Eleanor Roosevelt

1
Eleanor Roosevelt

• By
• Rodney Barabino and Alex Woeste

2
Early Life

• Born in
• New York, New York
• Born
• October 11, 1884
• Full Name
• Anna Eleanor Roosevelt

3
Home Life

• Mother died when Eleanor was 8 of diphtheria
• Father died when Eleanor was 10 of complications
  of alcoholism
• Her two brothers and her were sent to Tivoli, New
  York to live with grandmother, Mary Ludlow Hall

4
Eleanors Early Teachings

• At the age seven, it was discovered that she
  could not read
• A private tutor was hired, Frederic Roser and his
  assistant Miss Tomes to help her
• Soon she was up to par and loved poetry and
  reading books

5
School Life

• Eleanor had little formal training and begun
  school late
• Hated arithmetic and grammar
• Very shy in school and would freeze when called
  on in class
• After private tutoring Eleanor attended the
  Allenswood Academy right outside of London

6
Allenswood Academy

• Studied French, German, Italian, English
  Literature, Composition, Music, Drawing,
  Painting, and Dance
• Became close with her headmistress, Marie
  Souvestre who influenced her to be independent
  and demanded that she appreciate history,
  geography, and philosophy

7
How They Met

• When returning from school she was thrown a debut
  party at a local pub named Sherrys
• Later that night a reception was thrown at the
  White House where she was reacquainted with her
  fathers fifth cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt

8
Engagement

• After their courtship they were engaged in 1903
  but there was strong resistance from his mother,
  Sara Delano Roosevelt
• Sara did not want to lose control over Franklin
  and did not feel Eleanor was ready for marriage
• Although Sara did not approve she wanted to be
  somewhat of a mother to Eleanor since Eleanor did
  not have one of her own

9
Married Life

• Eleanor and Franklin were married March 17, 1905
  and Theodore Roosevelt took the place of
  Eleanors dad and walked her down the isle.
• Soon after tying the knot the couple had children
  in rapid succession.

10
The Children

• Anna Eleanor (1906-1975)
• James (1907-1991)
• Franklin Delano, Jr. (March 1909-Nov 1909)
• Elliott (1910-1990)
• A second Franklin Delano, Jr. (1914-1988)
• John Aspinwall (1916-1981)

Among them they had 19 marriages, 15 divorces,
and 29 children. All four sons were decorated
WWII veterans and sadly, had disappointing
political careers.
11
First Lady

• Eleanor became a first lady in 1932 when FDR beat
  Herbert Hoover with 57 of the vote and all but
  six states.
• Did not want to be like her aunt, Edith Roosevelt
• Eleanor was heavily criticized for acting in the
  same manner that she did before becoming the
  First Lady by having a busy social and business
  agenda

12
The first First Lady

• The first First Lady to hold a weekly press
  conferences
• These conferences could only be heard by female
  reporters
• A heavy travel schedule for 12 years and had
  traveled more than some of the presidents
• Big supporter of the Civil Rights movement and
  was FDRs connection to the African American
  population

13
World War Two

• Very active on homefront
• On national committee for civil defense with NY
  mayor, LaGuardia
• In 1943, Eleanor worked with Wendell Willkie and
  others to establish the Freedom House to end
  threats against peace and democracy
• Paid large amounts of money from advertising
  agencies when the government found out they tried
  to put a stop to it

14
Politics after WWII

• Drafted the UN Universal Declaration of Human
  Rights along with Cassin, Peters Humphrey, and
  others.
• Nicknamed First Lady of the World by President
  Truman because of her efforts to make the world a
  better place
• Opposed the equal rights amendment because it
  prevented rights that women workers needed

15
Catholic Controversy

• Attacked proposals for federal funding of certain
  (nonreligious) activities
• Caused a fight with Spellman, the Catholic
  Archbishop of NY who accused her of
  anti-Catholicism
• Supported Margaret Sanger for the birth control
  movement furthering Catholics to dislike
• Opposed J.F.K.s quest for presidential
  nomination
• Both of FDRs mistresses were also Catholic
  furthering suspicion

16
Rooseveltian

• Controversy between the two cousins, Alice and
  Eleanor
• Eleanors behavior was seen extraordinary to the
  Roosevelt family, Rooseveltian
• Alice was told all the time to be like Eleanor
• This little fight tore apart some family members

17
Roosevelts Dont Do Divorce

• The couple had a happy life until Eleanor first
  found out about FDRs affair with Lucy Mercer,
  Eleanors social secretary
• Eleanor said a divorce was in store if the affair
  remained, FDR considered, but Sara talked him out
  of it by threatening to disown him
• Over the years Sara had grown to love Eleanor and
  did not want to see her go.

18
Anna Helps

• FDR and Lucys relationship looked like it had
  ended but it is said that it never did
• The two could never marry because of their
  religion but they cared for each other deeply
• Anna,FDRs oldest daughter helped Lucy and FDR
  see each other including their last visit before
  FDR passed away.

19
His Last Tries

• According to the Roosevelt children FDR tried to
  reconnect with Eleanor by faking illnesses to
  make her drop her busy schedule and be with him
• The attempt failed and in 1945 FDR passed away
• Afterwards, she said she wished she had
  communicated with him so they could of put the
  past behind them and started anew

20
Eleanors Affair

• It is rumored that Eleanor had cheated on FDR as
  well.
• She met Lorena Hickok in 1928. After a bunch of
  interviews in 1932 the pair became close friends.
• Lorena suggested the idea of Eleanors newspaper,
  My Day.
• Letters found suggest the two had more than a
  friendship.

21
Letter To Lorena

• "My Pictures are nearly all up and I have you in
  my sitting room where I can look at you most of
  my waking hours! I can't kiss you in person so
  I kiss your picture good night and good
  morning...Most clearly I remember your eyes, with
  a kind of teasing smile in them, and the feeling
  of that soft spot just northeast of the corner of
  your mouth against my lips."

22
Eleanor and Her Many Degrees

• In 1950 she was the first official tourist to the
  Finnish Artic Circle. In her life Eleanor
  received 35 honorary degrees, 4 more than her
  husband.
• Her first award was the Doctor of Humane Letters
  on June 13, 1929 by Russell Sage College in Troy,
  NY.
• Her last award was a Doctor of Laws degree
  granted by Clark Atlanta Univ. in June 1962.

23
Final Accomplishments

• She is an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha
  Sorority Inc. and Beta Sigma Phi Sorority
• In 1968, she was awarded one of the United
  Nations Human Rights Prizes.
• There was an unsuccessful campaign to award her a
  posthumous Nobel Peace Prize however, it has
  only once been awarded posthumously.
• Roosevelt is the ninth most admired person in the
  20th century, according to Gallup.