Eleanor Roosevelt

By Julie Fricker

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

Eleanor Roosevelt was born on October 11, 1884. She died on November 7, 1962 at the age of seventy-eight. In that time, she went from relative obscurity, to living a life of world wide recognition and prominence.

There aren't very many people in this country who don't have some idea as to who Eleanor Roosevelt was. So great was her influence, that for many years, she was voted "The Worlds Most Admired Woman."

She was not only the niece of our twenty-fifth President, Theodore Roosevelt, but the wife of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Aside from whom she was related to, and the reputation of the man she married, Eleanor was an extremely influential political figure in her own right. Her childhood however, did not lend so much as a hint to the greatness her future would contain.

Orphaned by the age of ten, she was considered by many to be a homely and awkward child. Eleanor was often criticised for her intense shyness especially since it did not suit someone of her position and upbringing. Having long been considered royalty, her family lived in a privileged upper class society.

Unable to tolerate Eleanor's shy and awkward nature, her grandmother sent Eleanor to Madame Suvestre's in London. Having once been a student of Madame Suvestre's herself, her grandmother hoped that her former teacher might be able to somehow salvage Eleanor's future.

In Madame Suvestre, Eleanor found not only a mentor, but a friend. It has been said that Eleanor became the child Madame Suvestre never had, and in turn, her teacher became the mother Eleanor never had the opportunity to know. Together, the two women travelled extensively across Europe giving Eleanor her greatest experiences in travelling abroad.

It was under Madame Suvestres' tutelage that Eleanor was made aware of the suffering of impoverished people. Eleanor's compassion for the poor and destitute, enabled her to devote so much of her voice to it's causes.

Upon returning to the United States, she met and later married a distant cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Eleanor introduced Franklin to the situations of impoverished people, and together, they fought side by side to improve the lives of the poor, the uneducated and the unemployed. In spite of their wealthy upbringing, the Roosevelts possessed none of the detachment which was a hallmark of many royal wealthy families of their day. They pushed hard for social and economic changes to give the poor a chance for a better life.

When Franklin Roosevelt was stricken with polio in 1921, Eleanor took to the campaign trail in her husbands behalf and continued to work in his place eventually assuring him of the presidency. She represented Franklin by campaigning for him and preserving his reputation among his constituents. She did this while keeping his fight with polio a secret because of the stigma it carried. With her help, Franklin served as President from 1932 to 1945.

On a more personal note, Eleanor was forever plagued by the knowledge that her husband had, for many years, kept a mistress. He continued this illicit affair in spite of Eleanor's unwavering loyalty to both her husband and her President. Eleanor had repeatedly asked Franklin to give up this woman, but Franklin refused. Even in the face of her husbands betrayal she continued to work in order to secure his presidency.

Eleanor's help and encouragement had enabled Franklin Delano Roosevelt, to become one of the most beloved and influential Presidents of all time. Working with his political advisor, Louis Howe, Eleanor became a successful political organizer and Franklin's link to the world of politics. She introduced her husband to key influential officials and a great many of the common working class laborers whose views Franklin needed to hear. Eleanor later entertained thousands at the White House knowing that Franklin would need access to what people were doing and talking about in order to be an effective leader for the country.

She lobbied hard and represented the poor, indigent, little people in creating the Fair Housing Act. With Franklin Roosevelt's help, got the nation back to work after the great depression. With their combined effort for the poor and oppressed, Eleanor and her husband earned the respect of millions of men and women in this country and many others as well.

Eleanor won the respect of her peers around the world by speaking out against injustices on every level by becoming a champion to the less fortunate and spoke out for those who had no voice. Eleanor became an outspoken advocate for the suffrage movement, fighting for a woman's right to vote and to work outside of the home. She campaigned for those causes which defended the equality of the poor and upheld the rights of minorities and she forcefully opposed those who prevented adequate housing and widespread employment.

Even though Eleanor made her mark in history, it was not without great controversy or hardship. There were many who opposed her unprecedented political power as the mere wife of a President. It was said in 1920, that Eleanor Roosevelt was as important to the presidency, as Franklin himself. The knowledge of her power fanned ever higher the flames of discord in the hearts and minds of those who despised her policies.

Eleanor Roosevelt was a delegate to The United Nations, an author, a columnist, an active part in the Democratic Committee and a noted humanitarian. Her accomplishments have forever changed the way we view the role of the First Lady. She raised the bar and set the standard for the future of women everywhere, by inspiring us to go beyond the limitations that so clearly defined our role in history. She helped change the role of what was once considered acceptable behavior by women and in doing so helped make it possible for us to vote, to work, and to raise our families with dignity and respect.

As Eleanor so eloquently said, "You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience you stop to look fear in the face. In essence, you must do the thing you think you cannot do."

At President Truman's personal request, Mrs. Roosevelt represented the United States by serving as a Delegate to the United Nations from 1947 to 1952. In 1961, President Kennedy appointed Mrs. Roosevelt, as one of five members of the United States delegation to the 15th session of the General Assembly. It was said that when Mrs. Roosevelt entered the halls of the United Nations, representatives from every nation rose to their feet out of sheer respect for her. She was one of the most esteemed and venerated women in the history of the world.

She was a deeply enthusiastic supporter for racial equality and took the fight against discrimination to an entirely new level. When Marian Anderson was denied the right to sing at Independence Hall, simply because she was black, Eleanor Roosevelt resigned her position with the Daughters of the American Revolution. This gesture became one of the most famous moments in the civil rights movements.

For those who are unfamiliar with who The Daughters of the American Revolution, they were and still are an organization of women who were direct descendants of soldiers who fought in the revolutionary war. Belonging to it, was considered a great honor. Founded in 1890, it was once considered among the most elite and powerful of committees. The Daughters of the American Revolution, possessed enormous social power often being married to some of the most powerful men of their time.

When Eleanor turned her back on this venerated society, she didn't do it quietly as some might have expected and even hoped. She turned it into a public display, clearly stating her reasons behind the decision in a well-publicized letter. The act sent shock waves through Washington and shook to the very foundation the reputation of those belonging within its ranks. Her resignation forced the Daughters of the American Revolution to reform their policies in order to maintain their position within society. As of today they have over 170,000 active members in their organization.

I would like to interject a small observation of my own here; many people slammed Hillary Rodham Clinton, as having too much influence in the White House during her husbands two terms in office. Yet it was precisely because of Eleanor, that Franklin was elected an unprecedented four terms as President Of The United States. Eleanor Roosevelt paved the way for Hillary and other First Ladies to take a more active role in their husbands Presidencies. Eleanor, set the bar and raised the standard for future First Ladies. Her enormous accomplishments have not yet been matched by the endeavors of a First Lady since.

Eleanor taught at the school she herself had set up for poor children. With the help of friends, she ran a factory on Val-Kill for those who would have otherwise been considered unemployable. She dedicated her entire life to the service of others.

During World War 2, Eleanor expanded her activities to the world stage, working at the United Nations to help found UNICEF and established the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

She wasn't just an incredible humanitarian; she was also a prolific writer and had her own newspaper column for twenty-six years. She wrote more letters than any other First Lady and had more of her work published than any other First Lady, before or since. Eleanor has written more books than any other woman in the world. Credited with having penned and published more than twenty books including her own autobiography, she was asked to write the foreword in the book about Anne Frank's life titled, 'Diary Of A Young Girl'.

In death as in life, Eleanor continues to influence the government she gave her life serving. Her beloved home in Val- Kill New York, had been named a National Historical Site and is cared for, protected and run by the National Park Service. Val-Kill is the only home ever owned by a former First Lady to be awarded this honor.

In spite of often harsh criticism, Eleanor will always be remembered for the countless ways in which she touched the lives of everyone who came after her. To this day, her influence continues to be felt around the world. Eleanor Roosevelt being a paragon of greatness, has forever earned her place as one of the greatest women in our nations political history.

When asked what her greatest fear was, Eleanor replied, "My greatest fear has always been that I would be afraid. Physically, mentally or morally and allow myself to be influenced by that fear instead of by my honest convictions." Eleanor Roosevelt.