Caroline Lavinia Scott Harrison
(1832-1892)

LINKS ON THIS PAGE
Background
Selected Achievements
Tuberculosis (TB) and Leading Causes of Death
Tips to Reduce Your Risk for TB Disease
Related Links

Background

Born in Oxford, Ohio in 1832, Caroline Lavinia Scott grew to become a talented young woman. She was well-educated and attended the Oxford Female Institute, which was founded by her father. She mastered English literature and fell in love with the arts, especially painting. In 1853, she graduated with a degree in music. After school, Caroline taught music, home economics, and art.

In 1849, Caroline met Benjamin Harrison, who she later married on October 20, 1853. She volunteered in many organizations, including the Indianapolis Orphanage and other women’s organizations.

Caroline Lavinia Scott Harrison served as First Lady from 1887 to 1892. She made many changes within the White House, such as adding the east and west wing to expand the building. In the summer of 1892 while serving as First Lady, Mrs. Harrison became very ill with tuberculosis (TB) and died later that year on October 25.

Selected Achievements

• Became an accomplished pianist
• Encouraged the admittance of women students to Johns Hopkins Medical School
• Became the First President General for the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution
• Established the White House Christmas Tree tradition

Tuberculosis (TB) and Leading Causes of Death

Mrs. Harrison died of TB in 1892. Around that time, TB was probably the second leading cause of death. In the late 19th century, TB killed one out of every seven people living in the United States and Europe. In 2002, a total of 15,075 cases of TB were reported to CDC from the 50 states and the District of Columbia, representing a 5.7% decrease from 2001 and 43.5% decrease from 1992.

An estimated 10-15 million Americans are infected with the TB bacteria, with the potential to develop active TB disease in the future. About 10 percent of these individuals will develop TB at some point in their lives. However, the risk of developing TB disease is much greater for those infected with HIV and living with AIDS.

Tips to Reduce Your Risk for TB Disease

• Get tested for TB.
  http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/tb/faqs/qa_latenttbinf.htm*
  TB is spread through the air from one person to another. A TB skin test is the only way to find out if you have latent TB infection, which may develop into TB disease if not treated. You can get a skin test at the health department or through your health care provider. You should get tested for TB if:
  • you have spent time with a person with known or suspected TB disease
  • you have HIV infection or another condition that puts you at high risk for TB disease
  • you think you might have TB disease
  • you are from a country where TB disease is very common (most countries in Latin America/Caribbean, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Russia)
  • you inject drugs
  • you live somewhere in the U.S. where TB disease is more common (homeless shelters, migrant farms camps, prisons/jails, and some nursing homes)
     
• Know your HIV status.
  http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/facts/hivtb.htm*
  The risk of developing TB disease is much greater for those infected with HIV and living with AIDS than those who are not. Because HIV infection severely weakens the immune system, people dually infected with HIV and TB have a 100 times greater risk of developing active TB disease and becoming infectious compared to people not infected with HIV. All people infected with HIV should be tested for TB, and, if infected, complete preventive therapy as soon as possible to prevent TB disease.
   
• Know health risks when traveling.
  http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/yellowBookCh4-TB.aspx*
  Be aware if you are traveling to an area where TB is common. These include countries in Latin American/Caribbean, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Russia. Places in the U.S. where TB may be more common include homeless shelters, migrant farm camps, prisons/jails, and some nursing homes.

Related Links

Caroline Lavinia Scott Harrison*
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/firstladies/ch23.html (Non-CDC site)

Deaths: Leading Causes for 2001*
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr52/nvsr52_03.pdf

Diarrhea
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasiticpathways/diarrhea.htm

Harrison, Caroline Lavinia Scott*
http://www.firstladies.org/Bibliography/CarolineHarrison/FLBioSketch.htm (Non-CDC site)

Influenza (Flu)
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/

Pneumonia
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/submenus/sub_pneumonia.htm

TB: Questions and Answers*
http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/tb/faqs/qa.htm

Tuberculosis: Traveler’s Health*
http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/yellowBookCh4-TB.aspx

*Used as a source for this Web page.