Thinking of Sunnier Climates The recent October nor-easter snowstorm made us all think about warmer and sunnier places. And once again, the serendipity of archives provided us with a vicarious escape from the piles of snow. In July 1934, FDR took a lengthy fishing and inspection cruise aboard the USS Houston, traveling to Haiti, Puerto … Continue reading Found in the Archives
FDR's Bedside Note In the early morning hours of September 1, 1939, President Roosevelt was awakened in his bedroom at the White House by a telephone call from his Ambassador in Paris, William C. Bullitt, who advised the President that Germany had invaded Poland and that several Polish cities were being bombed. After FDR gave … Continue reading Found in the Archives
Einstein Letter In the summer of 1939, a group of physicists, including several who had fled Hitler’s Germany, met to discuss their fears of Germany developing a uranium-based weapon. It was decided that the best course of action was to inform President Roosevelt immediately of their concerns. Because Albert Einstein had a previous personal relationship … Continue reading Found in the Archives
The New Deal is all around us!!! On a recent trip to New England, a Roosevelt Library staff member couldn't help but notice the enduring and ubiquitous legacy of the New Deal all around. While walking in the Brown University section of Providence, Rhode Island, a simple glance downward discovered a brass marker embedded into … Continue reading Found in the Archives – Road Trip!
In 1960 Eleanor Roosevelt strongly supported Adlai Stevenson and encouraged him to seek the Democratic Party's nomination for President. That year, however, the Party pinned their hopes on a promising fresh face, and the nomination went to John F. Kennedy. Eleanor had some reservations about JFK, but she supported his bid for president after he … Continue reading Found in the Archives
From Trixie to Queen Beatrix Bravely waiting until the last moment, the Royal Family of the Netherlands barely escaped Hitler's clutches as the German armies swept through their homeland in May 1940. Queen Wilhelmina set up residence in London, while Princess Juliana and her family came to North America, splitting their time between … Continue reading Found in the Archives
FDR and the Masons Some amazing stonework going on at the FDR Library as part of our renovation has brought to mind that many great buildings and monuments were erected with the assistance of the Order of Freemasons, or Masons. And many U.S. presidents, including FDR, were members of the Masons. Franklin Roosevelt was initiated … Continue reading Found in the Archives
The Great Hurricane of 1938: Government and Citizens Working Together As Hurricane Irene bears down on the East Coast of the United States, it brings to mind the Great Hurricane of 1938 that brought devastation to Long Island, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. On September 21, 1938, entire coastal communities were simply swept off the … Continue reading Found in the Archives
Found in the Archives: Victory Gardens and Shared Sacrifice As we go about our daily business at the FDR Library, we often come across documents that really hit home and have an unexpected emotional impact. Take this one, for example. Last week we were visited by a group of state nutritionists. As we were identifying … Continue reading Found in the Archives
This week's "Found in the Archives" post is a very special one for us. We had the pleasure of having an amazing group of young women as our summer interns this year. Thanks to their hard work and dedication we were able to accomplish more this summer than we could have imagined. So we posed … Continue reading Found in the Archives – Intern Edition
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