Jill Biden facts for kids
Jill Tracy Jacobs Biden, born on June 3, 1951, is an American educator. She served as the First Lady of the United States from 2021 to 2025, as the wife of President Joe Biden. Before that, she was the Second Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, when her husband was vice president.
From 2009 to 2024, she was an English professor at Northern Virginia Community College. She was the first wife of a president to have a paying job during most of her husband's time in office. She was also the first to continue her professional career outside the White House while being First Lady.
Jill Jacobs grew up in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. In 1977, she married Joe Biden, who was a widower. She became a stepmother to his sons, Beau and Hunter. Jill and Joe Biden also have a daughter, Ashley Biden, born in 1981.
Biden has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Delaware. She also earned master's degrees in education and English from West Chester University and Villanova University. Later, she received a doctoral degree in education from the University of Delaware. She taught English and reading in high schools for 13 years. She also taught teenagers with emotional disabilities at a psychiatric hospital. After this, she was an English and writing instructor for 15 years at Delaware Technical & Community College.
Biden started the Biden Breast Health Initiative, a non-profit group. She also helped create the Book Buddies program and the Biden Foundation. She is involved with Delaware Boots on the Ground and, with Michelle Obama, co-founded Joining Forces. She has written a memoir and two children's books.
Quick facts for kids
Jill Biden
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Official portrait, 2023
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| First Lady of the United States | |
| In role January 20, 2021 – January 20, 2025 |
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| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Melania Trump |
| Succeeded by | Melania Trump |
| Second Lady of the United States | |
| In role January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017 |
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| Vice President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Lynne Cheney |
| Succeeded by | Karen Pence |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jill Tracy Jacobs
June 3, 1951 Hammonton, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses |
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| Children | Ashley Biden |
| Relatives | Biden family |
| Education | University of Delaware (BA, EdD) West Chester University (MEd) Villanova University (MA) |
| Signature |  |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Delaware Technical Community College Northern Virginia Community College |
| Thesis | Student Retention at the Community College: Meeting Students' Needs (2006) |
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jill Tracy Jacobs was born on June 3, 1951, in Hammonton, New Jersey. She was the oldest of five sisters. Her father, Donald Carl Jacobs, was a bank teller and served in the U.S. Navy. Her mother, Bonny Jean Jacobs, was a homemaker.
As a child, Jill lived in Hatboro, Pennsylvania, and later in Mahwah, New Jersey. In 1961, her family moved to Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia.
Jill always planned to have a career. She started working at age 15, including waitressing in Ocean City, New Jersey. She attended Upper Moreland High School, where she enjoyed English class. Her classmates said she was a good student. She graduated in 1969.
College and First Marriage
Jill first attended Brandywine Junior College to study fashion. She found it wasn't for her. In February 1970, she married Bill Stevenson and took his last name. He opened a successful college bar near the University of Delaware.
She then enrolled at the University of Delaware, majoring in English. She took a year off to do some modeling. She and Stevenson separated in 1974 and divorced in May 1975.
Meeting Joe Biden and Second Marriage
Jill met Senator Joe Biden in March 1975 on a blind date. Even though he was older, she was impressed by his polite manners. She told her mother, "Mom, I finally met a gentleman."
Jill graduated with a bachelor's degree in English in 1975. She started teaching as a substitute, then full-time at St. Mark's High School in Wilmington.
Jill and Joe Biden married on June 17, 1977, in New York City. This was four and a half years after Joe Biden's first wife and infant daughter died in a car accident. Jill raised Joe's sons, Beau and Hunter, as her own. They called her "Mom."
Jill continued teaching while earning a master's degree from West Chester State College. She received her Master of Education degree in 1981. Their daughter, Ashley Blazer Biden, was born on June 8, 1981. Jill took two years off to raise the children.
She then returned to teaching English and history to students with emotional disabilities. She taught at the Rockford Center psychiatric hospital for five years. In 1987, she earned her second master's degree in English from Villanova University. She taught at Claymont High School and later at Brandywine High School. In total, she taught in public high schools for 13 years.
Teaching at Community College
From 1993 to 2008, Jill Biden taught English at Delaware Technical & Community College. She taught English composition and writing, helping students gain confidence. She enjoyed teaching at a community college, saying she felt she could make a big difference in students' lives.
Jill Biden also founded the Biden Breast Health Initiative in 1993. This group offers free breast health programs to schools in Delaware. She started it after four friends were diagnosed with breast cancer. She also helped create Book Buddies, which gives books to children from low-income families. She is active in Delaware Boots on the Ground, which supports military families.
In 2007, at age 55, she earned her doctoral degree in education from the University of Delaware. Her research focused on how to help students stay in community college.
Role in Presidential Campaigns
Jill Biden supported her husband's political career. During Joe Biden's campaign for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, she continued teaching during the week and campaigned on weekends. She focused on education as a potential First Lady.
When her husband became the running mate for Barack Obama, she campaigned more. She wore a pin to honor her stepson Beau's military service in Iraq. She was good at connecting with audiences and made appearances with Michelle Obama. She even graded student papers on the campaign bus.
Second Lady of the United States (2009–2017)
First Term as Second Lady
After the Obama–Biden team won, Jill and Joe Biden moved into Number One Observatory Circle, the official vice presidential home. As the new Second Lady, Jill Biden continued teaching. In January 2009, she began teaching English at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). She was the first Second Lady to hold a paying job while her husband was vice president. She was known as "Dr. Jill Biden."
In May 2009, President Obama announced that Jill Biden would lead an effort to raise awareness about the importance of community colleges. She continued teaching two English classes at NOVA. In August 2010, she appeared on the TV show Army Wives to help raise awareness for military families.
In April 2011, she and Michelle Obama started Joining Forces. This national program highlights the needs of U.S. military families. Jill Biden also supported USAID's FWD campaign, which helped raise awareness about famine and drought in the Horn of Africa.
She continued teaching at NOVA as a full-time faculty member. She tried to keep her teaching life as normal as possible. She shared an office with another teacher and held regular office hours. Her students often didn't know who she was, calling her "Dr. B." She was known as a caring teacher who gave a lot of homework.
In June 2012, she published a children's book, Don't Forget, God Bless Our Troops. It was based on her stepson Beau's military deployment.
Second Term as Second Lady
After her husband was re-elected in 2012, Jill Biden began her second term as Second Lady. She continued to support military personnel. She visited rehabilitation centers for injured service members and attended the first Invictus Games in London.
In May 2015, her stepson Beau Biden died from brain cancer. She later said this loss was "totally shattering."
She was by her husband's side in October 2015 when he announced he would not run for president in the 2016 election. She continued to teach at NOVA, handling a full course load. She also joined her husband on a tour for the Cancer Moonshot 2020 initiative.
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Biden meeting with officers of the New York Army National Guard in 2009
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Biden and Michelle Obama accompanying Haitian first lady Elisabeth Delatour Préval in Port-au-Prince, three months after the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake
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Joe and Jill Biden walking in the inaugural parade along Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., on January 21, 2013
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Joe and Jill Biden dancing with members of the U.S. armed forces at the Commander in Chief's Ball. Silk blue gown by Vera Wang.
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Biden meeting with the Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege in Bukavu in 2014
Between Roles (2017–2021)
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After leaving office in 2017, the Bidens launched the Biden Foundation. This allowed them to continue working on causes they cared about, like preventing violence against women, cancer research, community colleges, and military families. Jill Biden also became board chair of Save the Children.
In June 2017, the couple bought a vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Jill Biden continued to teach full-time at NOVA. She gave commencement speeches at various colleges, encouraging graduates to pursue their goals.
In May 2019, her memoir Where the Light Enters: Building a Family, Discovering Myself was published. The book focuses on her family life rather than politics. She said that while she was grateful to be Second Lady, she felt most at home as "Dr. B."
Role in 2020 Presidential Campaign
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Jill Biden was a key part of her husband's decision to run in the 2020 United States presidential election. She strongly supported his campaign. She continued to teach at NOVA during 2019, even grading papers between interviews. She campaigned in early election states, sometimes with her granddaughter.
She played a more active role in this campaign than in previous ones. For the first time, she took a leave of absence from NOVA to campaign full-time. She also learned about online teaching when the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States began. She planned to return to teaching at NOVA even if her husband became president.
In June 2020, she published the children's book Joey: The Story of Joe Biden. It described her husband as brave and adventurous as a child. In July 2020, she spoke about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education. She emphasized the need for a clear, science-based strategy for schools.
During the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Jill Biden spoke from a classroom where she once taught. She talked about making a broken family and nation whole with "love and understanding and with small acts of kindness."
First Lady of the United States (2021–2025)
Role and Continued Teaching
Joe Biden became president on January 20, 2021. Jill Biden was the first spouse since Barbara Bush to be both Second Lady and First Lady. At 69, she was the oldest First Lady to take on the role. She was also the first Italian American First Lady.
She continued teaching at NOVA, initially online due to the pandemic. This made her the first wife of a sitting U.S. president to hold a paying job outside the White House. She returned to in-person teaching in September 2021. She maintained her reputation as a tough grader who gave a lot of homework.
First Ladies often focus on specific causes. Jill Biden's causes included military families, education, and health care. She often balanced teaching with her duties as First Lady.
Domestic Initiatives
The Joining Forces program, which she co-founded with Michelle Obama, was restarted by Jill Biden. She visited military bases to highlight the needs of military families. She worked to support military families with employment and other issues.
During her husband's first year, Jill Biden led efforts to promote free tuition for community college students. This proposal was part of a larger plan, but it did not pass Congress. She publicly expressed her disappointment.
Jill Biden also supported COVID-19 vaccination. She toured the U.S. to encourage Americans to get vaccinated. She herself contracted COVID-19 in August 2022 and September 2023. In January 2023, she had surgery to remove skin cancer lesions.
She is a strong supporter of women's rights. In March 2023, she hosted an event for Women's History Month. She also hosted the annual International Women of Courage Award at the White House. In October 2023, she hosted a "Girls Leading Change" event to recognize young women's impact. In February 2024, she announced a $100 million initiative for women's health research.
Jill Biden also worked to improve the White House public tour. She wanted to make it more accessible and educational for visitors. The new tour, unveiled in October 2024, includes digital elements and historical context.
Foreign Trips
In June 2021, Jill and Joe Biden visited the United Kingdom for the 47th G7 summit. Jill Biden and the Duchess of Cambridge discussed early childhood education. In July 2021, Jill Biden made her first solo trip abroad as First Lady to Tokyo. She met with Japanese leaders and visited American athletes at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.
In October 2021, the Bidens visited Vatican City to meet Pope Francis. They also attended the G20 Leaders' Summit in Rome.
In May 2022, during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Jill Biden traveled to Romania and Slovakia. She met with Ukrainian women and children refugees. She also made an unannounced trip to Uzhhorod, Ukraine, where she met with Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska. This visit showed U.S. support for Ukraine. She also visited Ecuador, Panama, and Costa Rica.
In February 2023, she visited Namibia and Kenya. In May 2023, Jill Biden and her step-granddaughter attended the coronation of Charles III and Camilla in the United Kingdom. In June 2023, she attended a royal wedding in Jordan. She also visited Egypt, Morocco, and Portugal. In July 2023, she spoke in Paris to mark the U.S. return to UNESCO.
In July 2024, Jill Biden led the American group at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris. In October 2024, she led the American group to the inauguration of Mexico's new president. In December 2024, she made her final foreign trip as First Lady, visiting Italy, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and France. She visited U.S. military personnel and her family's ancestral hometown in Italy. She also highlighted education and health initiatives in the Middle East.
After the White House
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In December 2024, Jill Biden announced that she had taught her "final class ever at Northern Virginia Community College."
After leaving office, the Bidens returned to Delaware. In April 2025, it was announced that Jill Biden would become the chair of a new Women's Health Network initiative with the Milken Institute. This role continues her work on women's health research from her time as First Lady.
Writings
Books
- Biden, Jill (2012). Don't Forget, God Bless Our Troops (New York: Simon & Schuster) [children's book]
- Biden, Jill (2019). Where the Light Enters: Building a Family, Discovering Myself (New York: Flatiron Books) [memoir]
- Biden, Jill (2020). Joey: The Story of Joe Biden (New York: Simon & Schuster) [children's book]
See also
In Spanish: Jill Biden para niños
