This panel traces how First Ladies have influenced public life, advocacy, and presidential legacy.

The First Lady’s job description is famously… nonexistent. No handbook, no contract, no paycheck — just a front-row seat to power, a hugely public stage, and the constant pressure of getting it “right,” even when nobody can agree on what “right” looks like.

North Dakota First Lady Kjersti Armstrong leads this panel discussion, bringing together Betsy Fischer Martin, Anita McBride, and Michelle Orton. Together they dig into how the role actually works: not through formal authority, but through presence, relationships, timing, and a lot of judgment calls.

They begin, fittingly, with Edith Roosevelt, who helped formalize the role through White House restoration, social leadership, diplomatic hosting, and her role as advisor and anchor to President Theodore Roosevelt. Her partnership with TR helped shape a more modern presidency in ways we still feel today. The discussion then turns to how First Ladies have influenced public life and advocacy, while, of course, not leaving out the realities of being watched and judged at every turn.

These panelists bring White House experience, presidential history expertise, and leadership research to a question that isn’t only about the role but about agency and power: what does it take to lead when your influence is complicated, your visibility is relentless, and what you contribute is often both essential and forgotten?

About the Panelists:

• Betsy Fischer Martin is an Emmy-winning journalist and the Director of the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School.
• Anita McBride is director of the First Ladies Initiative at American University, and the former Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush.
• Michelle Orton is the Director and Johnson Endowed Chair of the Theodore Roosevelt Honors Leadership Program (TRHLP) at Dickinson State University in North Dakota.

This episode is part of a special 6-part series, recorded live from the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library during its Founding Benefactors Days, July 2-3, 2026, just ahead of the grand opening. Interviews, talks, and panel discussions explored the topics of leadership, conservation, civic life, and Theodore Roosevelt’s legacy today.

Find more media from the TRPL’s Grand Opening at TRLibrary.com/video.

For more from the podcast, visit goodcitizenpodcast.com.

Follow us on Facebook @TRPresidentialLibrary

Instagram @trlibrary

X @TRPresLibrary.

And sign up for our newsletter at trlibrary.com/newsletter to stay up-to-date on the TRPL!

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Good Citizen is hosted by Ted Roosevelt V and produced by The Future of StoryTelling in collaboration with Charts & Leisure, on behalf of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation. Learn more about T.R.’s presidential library at www.trlibrary.com.

Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation

350 Third Avenue

Medora, North Dakota 58645

Future of StoryTelling

Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher

Director, Carolyn Merriman

Producer, Alison Byrne

Assistant Producer, Madison Brown

Production Assistant, Tsuki Carlson

Charts & Leisure

Executive Producer, Jason Oberholtzer

Producer, Meghal Janardan

Editor, Garrett Crowe

Mix, Andrew Atkin

Music and Final Assembly, Michael Simonelli

With special thanks to Regina D'Alesio, Stephanie Condello, Meg Freshwater, Zineb Benchekchou, Edward F. O’Keefe, Robbie Lauf, Courtland Miller, and Matt Briney.

How did a man who fled New York City find himself in the Badlands? And what does it actually take to do it yourself? Happiness scientist and bestselling author Dr. Arthur C. Brooks walks us through 3 important lessons in finding happiness, each drawn from Theodore Roosevelt’s life. He makes the case that TR had the science of a good life figured out a century before Harvard researchers did. And he brings the same wit and energy to this stage that’s made him one of the most sought-after speakers on happiness in the country.

Robbie Lauf, executive director of the TRPL, also joins him, and the conversation opens up into faith, genetics, ambition, and what it means not just to be happy but to be fully alive.

Arthur Brooks is one of the world’s leading experts on the science of human happiness, appearing in the media and traveling the world to teach people in private companies, universities, public agencies, and faith communities how they can live happier lives and bring greater well-being to others. Brooks is a professor at Vanderbilt University and a senior fellow at the Harvard Business School. He is a CBS News contributor, columnist with The Free Press, and host of the weekly podcast “Office Hours with Arthur Brooks.”

This episode is part of a special 6-part series, recorded live from the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library during its Founding Benefactors Days, July 2-3, 2026, just ahead of the grand opening. Interviews, talks, and panel discussions explored the topics of leadership, conservation, civic life, and Theodore Roosevelt’s legacy today.

Find more media from the TRPL’s Grand Opening at TRLibrary.com/video.

For more from the podcast, visit goodcitizenpodcast.com.

Follow us on Facebook @TRPresidentialLibrary

Instagram @trlibrary

X @TRPresLibrary.

And sign up for our newsletter at trlibrary.com/newsletter to stay up-to-date on the TRPL!

--

Good Citizen is hosted by Ted Roosevelt V and produced by The Future of StoryTelling in collaboration with Charts & Leisure, on behalf of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation. Learn more about T.R.’s presidential library at www.trlibrary.com.

Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation

350 Third Avenue

Medora, North Dakota 58645

Future of StoryTelling

Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher

Director, Carolyn Merriman

Producer, Alison Byrne

Assistant Producer, Madison Brown

Production Assistant, Tsuki Carlson

Charts & Leisure

Executive Producer, Jason Oberholtzer

Producer, Meghal Janardan

Editor, Garrett Crowe

Mix, Andrew Atkin

Music and Final Assembly, Michael Simonelli

With special thanks to Regina D'Alesio, Stephanie Condello, Meg Freshwater, Zineb Benchekchou, Edward F. O’Keefe, Robbie Lauf, Courtland Miller, and Matt Briney.

This conversation explores the American outdoor tradition, conservation, and the role of hunters, anglers, and private leadership in protecting land, water, wildlife, and access for future generations. Featuring Bass Pro Shops founder and CEO Johnny Morris speaking to North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong, it’s a lively discussion that also touches on children and technology, patriotism, and the experiences that shaped Morris’ life.

This episode is part of a special 6-part series, recorded live from the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library during its Founding Benefactors Days, July 2-3, 2026, just ahead of the grand opening. Interviews, talks, and panel discussions explored the topics of leadership, conservation, civic life, and Theodore Roosevelt’s legacy today.

Find more media from the TRPL’s Grand Opening at TRLibrary.com/video.

For more from the podcast, visit goodcitizenpodcast.com.

Follow us on Facebook @TRPresidentialLibrary

Instagram @trlibrary

X @TRPresLibrary.

And sign up for our newsletter at trlibrary.com/newsletter to stay up-to-date on the TRPL!

--

Good Citizen is hosted by Ted Roosevelt V and produced by The Future of StoryTelling in collaboration with Charts & Leisure, on behalf of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation. Learn more about T.R.’s presidential library at www.trlibrary.com.

Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation

350 Third Avenue

Medora, North Dakota 58645

Future of StoryTelling

Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher

Director, Carolyn Merriman

Producer, Alison Byrne

Assistant Producer, Madison Brown

Production Assistant, Tsuki Carlson

Charts & Leisure

Executive Producer, Jason Oberholtzer

Producer, Meghal Janardan

Editor, Garrett Crowe

Mix, Andrew Atkin

Music and Final Assembly, Michael Simonelli

With special thanks to Edward F. O’Keefe, Robbie Lauf, Courtland Miller, and Matt Briney.