Martha Elizabeth Blakeney Hodges (September 12, 1897 – June 27, 1969) was an American educator and political hostess.
[3] Following her grandmother's death in 1913, Hodges and her sisters went to live with their uncle, Richard Brewer, in Wake Forest.
[3] As first lady, Hodges was known for entertaining guests at the North Carolina Executive Mansion, hosting tea parties, formal dinners, and musicals for various civic groups and dignitaries.
[1] Hodges travelled the state with her husband to attend ribbon cuttings and other official events and was in charge of managing the mansion's household and gardens.
[1] Following the end of her husband's term, he was appointed as the U.S. Secretary of Commerce by President John F. Kennedy and the couple moved to Washington, D.C.[1] While in the nation's capitol, she served as president of the International Neighbors Club, an organization made up of the wives of ambassadors, congressmen, senators, and other government officials.
[1] In 1950, she moved to West Germany, where her husband was employed as chief of the industry division of the Economic Cooperation Administration.