Jill Biden Facts & Worksheets

Jill Biden is currently serving (2023) as the first lady of the United States, being married to the incumbent President, Joe Biden. Prior to her post as first lady, she was the second lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, when Joe served as the Vice President under the administration of Barack Obama. Jill Biden is a published author of children’s books, an educator, and a co-founder of a number of non-profit organizations.

See the fact file below for more information on Jill Biden, or you can download our 25-page Jill Biden worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY

• Jill Tracy Jacobs was born on June 3, 1951, in the town of Hammonton (also known as the “Blueberry Capital of the World”) in New Jersey.
• She was the eldest daughter of Donald Carl Jacobs, a bank teller and U.S. Navy veteran, and Bonny Jean (nee Godfrey), a housewife.
• She had four younger sisters.
• Jill spent the majority of her childhood years in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, where her father headed a savings and loan association.
• Even though her parents did not attend church, Jill accompanied her grandmother to Sunday services at a Presbyterian church.
• When she was 16 years old, she was confirmed at Abington Presbyterian Church.
• She worked part-time in Willow Grove; at 15 years old, she worked as a waitress for two summers in Ocean City, New Jersey.

EDUCATION

• Jill attended Upper Moreland High School, and English class was one of her favorite subjects.
• She graduated from high school in 1969 — the same year she began dating a former college football player named Bill Stevenson, who would become her first husband.
• She originally planned on finishing a fashion merchandising course at a community college, but she found the work unsatisfying and decided to leave school after one semester.
• In February 1970, she married her boyfriend, Bill.
• Along with Bill, Jill matriculated at the University of Delaware, where she majored in English. 
• However, her marriage to Bill did not last, as they decided to divorce in 1975.
• Jill then took a year off from college and returned to earn a bachelor’s degree in English in 1975.

MARRIAGE TO JOE BIDEN

• Jill and Joe Biden met through a blind date set up by the latter’s brother, Frank, in March 1975.
• Frank knew Jill from college.
• At the time of their meetup, Joe was in public office as a senator of the United States.
• He was also a recent widower, having lost his first wife, Neilia Hunter, and their baby daughter in a car accident three years previously.
• By the time he met Jill, Joe was a single father of two boys, Beau and Hunter.
• Joe and Jill tied the knot on June 17, 1977, and had a daughter of their own named Ashley Blazer in 1981.
• For two years, Jill stopped working to raise their daughter and Joe’s two children from his previous marriage.

CAREER AS AN EDUCATOR

• In 1976, Jill started her teaching career at St. Mark’s High School in Wilmington, Delaware.
• Jill juggled being a teacher and pursuing a Master of Education with a specialty in reading from West Chester State College (now West Chester University), from where she graduated in 1981.
• She took a two-year hiatus from teaching when her daughter Ashley was born.
• Jill returned to work at a psychiatric institution where she worked for five years as an English teacher of adolescents with emotional disabilities.
• In 1987, she earned her second master’s degree, which was a Master of Arts in English from Villanova University.
• She spent three more years teaching at Claymont High School.
• Jill did not stop working even when Joe Biden first ran for president in 1988.
• In 1993, she became an English and writing instructor at Delaware Technical Community College, a position she kept until 2008. 
• In January 2007, she obtained her doctorate degree in educational leadership from the University of Delaware.
• Jill has been an English professor at Northern Virginia Community College since 2009, which was coincidentally the year Joe Biden was sworn in office as the 47th Vice President of the United States.

TENURE AS U.S. SECOND LADY

• Jill is reportedly the first vice president’s spouse to hold a paying job throughout her husband’s tenure.
• Jill focused on advocating for military families, women’s educational rights, support for community colleges, and awareness for breast cancer prevention, all while she was Second Lady of the United States.
• She launched the first-ever White House Summit on Community Colleges with President Obama in 2010.
• In the same vein, she also hosted the 2012 Community College to Career bus tour.
• In 2011, Jill and first lady Michelle Obama founded the “Joining Forces”, an initiative that aims to provide support to the families of members of the United States Armed Forces.
• Jill continued her tenure as U.S. Second Lady when Joe Biden was reelected to a second term as vice president on November 6, 2012. 
• In advancing her work on women’s rights, she toured over forty countries, including Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sierra Leone.
• Jill and Joe faced the tragic death of their son Beau to brain cancer in 2015, which led them to pledge to cure cancer through the White House Cancer Moonshot.
• They founded the Biden Foundation and the Biden Cancer Initiative after leaving office in 2017.
• Her memoir, “Where the Light Enters: Building a Family, Discovering Myself”, was published in 2019.
• In 2020, her second children’s book, “JOEY: The Story of Joe Biden”, was published.

BECOMING U.S. FIRST LADY

• After Joe announced his third presidential bid in 2020, Jill fully supported him and took a leave of absence from her job.
• Joe won the election on November 3, 2020, and was sworn in as President of the United States on January 20 of the following year.
• Jill continued her advocacy work for military families, women’s education, and cancer research as she served as the First Lady of the United States.
• She was the first-ever First Lady to have a job outside of the East Wing, as a writing professor at Northern Virginia Community College.
• She was also the first First Lady to have a doctorate degree.
• She advocated for COVID-19 vaccination and toured the United States during President Joe Biden’s campaign to vaccinate Americans against COVID-19.

Jill Biden Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Jill Biden across 25 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Jill Biden. Jill Biden is currently serving (2023) as the first lady of the United States, being married to the incumbent President, Joe Biden

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

1. Jill Biden Facts
2. Before Becoming Biden
3. Milestones in Order
4. Service as Second Lady
5. Life as First Lady
6. About President Biden
7. Quotes on Education
8. Skills As An Educator
9. Biden’s Predecessor
10. First Ladies’ Legacies
11. Latest News

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Jill Biden?

Jill Biden is an American educator and the First Lady of the United States. She is the wife of President Joe Biden and became the First Lady when he took office on January 20, 2021.

What is Jill Biden’s educational background?

Jill Biden holds a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree in educational leadership from the University of Delaware. She also has two master’s degrees: one in English from Villanova University and another in education from West Chester University.

What is Jill Biden’s professional background?

Jill Biden has had a long career in education. She taught English at Delaware Technical Community College for over 20 years and worked as a reading specialist in public schools. She is an advocate for education and has been involved in various educational initiatives throughout her career.

What causes and initiatives is Jill Biden involved in as First Lady?

As First Lady, Jill Biden has focused on several causes, including education, military families, and cancer research. She has advocated for increased support for teachers and students, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also launched the “Joining Forces” initiative to support military families and has been active in cancer research and awareness.

How does Jill Biden support her husband, President Joe Biden?

Jill Biden plays a supportive role to President Joe Biden, often accompanying him on official trips and engagements. She also provides advice and support on various policy and political matters. Additionally, she represents the United States in diplomatic and ceremonial functions as First Lady.

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