When her husband was paralyzed by polio, Eleanor Roosevelt's domineering mother-in-law wanted Franklin to return to Hyde Park and assume the role of a country squire. Eleanor knew that wouldn't be happy for her, thought it would be a loss for Franklin, and goaded him back into politics. She had always been shy, but she accepted coaching in public speaking from FDR's secretary and became a surrogate for the candidate and then governor. Her childhood had been unhappy, her mother died when Eleanor was eight, her alcoholic father two years later. Her marriage was less than ideal, she put an end to end to FDR's affair with her social secretary Lucy Mercer, at least for a while, and the relationship was more a political partnership than marriage after that. But she spoke her piece fearlessly and often, and she was her own woman. Though the Democratic Party was dominated by Southerners, she was a strong advocate for black civil rights - most publicly when the DAR refused to allow Marion Anderson to sing in Consitution Hall Eleanor resigned from the DAR and arranged a much larger concert at the Lincoln Memorial. Loved by millions, reviled by many, she was smart, bold, articulate, and effective. And I'm going to stop right now: I could keep adding significant events and accomplishments in her life until this was too long to mail!
Foreigners have been treated with various levels of respect in the United States in our history, today marks events from both extremes. We honor a Polish hero of the Revolution, and we note San Francisco's segregation of Oriental students early in this century. It's difficult to reconcile such an action with the cosmopolitan international city of today.
We also see a wide spectrum in technology today: the last hand-cranked telephones were removed from service, and the first patent was issued for a video tape recorder. Which do you suppose happened first?
1521 - Pope Leo X conferred the title "Fidei Defensor" (Defender of the Faith) upon England's Henry VIII for his strong opposition to the Protestant Reformation. Three popes and 13 years later, Henry severed all ties with Rome to establish the Church of England, but the British monarchs have continued to use the title anyway.
1906 - The San Francisco School Board resolved to segregate all Japanese students, assigning them to a school where Korean and Chinese students were already separated from the rest of the student body. Within three weeks the Japanese ambassador complained about the action to President Theodore Roosevelt, who denounces the measure as a "wicked absurdity."
1960 - US Patent No. 2,956,114 was issued to Charles Ginsburg, Shelby Henderson, Ray Dolby, and Charles Anderson of the Ampex Corporation of Redwood City, California for a videotape recorder. Since that team's first demonstration of a prototype black and white VTR at the 1956 convention of the National Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters (now the NAB) no fewer than 29 tape formats have been used commercially.
1983 - The last hand-cranked magneto telephone in the United States were removed from service as the 440 customers of the Bryant Pond, Maine telephone system were switched to direct-dial. The new seven-digit numbers must have been a particular shock to the customer whose phone number had been 33 until then.
General Pulaski Memorial Day, US - Casimir Pulaski, 1748 - 1779, was a young Pole who was a leader in Poland's fight against Russian domination from 1768 to 1775 when he met Benjamin Franklin in Paris. After learning of the revolutionary struggle in the British colonies he went to Philadelphia and joined George Washington's staff in March of 1777. He earned a commission as brigadier general for his efforts at Brandywine. He served with distinction until the siege of Savannah where he commanded both American and French cavalry but was mortally wounded on 8 November, he died aboard ship on 11 November 1779.
1884
- Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, US diplomat, activist - Born at New York
City to Anna Hall and Elliott Roosevelt, Teddy's younger brother. Mother
died in 1892, lived with grandmother Hall, father died of drink in 1894.
Tutored privately until 1899, went to Allenswood finishing school in England
where the awkward, shy orphan bloomed. Returned for her debut, which she
dreaded, in 1902 and became engaged to her sixth cousin Franklin Roosevelt,
when they married in 1905 her uncle (now president) gave the bride away.
The Roosevelts had six children, one died in infancy. She was active politically
while Franklin was in the New York state senate from 1910 to 1913, learned
the ins and outs of Washington City when he was Assistant Secretary of
the Navy. While in wartime Washington joined the Red Cross and was active
in other volunteer work. Discovered FDR's affair with her secretary in
1918 anddemanded its end, campaigned for him as Vice President in 1920
campaign. Nursed her husband after he contracted polio in 1921, increasingly
active in politics, spurred FDR to run for governor in 1928, made speeches
and other appearances that his health kept him from. Cofounded a furniture
factory in Val-Kill, New York in 1926 to provide jobs, was half owner
of Todhunter, a private school for girls where she was assistant principal
and taught history and government. Was active in FDR's presidential campaign
in 1932. Most visible and active first lady, entertained as expected but
also held her own press conferences and wrote candid daily newspaper column
"My Day." Visited troops in both Europe and Pacific theaters of World
War II. Announced that she was retiring from public life after FDR's death
in April 1945, but in December became a US delegate to the United Nations
General Assembly. Drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in
1948, helped establish Israel. She wrote four autobiographical books:
Tis Is My Story (1937), This I Remember (1950), On My Own (1958), and
Tomorrow Is Now (published posthumously, 1963). Died at New York City
on 7 November 1962 of bone marrow tuberculosis.1957 photo of Eleanor
Roosevelt at Hyde Park, New York courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt
Library.
Justice cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both.
- Eleanor Roosevelt
You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which
you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself,
I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.
You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.
- Eleanor Roosevelt
No woman has ever so comforted the distressed or so distressed the comfortable.
- Claire Booth Luce, regarding
Eleanor Roosevelt
She would rather light candles than curse the darkness and her glow has
warmed the world.
- Adlai Stevenson, regarding
Eleanor Roosevelt
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