Alice Sanger becomes first female White House staffer

Background. Benjamin Harrison, a Union army veteran and Republican, served as the 23rd president of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He won the presidency in 1888 by defeating incumbent Grover Cleveland in the Electoral College. Harrison was sworn into office on March 4, 1889, by Chief Justice Melville Fuller, establishing the administration under which Alice Sanger would later serve.

Sanger's Role. Alice Sanger was an American secretary who became the first woman to become part of the White House Staff in 1890. In 1889, she was the only person entrusted to view President Harrison's handwritten notes for the State of the Union address. This responsibility represented a significant break from tradition, highlighting her unique position within the presidential administration prior to her formal staff appointment.