Women in History: Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, Part Four

After FDR's election as president of the United States, she reluctantly acquiesced to resign positions at the Todhunter School, the Democratic National Committee and the Women's Trade Union League--and any other position that might appear to be a conflict of interest as the new First Lady of the nation. Eleanor choose to pursue her activities as a writer and public speaker.

Just two days into her new role, Eleanor held the first of what would be over 340 press conferences. These press conferences were held with only female members of the press. This was Eleanor's method of promoting the idea of female reporters. Major media outlets hired on female reporters just to be able to have a presence at the press conferences.

Initially, the press conferences were to be about life at the White House and activities of her husband's administration, but it wasn't long before Eleanor, being true to her beliefs and background in reform, was speaking about issues that she felt needed the attention of the American public. Some of the women reporters advised Eleanor to speak of such topics off the record, but the First Lady felt strongly that debate and discussion on controversial topics could only strengthen the nation.

In addition to her press conferences, the First Lady continued her writing career, writing monthly columns for the"Women's Home Companion" and "Ladies Home Journal" magazines. Eleanor soon had a six-day-a-week syndicated newspaper column. She authored books, the best known of which during that period was the first segment of her three volume autobiography, "This Is My Story."

Eleanor hosted radio shows, wrote articles for magazines, gave public lectures and speeches. While Eleanor first asserted that FDR did not interfere or involve himself in her writings, she admitted in later years that he did bring to her attention different topics that he wanted first to be presented casually to the public so that he and his administration could gauge public opinion.

Even will all this --and more--going on, Eleanor encouraged the public to write directly to her, and write they did. In the first year of FDR's first term, Eleanor received more than 300,000 pieces of correspondence from Americans. Many of the letters came seeking assistance in one form or another; Eleanor had her staff forward requests to the appropriate federal agency head for follow-up.

Eleanor's presence did not stop there; she provided her own follow-up to ensure action was taken.Unlike her predecessors, the First Lady did not believe in returning personal correspondence with form letters. She personally sent responses to as many individuals as she could, and for those she could not, she arranged that federal department agency heads provided follow-up by some means.

Eleanor Roosevelt slowly but surely changed the perception of the American public as to the role of the First Lady, but it was not without criticism along the way. There were those that felt she was commercializing the presidential office and others who resented her close relationship with the administration and its meetings, policies, etc. It wasn't long into her role as First Lady that Eleanor decided she would be criticized no matter what she did, so she continued to do what she did best.

Had Anna Eleanor Roosevelt lived in current times,she herself may have been a candidate for the presidency of the United States. As it was, she served her country as fervently as if she herself had been elected to office.

Sources:
George Washington University Department of History
National First Ladies' Library