An American politician, diplomat and human rights activist. Eleanor Roosevelt was the longest-serving United States First Lady (President Franklin D. Roosevelt served four terms in office), and served as a delegate in the UN for seven years after. She was known as, and is still considered to be, the “First Lady of the World. Born October 11, 1884, Eleanor Roosevelt was brought up in a family of wealth and privilege, as her family was part of the New York high society. She had two younger brothers and lived with their parents in Manhattan.
When Eleanor was eight years old, her mother died from diphtheria. Months later, one of her brothers died of the same disease. Her father died two years later from a seizure. After the death of her parents, Eleanor and her brother were raised in the household of their grandmother. Her childhood losses lead her to having depression her whole life.
Eleanor Roosevelt was a controversial First Lady. She was very outspoken, especially on her views of racial issues. She held press conferences, wrote a daily newspaper column, and hosted a weekly radio show. She also was not afraid to speak up if she disagreed with FDR’s policies. She supported women in the work place and advocated for expanding their roles, as well as advocating for the civil rights of African Americans and Asian Americans, and the rights of World War II refugees.
After Eleanor served as First Lady, she admitted, “I became more of a feminist than I ever imagined.” We have a lot to thank her for, including paving the way for women’s rights and being vocal about African American rights during the Civil Rights Movement. On November 7, 1962, Eleanor Roosevelt passed at the age of 78. She was inducted into the Women’s Hall of Fame in 1973. In 1989 the Eleanor Roosevelt Fund Award was founded, supported and honoring an individual, project, organization or institution for outstanding contributions to equality and education for women and girls.