Women in the Military Rag Dolls (MO 1945.47.13-16) Millions of young Americans served in America’s military during World War II. With FDR’s support their ranks included 350,000 women, who served as nurses and in special service branches established throughout the military. In May 1941, Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers of Massachusetts proposed a bill to … Continue reading From the Museum
The following is an excerpt from the Fall 2009 Rendezvous article, “Eleanor Roosevelt at 125,” by Allida Black: In 1962, as ER battled fatal illness, she also sought to complete her final call to action. In Tomorrow is Now, she dared us to recognize the power we had as citizens and to use our power … Continue reading 49th Anniversary of Eleanor Roosevelt’s Death
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
The Washington Star published this political cartoon by Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Clifford Berryman on October 31, 1934. The parade of jack-o-lanterns asking, “FDR, how long will the cash hold out?” refers to expenditures by President Roosevelt’s New Deal “alphabet agencies.” These agencies, often referred to by their acronyms, were created to reform the nation's financial … Continue reading From the Museum
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
Eleanor Roosevelt's Engagement Ring (MO 1974.375) On November 22, 1903, 21-year-old Franklin Roosevelt asked 19-year-old Eleanor Roosevelt to be his wife. Eleanor accepted, but Franklin’s mother, Sara, opposed the match, believing her son was too young to marry. She convinced the couple to keep their engagement secret for a year—hoping their ardor would cool. … Continue reading From the Museum
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!
FDR Quarterback Postcard (MO 1976.47) Like other presidents, FDR sometimes used sports analogies to help explain his political and economic agenda. During a press conference on April 19, 1933—just six weeks after he entered office— FDR likened himself to a football quarterback when he responded to a question about his administration’s evolving policy on … Continue reading From the Museum
October 2, 1951 "NEW YORK, Monday...A verse in the Bible we very seldom hear was used as a text in the morning sermon. Evidently back in Bible days there were people who thought the "good old days" were better than the present. This must always have been a way of escape for some of us. … Continue reading Eleanor Roosevelt – My Day: October 1-7
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