Jennie Tuttle Hobart
Image courtesy of the Special Collections & University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries, New Brunswick, NJ
Jennie Tuttle Hobart (1849-1941), the daughter of a prominent attorney, was born and raised in Paterson, New Jersey. She married Garret Augustus Hobart in 1869 as he was beginning his career as a lawyer and Republican politician. After Garret Hobart was elected William McKinley’s vice president, in 1896, the family moved to Washington where Jennie Hobart often served as hostess for McKinley, whose wife was in poor health. Her life as a Washington hostess ended with her husband’s death in office in 1899. Returning to Paterson, Hobart enjoyed a long career as a philanthropist and community activist.
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References:
Robb, George, and Stephen Hahn. 2017. Paterson lives. [Wayne, N.J.]: William Paterson University. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1031373153
Davis & Sanford. 1892. [Jennie Tuttle Hobart, wife of Vice President Garrett A. Hobart]. [New York]: [Davis & Sanford, 246 Fifth Avenue]. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1240264997
Questions to Explore
What did Hobart do as a philanthropist and community activist?
How did Hobart’s background as the daughter of a prominent attorney help her as a Washington hostess?
Additional Resources
Burstyn, Joan N.. Past and Promise: Lives of New Jersey Women. United States: Syracuse University Press, 1997.
Encyclopedia of New Jersey. United Kingdom: Rutgers University Press, 2004.