The "First Lady of the World"

Throughout Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency, Eleanor traveled extensively around the nation, visiting relief projects, surveying working and living conditions, and then reporting her observations to the President. She was called "the President's eyes, ears and legs" and provided objective information to her husband. She also exercised her own political and social influence; she became an advocate of the rights and needs of the poor, of minorities, and of the disadvantaged. The public was drawn in by the First Lady's exploits and adventures which she recounted in her daily syndicated column, "My Day". She began writing the column in 1935 and continued until her death in 1962.

Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt (pictured above), was First Lady for 12 years. An outspoken advocate of social justice, she became a moral force during the Roosevelt administration, using her position as First Lady to promote social causes. 

 February 26, 1939 - Was the date of resignation from the Daughters of the American Revolution. This was a direct result of the organization adhering to local racial restrictions and refusing to rent its Constitution Hall for a concert by opera singer Marian Anderson. While she was not responsible for, nor attended the ensuing public concert by Anderson on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial two months later, she strongly supported it. Two months after that, she had Anderson sing in the White House for the King and Queen of England.

Fun Fact:

Amelia Earhart was supposed to teach Eleanor Roosevelt how to fly.

Writtings and artifacts

This is a telegram sent from the first lady to John Lovell, Jr. of Howard University. February 26, 1939

Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) when it barred the world-renowned singer Marian Anderson, an African American, from performing at its Constitution Hall in Washington, DC. Following this  the federal government invited Anderson to sing at a public recital on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The DAR had adopted a rule excluding African-American artists from the Constitution Hall stage in 1932 following protests over "mixed seating," blacks and whites seated together, at concerts of black artists. On February 26, 1939, Mrs. Roosevelt submitted her letter of resignation to the DAR president. Mrs. Roosevelt told her readers of her daily column that in this situation, “To remain as a member implies approval of that action, therefore I am resigning.”

 

View of 75,000 people gathered to hear recital by Marian Anderson at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939
(National Archives, Still Picture Branch, 306-NT-965B-4 )

Sketch of the 1939 Lincoln Memorial Concert drawn by artist Mitchell Jamieson for his mural in the Interior Department Building, Washington, DC.

See a rough draft of Eleanor's news column speaking about the DAR here.