William A. Harris, Director Above: The former First Lady preparing for radio remarks marking the end of World War II, August 19, 1945. (Library of Congress) August 1945 was a month crowded with history. Though Eleanor Roosevelt had famously remarked after FDR's death that "the story is over," her busy summer and multiple radio appearances … Continue reading The Atom Bomb and V-J Day: Eleanor Roosevelt and the End of World War II, August 1945
Seventy-Five years ago, on February 12, 1950, Eleanor Roosevelt made her debut as host of the television program “Today with Mrs. Roosevelt” on the NBC network. By 1950 Eleanor Roosevelt had made great use of different media during her lifetime, such as radio, newspapers, and magazines – most notably her syndicated newspaper column, “My Day.” … Continue reading Today with Mrs. Roosevelt
by William A. Harris, Director Draped in a snow-white fox stole, Eleanor Roosevelt beams with a birthday corsage, 1939. The FDR Library collection continues to surprise us with its richness and variety. Last week, while conducting one of our annual inventories, we were reminded of an unusual item in the archives, an original leaf from … Continue reading The Roosevelts, a Broadway Producer, and the Gutenberg Bible
Above, FDR 1944. Last night, the Library participated in a White House Historical Association program focused on FDR and V-E Day. Victory in Europe Day isn't often discussed in detail here at the Library. We leave that day to the Truman Library. But FDR played a major role in shaping V-E Day and the way … Continue reading FDR and V-E Day
Unique Perspectives in the Papers and Records at the FDR Library A stunned citizenry gathers in Lafayette Park in Washington, DC, April 12, 1945. President Roosevelt's death on April 12, 1945, less than three months into his fourth term, was the first in a series of events in 1945 that dramatically marked the end of … Continue reading Flash, the President is Dead, April 12, 1945
Franklin D. Roosevelt in his wheelchair aboard the Nourmahal, April 1935. Credit Robert Cross-Sailor in the White House. NPx 06-01. By Kevin Thomas, Archives Technician 1924 does not resonate the way 1933, or 1941 does when thinking of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. It was, however, a year filled with encounters that would profoundly change both. … Continue reading 1924: A Year of New Beginnings
In 2024 we expect and receive nearly instantaneous information about current events and happenings from a multiplicity of sources. Many people find it hard to believe that not too far in the past one relied upon a handful of radio and television stations, newspapers and magazines for news. This was certainly true in 1944 at … Continue reading D-Day and Radio News-A Different Perspective
D-Day has been the subject of countless articles, books, and motion pictures, but many aspects of this pivotal moment in world history remain unknown or unacknowledged. Perhaps surprisingly, one involves the FDR Library, according to the Library's first director, Fred Shipman. His tale of events in late 1943 and early 1944 regarding a misfiled document, … Continue reading D-Day, the FDR Library, and a Remarkable Story
Members of an NAACP Planning Committee at a recruitment event. Photograph: Library of Congress Black women were on the frontlines of civil rights activism during the war years. The grassroots organizing work of young leaders like Rosa Parks, Juanita Jackson, and Ella Baker helped fuel a dramatic increase in NAACP membership and branch activism. Union … Continue reading Black Women in the Wartime Struggle
Mary McLeod Bethune acted as leader of the Black Cabinet. Bethune was a friend and confidante of Eleanor Roosevelt and FDR held her in high regard. She used her unique connection to the Roosevelts to bring race-related issues directly to the President. Photograph: Library of Congress Much of the success of the Black Cabinet was … Continue reading The First Lady of the Struggle
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