Dr. Jill Biden

NEW EXCLUSIVE
  • Educator, Military Mom, & NYT Bestselling Author
  • First Lady of the United States (2021-2025)
  • Second Lady of the United States (2009-2017)

When a handsome young senator showed up at her door in the seventies, Jill Biden never imagined that it would be the start of a love story that would one day take her to the White House—twice. She had no idea how quickly she would have to learn how to balance life as a political spouse, a lifelong educator, and a mother, then a grandmother, and now a great-grandmother.  

Jill Biden, Ed.D, served as First Lady of the United States from 2021-2025. She also served as Second Lady of the United States from 2009-2017. She worked as a full-time community college professor as Second and First Lady, making her the first presidential spouse to maintain a career while living in the White House. 

She was a leading messenger for the Biden-Harris Administration’s most urgent priority of navigating out of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic: urging communities to get vaccinated, safely reopening schools, and supporting President Biden’s agenda to rebuild a shuttered economy. 

As First Lady, Dr. Biden championed the causes that have defined her public life: supporting military families like her own; advocating for workforce development programs, community colleges, and the teaching profession; ending cancer as we know it through the Biden Cancer Moonshot; and galvanizing overdue investments and structural changes to women’s health research. She traveled to more than 40 states, 200 towns and cities, and 19 countries. By adding interactive technology and educational content to the White House public tour route, Dr. Biden reimagined the visitor experience and made the People’s House open and accessible to more Americans than ever before.

A proud and self-described Philly girl, Dr. Biden published her New York Times Bestselling memoir, Where the Light Enters: Building a Family, Discovering Myself, in 2019, and has published three children’s books, most recently in 2024, WILLOW the White House Cat.

 


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First Lady Jill Biden Hosts a Joining Forces Celebration at the White House - Get Sharable Link
Talks & Conversations with Dr. Jill Biden
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A New Chapter in Women's Health: Breaking Barriers in Research and Innovation

DR. JILL BIDEN delivers a compelling and deeply personal message on the urgent need to transform women’s health. Reflecting on her own advocacy, she explores how personal experiences have shaped her determination to push for lasting change in the world of women’s health. At the heart of her message ...

DR. JILL BIDEN delivers a compelling and deeply personal message on the urgent need to transform women’s health. Reflecting on her own advocacy, she explores how personal experiences have shaped her determination to push for lasting change in the world of women’s health.

At the heart of her message is the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, which she launched in 2023 to tackle critical gaps in funding and scientific understanding of women’s health. Dr. Biden will outline how the initiative drove research into the often-overlooked health concerns of women – from menopause to osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s disease to endometriosis – by making critical changes to the federal research process and securing nearly $1 billion in research funding.

Through powerful stories from women she has met across the country, Dr. Biden will illustrate the real-world impact of these gaps in research—and the progress being made to close them. She will lay out a vision for a future where every woman has the answers she needs about her health.

Her presentation is both a call to action and a testament to what is possible when science, policy, and advocacy converge to put women’s health at the forefront.

The Biden Cancer Moonshot: A Vision to End Cancer as We Know It

Cancer touches nearly every family, and for DR. JILL BIDEN, it is deeply personal. The loss of her son Beau to brain cancer reshaped her life—and ignited her and President Biden’s resolve to accelerate progress toward a future where the word “cancer” forever loses its power. The Biden Cancer Moonsho ...

Cancer touches nearly every family, and for DR. JILL BIDEN, it is deeply personal. The loss of her son Beau to brain cancer reshaped her life—and ignited her and President Biden’s resolve to accelerate progress toward a future where the word “cancer” forever loses its power.

The Biden Cancer Moonshot was more than an initiative; it was a nationwide movement to revolutionize cancer research, expand access to early detection and treatment, and eliminate disparities in care. It was about harnessing the power of innovation, collaboration, and community to turn hope into action.

This is a call to make cancer screenings a priority, to support the patients and caregivers who fight every day, and to invest in cutting-edge science that will change the course of this disease. Across the country, researchers, doctors, and families are proving that breakthroughs are possible when we work together. Their stories—of resilience, survival, and unwavering determination—are at the heart of this mission.

The Biden Cancer Moonshot is not just about ending cancer someday—it’s about making tangible progress now, so fewer families suffer the pain of loss, and more lives are saved. This is a moment to act, to believe in the power of science and solidarity, and to stand together in the fight to end cancer as we know it.

Investing in Our Future through Education

Education is the key to opportunity, economic mobility, and a brighter future for every student, no matter their background. For DR. JILL BIDEN, this is a lifelong mission shaped by four decades of teaching. At the heart of this message is a simple but powerful idea: every student deserves access to ...

Education is the key to opportunity, economic mobility, and a brighter future for every student, no matter their background. For DR. JILL BIDEN, this is a lifelong mission shaped by four decades of teaching.

At the heart of this message is a simple but powerful idea: every student deserves access to quality education, regardless of zip code or circumstance. Education should not be a privilege—it should be a right that empowers individuals, strengthens communities, and fuels economic growth.

Dr. Biden has been a staunch advocate for education throughout her career, using her platform to champion its importance, from early childhood education to education beyond high school. As an educator herself, she has spent decades teaching at the community college level and has consistently highlighted the critical role of educators in shaping young minds. As First Lady, Dr. Biden has worked to elevate the voices of teachers, promote the expansion of high-quality and equitable educational opportunities, and support initiatives aimed at improving K-12 education. Her commitment to education is reflected in her advocacy for resources for educators, and the belief that every child deserves the opportunity to succeed.

But education is not just about students; it is also about those who dedicate their lives to teaching. Educators shape the future, yet they face growing challenges—from recruitment and retention struggles to resource shortages. Dr. Biden believes that supporting and respecting educators is essential to ensuring that every classroom is a place where students can thrive.

This is a call to action. A challenge to leaders, educators, and individuals to invest in education—not just for today’s students, but for generations to come. The time to act is now.

Career-Connected Learning: Building Workforce Development Pathways to Opportunity & Success

From career-connected learning to free community college, DR. JILL BIDEN has long championed the policies that turn educational aspirations into reality. She has seen firsthand how access to affordable education changes lives—how it equips students with skills for in-demand jobs, supports working fa ...

From career-connected learning to free community college, DR. JILL BIDEN has long championed the policies that turn educational aspirations into reality. She has seen firsthand how access to affordable education changes lives—how it equips students with skills for in-demand jobs, supports working families, and helps rebuild the middle class. Community colleges, in particular, serve as engines of opportunity, giving students the tools to succeed while filling critical workforce gaps. As First Lady, Dr. Biden highlighted models that connect students to the jobs of the future, including the millions of jobs created by historic investments of President Biden's CHIPS and Science Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

As the world evolves, so must our approach to education. It is not just about earning a degree but preparing students to succeed in an ever-changing economy. When we commit to building real pathways to opportunity, we create a stronger workforce, a stronger economy, and a stronger nation.

Women Leading Change: Empowering the Next Generation

Women’s leadership isn’t just about breaking barriers—it’s about reshaping the world for the better. Leadership today demands collaboration, resilience, and a commitment to building a more inclusive future, and women are leading the way. DR. JILL BIDEN has seen firsthand how women—from classrooms to ...

Women’s leadership isn’t just about breaking barriers—it’s about reshaping the world for the better. Leadership today demands collaboration, resilience, and a commitment to building a more inclusive future, and women are leading the way.

DR. JILL BIDEN has seen firsthand how women—from classrooms to boardrooms to government offices—are driving change. She has met teachers who uplift entire communities, business leaders who challenge outdated systems, and public servants who redefine what leadership looks like. Their impact is inspiring—and essential.

Yet, systemic challenges remain. Too many women still face workplace inequities, limited access to leadership roles, and cultural expectations that undermine their ambitions. Change doesn’t happen by chance—it happens when we invest in mentorship, create pathways for opportunity, and challenge the status quo.

Education is at the heart of this transformation. When young girls see themselves as leaders, when they are supported, encouraged, and given access to a wide range of opportunities, they don’t just succeed—they redefine what’s possible.

This is a call to action. A challenge to invest in policies, programs, and people who uplift women in leadership. Because when women lead, communities thrive, industries innovate, and societies move forward. The goal isn’t just to open doors—it’s to make sure they never close again.

Prioritizing Mental Health: Expanding Support

Mental health is the foundation of our well-being, yet for too long, it has been overlooked or stigmatized. As an educator and lifelong advocate, DR. JILL BIDEN has seen firsthand how mental health impacts students, families, and communities. Early in her career, she taught adolescents with emotiona ...

Mental health is the foundation of our well-being, yet for too long, it has been overlooked or stigmatized. As an educator and lifelong advocate, DR. JILL BIDEN has seen firsthand how mental health impacts students, families, and communities. Early in her career, she taught adolescents with emotional disabilities at a psychiatric hospital, and those experiences shaped her deep belief that mental health care must be accessible, compassionate, and free of shame.

In her travels across the country, she has listened to students struggling with anxiety and depression, parents seeking help for their children, and educators trying to support young people while carrying their own burdens. These stories remind us that no one should have to face mental health challenges alone. We must break the silence, open the conversation, and ensure that support is there when it’s needed most.

We have an obligation to do better. That means expanding access to mental health care in schools, workplaces, and communities. And it means fostering a culture where seeking help is seen as a sign of strength, not weakness.

Let’s work together to prioritize mental health, confront addiction with compassion, and build a future where no one feels alone in their struggles. When we invest in mental well-being, we invest in a stronger, healthier, and more hopeful nation.

International Alliances, Diplomacy & Humanitarian Aid: The Biden Administration’s Global Commitment

DR. JILL BIDEN has traveled the world as both Second Lady and First Lady, meeting with Heads of State and Global leaders as well as refugees, displaced families, and aid workers in some of the most crisis-stricken regions. From visiting Ukrainian refugees in Romania and Slovakia to witnessing firsth ...

DR. JILL BIDEN has traveled the world as both Second Lady and First Lady, meeting with Heads of State and Global leaders as well as refugees, displaced families, and aid workers in some of the most crisis-stricken regions. From visiting Ukrainian refugees in Romania and Slovakia to witnessing firsthand the struggles of displaced communities in Africa and Latin America, she brings a deeply personal perspective to the global humanitarian challenges of our time. She also understands the importance of maintaining strong US relationships across the globe, and the power of diplomacy. In this compelling talk, she shares her experiences as well as the Biden administration’s efforts to strengthen alliances, provide critical aid, and uphold America’s role as a beacon of hope for those in need as well as the possibilities for future progress. 

Joining Forces: Honoring and Supporting America’s Military Families

Military families serve this country alongside their loved ones in uniform. They face deployments, relocations, and sacrifices most will never fully understand. Their resilience is remarkable, but they should never have to face these challenges alone. For DR. JILL BIDEN, this mission is personal. As ...

Military families serve this country alongside their loved ones in uniform. They face deployments, relocations, and sacrifices most will never fully understand. Their resilience is remarkable, but they should never have to face these challenges alone.

For DR. JILL BIDEN, this mission is personal. As the daughter of a Navy signalman and the mother of a soldier, she knows the pride, the worry, and the unshakable bond that defines military families. That’s why she led Joining Forces, a nationwide initiative to support military and veteran families, caregivers, and survivors.

Through Joining Forces, Dr. Biden worked to expand remote and flexible job opportunities, improve education for military kids, and ensure that caregivers and survivors receive the support they need. 

But this responsibility doesn’t belong to just one initiative or one administration. It belongs to all of us. Businesses can hire and support military spouses. Schools can create environments where military children thrive. Communities can listen to, learn from, and uplift military families.

America’s strength is built on the sacrifices of those who serve—and the families who stand beside them. Honoring that sacrifice means more than saying “thank you.” It means stepping up, taking action, and making sure military families have the opportunities, stability, and support they deserve.

Life in the White House: A Personal Perspective

As First Lady, DR. JILL BIDEN has balanced official duties with her lifelong career as a teacher—the first First Lady to continue working outside the White House. This experience gave her a unique perspective on the role of the First Lady, and life in the White House. She has hosted world leaders, s ...

As First Lady, DR. JILL BIDEN has balanced official duties with her lifelong career as a teacher—the first First Lady to continue working outside the White House. This experience gave her a unique perspective on the role of the First Lady, and life in the White House. She has hosted world leaders, supported military families through Joining Forces, and championed key initiatives in education, ending cancer as we know it, and women’s health research. In this intimate and engaging talk, she offers a behind-the-scenes look at life in the White House, the moments that have shaped her tenure, and the values that guided her as she served the American people as First Lady.

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Biography

As First Lady, Dr. Biden focused on reaching out to all Americans, helping to bring our country together.

She championed the causes that defined her public life: supporting military families, advocating for increased educational opportunities for all, working to end cancer as we know it, and advancing women’s health research. She also served as a leading messenger for the Biden-Harris Administration’s most urgent priorities, including: safely reopening schools after the pandemic’s shutdown, urging communities to get vaccinated against COVID-19, supporting President Biden’s economic agenda, and helping restore U.S. global relations.

Dr. Biden viewed her role as First Lady as an act of service, and she worked to reach beyond the halls of the White House, connecting with people wherever they were. As First Lady, she traveled to more than 40 states, 200 towns and cities, and 19 countries. She was a messenger and listener, bringing the compelling stories of Americans and their experiences back to the White House. During her tenure as First Lady, she advanced the missions of key White House initiatives—Joining Forces, the Biden Cancer Moonshot, and the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, continued to champion education for all, and worked to open the doors of the White House—the People’s House—to more Americans than ever before.

JOINING FORCES

Shortly into her tenure as First Lady, Dr. Biden announced the next phase and priorities of Joining Forces, her White House initiative to support military and veteran families, caregivers, and survivors. As First Lady, she visited over 30 military installations; worked with Joining Forces partners to support over 80 engagements with the military-connected community; and launched an interagency working group with the National Security Council, which secured over 80 commitments and proposals across the federal government to support military families. Through her Joining Forces work, she advocated for: increased economic opportunities for military spouses; additional educational programming and support for military children; more focus on health and wellness in the military community; and improved resources for caregivers and survivors, including military and veteran children in caregiving homes.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL

Dr. Biden was a classroom teacher for 40 years. Advocating for increased educational opportunities for all students, of all ages, has always been close to Dr. Biden’s heart. From championing universal pre-school, teacher recruitment and retention, opportunities for career-connected learning, and more affordable options for education after high school, including free community college, as First Lady Dr. Biden promoted quality education for everyone.

THE BIDEN CANCER MOONSHOT

Cancer affects every community and it’s a common dark thread for so many, including the Biden family. In recognition of World Cancer Day 2022, President Biden and Dr. Biden reignited the Biden Cancer Moonshot, and laid out bold goals and a vision to end cancer as we know it. As First Lady, Dr. Biden continued to work on behalf of American families confronting cancer, focusing on supporting patients and their loved ones during their cancer journeys; urging Americans to prioritize their cancer screenings; and reducing health inequities in diagnosis, treatment, research, and outcomes.
 
ADVANCING WOMEN’S HEALTH RESEARCH

President Biden and Dr. Biden launched the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research in November of 2023 with a clear goal: to fundamentally change how our country approaches and funds research on women’s health. Research on women’s health, especially for women in mid-life and beyond, had always been underfunded and understudied – but because of Dr. Biden’s leadership in this area, the disparity has started to change. In his 2024 State of the Union, President Biden called on Congress to make a transformative investment of $12 billion in new funding for women’s health research. He also signed an Executive Order to advance Women’s Health Research and Innovation, directing the most comprehensive set of executive actions ever taken to expand and improve research on women’s health. From its launch
 in November 2023 to the end of the Biden administration, the Initiative galvanized nearly $1 billion in funding to close gaps in research.

REIMAGINING THE WHITE HOUSE TOUR EXPERIENCE FOR VISITORS

When President Biden took office, Dr. Biden trained her educator’s eye on reimagining the White House public tour. She believed that the public tour, which accommodates approximately 10,000 visitors per week, could be a significant opportunity to educate students of all ages about the living history of the White House and our country – but until 2024, the public tour hadn’t seen significant improvements in decades. Because of Dr. Biden’s vision and leadership, and thanks to the generosity of the History Channel, the enhanced White House public tour now includes more educational and engaging elements along the tour route; incorporates more story-telling in the tour using technology and digital components; provides visitors with more historic context to their tour; and presents more opportunities for learning about our nation’s history, civics, and the lives of Presidents and first families, past and present.

The reimagined, expanded White House public tour route now brings visitors further into rooms which were previously roped off, and now includes the Diplomatic Reception Room, where President Franklin D. Roosevelt held his famous fireside chats. This lasting contribution by Dr. Biden lives on at the White House, educating visitors for years to come.

IN THE CLASSROOM

While serving as First Lady, Dr. Biden continued teaching English and writing at Northern Virginia Community College, where she was a professor from 2009 through 2024. She was the first presidential spouse to maintain an independent career outside of the White House.

EARLY LIFE AND CAREER

Jill Tracy Jacobs Biden was born on June 3, 1951, in Hammonton, New Jersey, to Bonny Jean Godfrey Jacobs and Donald Carl Jacobs. The oldest of five daughters, she grew up in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia. She graduated from Upper Moreland High School in 1969, then graduated from the University of Delaware with a bachelor’s degree in English in 1975.

In 1976, Jill Biden began teaching English at St. Mark’s High School in Wilmington. She then became a reading specialist at Claymont High School. At that time, she was also pursuing a Master of Education with a specialty in reading from West Chester University. She completed her first master’s degree in 1981.

In 1975, she met then-Senator Joe Biden. They married at the United Nations Chapel in New York City in 1977 and she became the mother of his two sons, Beau and Hunter. Their daughter, Ashley, was born in 1981.

Jill Biden taught English at Rockford Center psychiatric hospital while also pursuing a Master of Arts in English from Villanova University. In 1993, she accepted a teaching job at Delaware Technical Community College. During that same year, Dr. Biden’s advocacy for more cancer education and prevention began. After four of her friends were diagnosed with breast cancer, she launched the Biden Breast Health Initiative to educate Delaware high school girls about the importance of early detection and prevention efforts.

In 2007, she received a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in educational leadership from the University of Delaware. When her husband, then-Senator Joe Biden became Vice President and the Bidens moved to Washington, DC, Dr. Biden began teaching at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), and she continued to teach there through the end of 2024.
 
DURING AND AFTER THE OBAMA-BIDEN ADMINISTRATION

As Second Lady for eight years, Dr. Biden focused on advocating for community colleges, military families, and the education of women and girls around the world.

As the Obama-Biden Administration focused on recovering from the 2008 economic recession, Dr. Biden worked to underscore the critical role of community colleges in the nation’s economy. She hosted the first-ever White House Summit on Community Colleges with President Obama and led the Community College to Career Bus Tour to highlight industry partnerships between community colleges and employers. She also became the honorary chair of the College Promise National Advisory Board, leading the effort to make community colleges free for hard-working students.

The daughter of a Navy Signalman and the mother of Major Beau Biden, a soldier in the Delaware Army National Guard, Dr. Biden has been a longtime advocate for military families. In 2011, she launched the first phase of Joining Forces with First Lady Michelle Obama, a White House initiative to support service members, veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors. She also released a children’s book in 2012, Don’t Forget, God Bless Our Troops, the story of their family’s experience with deployment through the eyes of Dr. Biden’s granddaughter, Natalie, in the year her father, Beau, was deployed to Iraq.

She continued to advance community colleges and support military families through her work at the Biden Foundation after the Obama-Biden Administration ended.

During her tenure as Second Lady, Dr. Biden traveled to nearly forty countries, visiting military bases, hospitals, and refugee camps, and advocating for education and economic empowerment for women and girls. After the Obama-Biden Administration and as First Lady, Dr. Biden continued these efforts during her international travel.

After Dr. Biden and then-Vice President Joe Biden lost their son Beau to brain cancer in 2015, they helped push for a national commitment to ending cancer as we know it through the White House Cancer Moonshot. Following the Obama-Biden Administration, then-former Vice President Biden and Dr. Biden continued their cancer work through the Biden Cancer Initiative.
 
Dr. Biden’s New York Times bestselling memoir, Where the Light Enters: Building a Family, Discovering Myself was published in 2019. Her second children’s book, JOEY: The Story of Joe Biden, was published in 2020, and her third, WILLOW the White House Cat, was published in 2024.


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