Ida McKinley, born Ida Saxton on June 8, 1847, Canton, Ohio, U.S.—died May 26, 1907, Canton Ohio. She was America's first lady (1897–1901), the wife of William McKinley, 25th president of the United States. The middle child of a wealthy banker, Ida was sent to the finest schools and was known to be athletic and independent during an era where outspoken ideals from a female were not socially acceptable.

In June 1869, Ida and her sister Pina sailed to Europe, where she hiked through England, Scotland, Ireland, France, German, Italy, Belgium, Holland, Austria, and Switzerland. Accompanied by chaperone Jeanette Alexander and her brother. Jeanette was hired as a chaperone and her brother was there to manage their expenses. Ida, being the independent young woman, demanded they return home and Ida would manage the trip for her sister and herself. Even though she presented herself as a feminine, well-mannered lady, Ida ignored the social etiquette with a big appetite not only for food but knowledge as well.

However during her travels in Europe her soon to be fiancé, John Wright, passed away from meningitis. Upon her return, she met Major William McKinley or "The Major", as Ida called him. Even though the story is she met him while working at her father's bank, she became interested in the Major at a lecture he spoke at. They were opposites when it came to their personalities and educations. Ida a worldly woman, and the Major, a provincial man that relied on his intuition. McKinley was a feminist and fought for women's right to vote as well as former slaves'.

On January 25, 1871, they wed in a large Presbyterian church witnessed by close to 1,000 guests. Her marriage to Major William McKinley meant she would sacrifice her independence for the life of a politician's wife. As a proud woman of an up and coming politician, Ida announced to guests that her husband would someday be president of the United States.

The following year Ida gave birth to her first child, Katie, on Christmas Day. Katie traveled with her mother as she campaigned for her husband. The following later summer Ida learned she was pregnant again and Ida's mother was terminally ill. The grief Ida experienced while caring for her cancer-stricken mother, caused damage to her newborn daughter, little Ida, as well as Ida's immune system. Her second child did not survive and in addition, Katie passed away two years later from typhoid fever.

Ida was overcome with grief and depression and eventually began experiencing seizures. The seizures were described as epileptic. The Major worried for his wife's health and well being but also wanted to keep the fact that Ida was epileptic out of the public eye. Many cultures in the 1800s believed a person with epilepsy is cursed or has a mental disorder. He hired an expert physician to treat her, but for several years, the physician was not able to meet with Ida. The Major wrote to him in private and shared her symptoms with him and he would send back the medications he prescribed for her.

The Major seldom left his wife's side when they were out in public. Many times he would have to stop a band from playing or any type of loud noise or flashing of lights for fear of her having a seizure. Eventually, the Major began sedating Ida with bromides. However, Dr. John Bishop prescribed an unregulated prescription for the Major hired to treat Ida was concerned of an adverse reaction to the bromides. He continued to administer them to her, for fear he might lose the election if the country learned of her illness. Eventually, the Major had to hire a physician to care for Ida in the White House. Dr. Wood cared for Ida the remainder of her life.

Ida's health was dependent upon her depression for most of her life. Seasons came and went and for many years her health would prevent her from the activities a first lady should attend. The country became obsessed with the couple and the Major's attentiveness towards his wife. The president represented a compassionate husband, always caring for his wife. He carried her to and from the carriage. He waved to her from the street corner as he walked to work. However, Ida lived with a great deal of depression. With the loss of her two daughters and her inability to do the activities as the first lady, Ida took to knitting to keep her mind busy. She made slippers and donated them to charities to help them raise money.

Even though the couple married in a Presbyterian church, Ida was not a religious person but the Major was. Ida came to believe in re-incarnation after she attended a lecture on the Hindu tenet of re-incarnation. She started to believe so strongly about re-incarnation that when children visited the White House, Ida would interact only with them. It was mostly little girls and of the same age as her two daughters would be at the time.

When Ida was able, she began attending concerts and the theater, seldom with the Major but invite friends and family to attend with her. She became a close friend to Lt. Col. Theodore Roosevelt, and their friendship grew as she found him to have the same principals and ideals that she had. Ida was the quiet political voice in her husband's political life. There were many occasions that Ida would listen in on meetings with the president and other officials and then the Major would consult with Ida before making his decision.

Even though Ida was presented to the public as an invalid, Ida never lost her ability to travel extensively with the president. It was during their visit to Buffalo, New York, at the Pan-American Exhibit that the president was shot by Leon Czolgosz. The Major died eight days later. Ida was grief-stricken again and the doctors ordered her to bed and kept her there while they made all the funeral arrangements. Not allowing her to be a part of any services, she was only allowed to come out of her room and sit next to his coffin for a few minutes each day and was sedated on the day of his internment in Canton, Ohio.

During her period of mourning, Ida was left alone with aides to see to her health and it took several years for her to overcome her grief of losing her husband. She died a few months before the monument for her husband's coffin was completed. The president, first lady, and their two daughters are laid to rest in a monument dedicated to President McKinley overlooking the city of Canton, Ohio.