Mary Monroe

Mary Monroe was born around 1857 in Ohio to Winnie Monroe, who Rutherford B. Hayes and Lucy Hayes employed at their home.¹ As a young woman, she often assisted Winnie with her duties for the Hayes family and eventually traveled with them to the White House.² In Washington, D.C., Mary and her mother lived at the White House with the Hayes family and, according to the 1880 Census, were listed under the generic term “servant.”³ Mary served as First Lady Lucy Hayes’s lady's maid. In this role, she helped dress the first lady, style her hair, and travel with her as needed.⁴ While living at the White House, Mary was also listed in the register of government employees as a laborer in the Treasury Department from 1879 to 1883.⁵ It was not uncommon for household workers to be listed as employees of other federal departments while working at the White House, which may explain the overlap between her listing in the Official Register and in the federal census. 

After President Hayes’s term ended in 1881, Mary remained in Washington, D.C., and continued working for the federal government. She and her mother also continued to receive financial support from the Hayeses, including assistance with funeral expenses when Winnie Monroe died in 1886.⁶ After her mother’s death, Mary continued working in Washington, D.C., as a servant in various family households.⁷ Further details about her life and death are unknown at this time.