward to Jill being part of the change we need. Let’s begin with our children in school teaching them to research their family history and relate it to immigration, and being part of community.” I recall from my childhood in school the words, “America is a melting pot of immigrants. We all belong.” Crying as I write this, also with a smile. 🙂
I’m fine with that. It’s not 1950 ffs
Good. I like her a lot…more than Joe tbh.
I’m still so angry at the handful of “progressive” (I consider myself progressive) blue check jounos who were dismissive that she went by Dr in her professional life. It was good to see (mostly) women academics tear into the assholes who were demeaning Dr.Biden. I have several academics in my family, and while they say some can be dicks about being called “Dr” everyone understands why—especially why older women—like to be called by the title they earned. Even in more “women oriented fields” there was and still is misogyny, and I imagine as a 70 year old woman Jill dealt with a lot of shit & therefore wants to be called by the title she earned and deserves respect for.
YMMV. There are a lot of folks with non-medical doctorates who find using the term “Doctor” for themselves pretentious. There are a lot of talking heads on the news who have doctorates – for example Rachel Maddow – who do not refer to themselves as “doctors.”
I think it depends on one’s career. If you are a professor or in the teaching/academic field, most seem to use the Dr. (only 1 I know doesn’t).
It would be a little weird for someone like Maddow to use that when host a news program.
I think phDs (or other non MDs ) going by Dr in general life is pretentious, but only mildly pretentious. It’s not worth getting outraged over or anything. Going by Dr in an academic context is fine. I love Jill Biden in any case. Have always really liked her, since I read about her continuing to teach while Joe was vp. I get more excited about her in the White House than I do about Joe.
I love her. I have a family friend who has a PhD who insists on being called “Dr” too. She’s mid-70s, age-wise. I sort of thought it was pretentious when I was younger but now I get it. That generation went through hell to get a seat at the table (and I guess we’d argue whether women really do have a seat, but it’s better than it was). My mom used to get angry at me and my friends sometimes because she thought we were throwing away opportunities her generation had fought for. She told me her career choices were nurse, teacher (and then only until you got married), or nun. So if Jill wants to be called Dr. Biden, I’m here for it.
Regarding teaching until married — My grandmother worked at a cotton mill in another state to earn enough to attend a teacher’s college. She taught a couple of years, then married my widowed grandfather and quit teaching at the one-room schoolhouse that was within view of his farm.
They had a hard scrabble rural life. My father assumed his father’s stubbornness was the reason for her giving up that stable income. Shortly before my Dad passed, I was able to share with him that apparently this was once a common practice, if not expectation.
We know of a few women near my grandmother’s age who did continue teaching after marriage, so I guess it may have been more of a social expectation by the 1930s/1940s?
My great-grandmother was a teacher after marriage and was treated very poorly initially. The only thing that helped was that her husband was also a teacher. She went on to get a PhD in education and became superintendent of schools in the 1940’s.
@Enis – I’m glad your grandmother stayed the course and ignored the unnecessary scrutiny of that time.
I still don’t understand why marriage eliminated the chance for women to teach.
(Duplicate post)
@AA, I work at a university, and interestingly, whether people want to be referred to as “Dr” largely falls along age lines. The younger Drs (I am included in this) don’t care as much. My students often call me by my first name, and I actually like this because they can identify with me. Many of them are first generation college students or coming from diverse backgrounds, and they are intimidated by the “institution” of the university. Many of my older female colleagues insist on being called “Dr”, even by colleagues, which is just fine too. For many of them, the university wasn’t friendly to them at the beginning of their careers, and their titles are worn as a badge of honor. Many of them opened the doors that allowed future academics, like me, entry to the university.
@Noodle That’s interesting that you notice it comes down to age. Do you see the same trend with male professors who are younger foregoing the title Dr?
I have a PhD and I’m in my early 40s. I prefer to be addressed as doctor in my professional life only when someone initially meets me. Then I typically tell them to go by my first name, but it is situation- & person-dependent.
If Jill Biden wants to be called Dr, she should be. She earned it!
Interesting that you brought up nun. For many, many women that was the only way to get an education beyond high school and the orders paid for it. Those first years weren’t just religious studies to take their vows but included degree programs. Some were affiliated with universities while others were universities in their own right. Those women went on not to just Nursing and teaching positions but they ran major hospitals and colleges and laboratories and traveled all over the world. Some of the most accomplished women I have ever met, who did these things long before doors were open to women, were elderly nuns.
I worked at a Catholic hospital and our VP nun entered convent at 18, but ended up with three degrees, taught, ran a hospital, etc.
I totally agree with you Kaiser. We need experienced educators to stand up for students, teachers, and parents in Washington. Betsy DeVos has been hard at work trying to dismantle our education system. I will never forgive her for making it harder for sexual assault victims to come forward, trying to cut $50 million dollars from programs that serve kids with autism, and trying to cut the Special Olympics. Dr. Biden will work to improve our education system for all children and teachers.
I feel like if the genders were reversed, the nominee’s husband would be referred to as Dr. Jose Nominee.
Yup! This wouldn’t even be a conversation.
I want to see her excoriate DeVos. It is sickening to see DeVos in that position at all, given her utter lack of experience or understanding of our education systems. I want her to be taken down, and publicly, by an advocate whose earned her position.
I just long for the days of actual experts back in charge. During the Obama Admin. every Secretary and person of note in the government was educated and experienced. We’ve lost so much in the past 4 years because Twitler puts his buddies, or buddies of other rich GOPers, in positions of power they have no business occupying.
She would make an amazing secretary of education
Our disgusting current president is still collecting income from his real estate, golf courses and clothing line, even though at the beginning of this nightmare, we all agreed it was not allowed for a president to collect income from private businesses. If he can and still is able to do that – and pander to foreign influences by comping their stays at his properties to boot – our future first lady can very well continue to teach
Getting a Doctorate is an achievement that is hard work. I’m all for “call me Dr.” in your career if you have it. You earn that title and it not at all pretentious to use it. It’s deserved.
Dr. Jill Biden is awesome. She will be a great first lady.
Dr. Biden will be a wonderful first lady–giving education the boost it needs more than ever right now!
My husband has a PhD and was addressed as Dr. only on campus and for professional events. He and his colleagues never would use that honorific socially or for non campus events. Perhaps more of a regional custom than gender?
I watched the CBS Sunday Morning interview with her yesterday and thought, now there’s the First Lady. She’s smart and can go an entire 20 min without insulting someone. 😉 Seriously, I’m really not sure about Joe, but I think he’d be a damn sight better than the feckin’ eejit they have in there now.
She seems lovely. I only liked Biden because of Obama and now I like him because of her too