Late in Woodrow Wilson's second term, there were rumors that the President had suffered a stroke that prevented him from governing, so the First Lady took care of most official business. Edith Wilson, his young wife, did indeed take care of most of his business for several months after he had a stroke, but the government kept the whole thing quiet out of fear of political instability. Although Edith always said that she had only acted as a sort of secretary, most historians agree that she was essentially acting as President by reviewing state matters.
