Jill Line

Jill Tracy Jacobs Biden, born June 3, 1951, is an American educator who served as First Lady of the United States from 2021 to 2025 and Second Lady from 2009 to 2017. She holds multiple degrees in English and education, including a doctorate in education from the University of Delaware. Biden's career spans over thirteen years teaching English in high schools and fifteen years as an instructor at Delaware Technical & Community College, where she focused on empowering students. She also taught adolescents with emotional disabilities at a psychiatric hospital.

Beyond her academic career, Biden is the founder of the Biden Breast Health Initiative and co-founder of programs like Book Buddies and the Biden Foundation. She has also been involved with initiatives supporting military families. She has authored a memoir and children's books. Throughout her public life, she maintained a professional career outside the White House, a notable aspect of her tenure as First Lady.

Born Jill Tracy Jacobs in Hammonton, New Jersey, she was the eldest of five sisters. Her father's family name was originally Giacoppo, later anglicized to Jacobs. Her mother was of English and Scottish descent. The family moved several times during her childhood, eventually settling in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. Although her parents identified as "agnostic realists," she attended Presbyterian church services with her grandmother and was later confirmed at age 16. From a young age, Jill Jacobs intended to pursue a career, starting work at 15. She attended Upper Moreland High School, where she recalled being a bit rebellious but enjoyed English classes. She graduated in 1969 and briefly attended Brandywine Junior College before transferring to the University of Delaware, where she majored in English and graduated in 1975.

Jill Biden's professional life began with a year of teaching high school English after graduating from college. She also worked briefly in her husband's Senate office. She married Joe Biden on June 17, 1977, and became a stepmother to his two young sons, Beau and Hunter, who later called her "Mom." The couple welcomed a daughter, Ashley, in 1981. Biden continued her education while teaching, earning a Master of Education from West Chester University in 1981 and a Master of Arts in English from Villanova University in 1987. She taught English and reading, and worked with emotionally disabled students at a psychiatric hospital for five years. She also taught at Claymont High School and Brandywine High School for a total of thirteen years in public high schools. From 1993 to 2008, she instructed English at Delaware Technical & Community College, finding particular fulfillment in teaching community college students.

In her later career, Jill Biden pursued advanced academic credentials. She earned a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in educational leadership from the University of Delaware in January 2007, at the age of 55. Her doctoral dissertation focused on student retention at community colleges. Throughout her career, Biden has been involved in various advocacy efforts. She founded the Biden Breast Health Initiative, a nonprofit organization providing breast health awareness programs. She also co-founded Book Buddies, which supplies books to low-income children, and has been active with Delaware Boots on the Ground, supporting military families. She co-founded the Biden Foundation and Joining Forces with Michelle Obama. She has also published a memoir and children's books.