Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady, Author, Radio & TV Personality, Delegate to the United Natioins

Eleanor Roosevelt was born in 1884.  She grew up shy and aware of  her plain appearance. Eleanor's father, Elliott, was an alcoholic and was eventually confined to a sanitarium in France.  Her mother, Anna Hall, died in 1892 and Eleanor was sent to live with her stern Grandmother Hall in Tivoli, New York.  Two years later, word arrived that Elliott had died.

Eleanor spent time at Sagamore Hill in Oyster Bay with  her uncle, Theodore Roosevelt, and his family.  She was sent to study under Madam Marie Souvestre at Allenswood Academy, near London, England. There Eleanor became a confident, independent young woman who saw the value of helping those in need.

Eleanor started helping others at the Rivington Settlement House in New York City before her marriage to Franklin in 1905.  Following his disability due to polio, Eleanor became the President's "eyes and legs."   Eleanor traveled to different parts of the country and reported on the conditions she encountered.  Her newspaper column, "My Day," focused on helping the poor and disenfranchised minorities.

Her first book, This Is My Story was published in 1937.

Photo of Eleanor Roosevelt from:

firstladies.c-span.org

During World War II,

Eleanor visited the troops

in combat areas.

This is the Red Cross uniform

she wore while visiting

the troops in the Pacific.

After Franklin's death and the end of World War II, Eleanor found she still had work to do for the betterment of others.  She served as a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly from 1945 to 1953. She became the chair of the UN Human Rights Commission and helped write the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Eleanor continued writing and published This I Remember in 1949, On My Own in 1958 and Autobiography in 1961.

She also hosted the monthly television program, "Prospects of Mankind with Eleanor Roosevelt," premiering in October, 1959.

Eleanor joined the International

Congress of Working Women &

the Women's International League

of Peace & Freedom to address the

causes of poverty & war.

Promoting human rights took

Eleanor around the world.

Eleanor died of cancer on November 7, 1962.  Many have better lives because of her efforts. While Eleanor is highly regarded by many, like Franklin, some consider her to be a traitor to her class.