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
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
“Throughout the nation today, colored men and women are playing the part in the government under President Roosevelt’s New Deal that we have awaited . . . these seventy years which have passed since President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.” —Elizabeth McDuffie, Campaign Speech, St. Louis, Missouri, 1936 Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie, two Black … Continue reading Irvin and Elizabeth McDuffie
“I have the greatest respect for this young woman who must combine the responsibilities of a Queen with the requirements and emotional stresses of a young mother. I think, too, the British people are fortunate in having the royal family to hold them together. Everywhere you go, you see that the Queen, Prince Philip, the … Continue reading Queen Elizabeth II
The holiday season brings about the list maker in all of us, well, at least in those of us who give gifts—or make lists. The President certainly took a hands on approach to the Christmas season. We have folders of official gift lists accounting for hundreds of people. We've highlighted the gifts he bestowed in … Continue reading Making His List and Checking It Twice
By J. Tomney, FDR Presidential Library volunteer. The sons and daughters of thousands of American families heeded the call to serve their country during World War II. The four sons of America’s First Family were counted among those that served with distinction and honor for the duration of the war. The Roosevelt boys – Jimmy, … Continue reading Sons of the Commander in Chief: The Roosevelt Boys in World War II
By Paul M. Sparrow, Director, FDR Library. Eleanor Roosevelt’s Tour of the South Pacific – August & September 1943. The summer of 1943 was a critical time for the Allies. The tide was just starting to turn as the Allied forces marked a series of hard won victories. The capture of Sicily was a stepping … Continue reading A First Lady on the Front Lines
By Paul M. Sparrow, Director, FDR Library. The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum is swarming with Pokemon Go characters. Visitors are wandering around staring at their phones, and catching them left and right. I’ve caught four and I never played the game before and only spent ten minutes at it. We have several Poke … Continue reading Pokemon Go has come to the FDR Presidential Library and that’s a good thing.
By Paul Sparrow, Director, FDR Library. The relationship between the Roosevelt family and the Dutch royal family, known as the House of Orange, is both charming and historically significant. New York and the Hudson River Valley were both originally settled by Dutch pioneers. And the Netherlands was the first country to recognize the United States. … Continue reading The Roosevelts and the House of Orange
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