Abell, Bess, 1933-2020

Bess Abell was born Elizabeth Hughes Clements on June 2, 1933 in Evansville, Indiana to parents Earle C. Clements and Sara Blue. She grew up in both Kentucky and Washington, D.C. while her father served as Congressman and, later, Governor of Kentucky. In 1954, Clements received a political science degree from the University of Kentucky. She married her husband, Tyler Abell, in 1955. After working for her father in various capacities, Abell took a part-time job as a typist for the Democratic National Committee. It was there that Abell began typing letters in response to correspondence written to Lady Bird Johnson during the 1960 campaign.

After the 1960 presidential election, Bess Abell accepted a formal position as Lady Bird Johnson’s personal secretary, in which she served throughout the Vice Presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson. After Lyndon Johnson became President in 1963, Bess Abell became the First Lady’s, Lady Bird Johnson’s, Social Secretary. Bess Abell continued to serve as Mrs. Johnson’s social secretary until the end of the Johnson presidency in 1969.

After 1969, Bess Abell served as Executive Assistant to Joan Mondale, wife of Vice President Walter Mondale, and owner of a public relations firm, Bess Abell Enterprises.

Bess Abell died on October 9, 2020 in Potomac, Maryland.