Woman of the Week: Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt is an inspiration to us all because of her work in American politics that altered the role of the First Lady forever.

By Emma Bartley

Eleanor Roosevelt was born on October 11, 1884 in New York City. She was very shy as a child. Her mother died when she was 8 years old, and her father died when she was 10. She was sent to a school in England as a teenager, which helped to come out of her shell. She returned to New York City at age 18, where she began her work in social reform work, serving as a volunteer teacher for immigrant children at Manhattan’s Rivington Street Settlement House.

In 1905, Eleanor married her distant cousin, Franklin D Roosevelt, who would later be the longest-running president of the United States. They had six children together: Anna, James, Franklin (who died at a young age), Elliot, Franklin Jr., and John.

During WWI, Eleanor volunteered with the American Red Cross and in the Navy hospitals. After FDR had a polio attack in 1921, Eleanor began helping her husband in his political career.

Then, when her husband became president in 1933, she drastically changed the role of the First Lady, showing that she was important in the United States. She spoke out for women’s issues, children’s causes, and human writes, and she spoke on behalf of the League of Women Voters. Eleanor also had a newspaper column called “My Day,” which she used to share information about her activities and communicate her positions on social issues. She also helped the poor, was against racial discrimination, and during WWII, she traveled abroad to visit troops.

After her husband died in April of 1945, Eleanor went on to be appointed as a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly, which she served as from 1945 to 1953. She became head of the UN’s Human Rights Commission and helped to write the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which continues to serve as a model for how nations and their people should treat and interact with each other.

Other than politics, Eleanor also was an author. She wrote multiple books (27) about her experiences and her life, including This Is My Story (1937), This I Remember (1949), On My Own (1958), and Autobiography (1961).

Eleanor died on November 7, 1962, at 78 years old. Eleanor Roosevelt was one of the most outspoken First Ladies. She was a great humanitarian who dedicated so much of her life to helping others and changing politics and society for the better.