Eleanor Roosevelt
First Lady, Author, Humanitarian
Women and Adversity: Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)
First Lady, Author, Humanitarian
Eleanor Roosevelt, christened Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, is the longest serving First Lady (1933-1945) and one of the most respected. Her life was filled with adversity:
- Her beautiful mother was disappointed that Eleanor was unattractive and serious and nicknamed her “granny.”
- Her father loved her unconditionally, but he was an alcoholic and was away from the family a good deal.
- Her mother died when Eleanor was 8 and her father died when Eleanor was 10.
- When she married Franklin D. Roosevelt, a distant cousin, her mother-in-law interfered relentlessly in their lives.
- Her husband was unfaithful.
Eleanor overcame adversity throughout her life and:
- Wrote 27 books
- Wrote a syndicated newspaper column from 1935-1962
- Organized women-only press conferences at the White House
- Was a delegate to the United Nations and helped draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- Never used a ghostwriter
Dozens of books about Eleanor Roosevelt are on the market, but articles provide basic information:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/biography/eleanor-biography
http://www.firstladies.org/biographies/firstladies.aspx?biography=33
http://www.biography.com/people/eleanor-roosevelt-9463366
