[1][2] Jim Folsom's first wife, Sarah, had died in 1944 due to pregnancy complications,[2] and he had been described at the time as one of Alabama's and the United States' most eligible bachelors.
[2] In 1948, Jim and Jamelle eloped and were married by a probate judge, a friend of Governor Folsom's, in Rockford, Alabama.
[1] Jamelle Folson served as First Lady of Alabama for the remainder of his first term, beginning in 1948[1] According to an account by the retired Chairman of the University of Alabama's political science department, William Stewart, Jamelle Folsom played a major role in settling her husband's fast-paced lifestyle, "She seemed to calm him down and she was a very faithful companion to him for the rest of his life.
Jamelle Folsom returned to government after his death, this time as an executive officer for the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries.
[2][4] Her position proved controversial in its early years, including an unsuccessful move by Republican Agriculture and Industry Commissioner Jack Thompson to eliminate her post soon after he defeated Todd in the 1994 election.