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Eleanor Roosevelt 1884-1962
The daughter of Theodore Roosevelt's son Elliott, Eleanor Roosevelt grew up in a wealthy and privileged environment in New York City, which she countered by becoming one of the great champions of social and political reform. Eleanor had an unhappy childhood and was surprised when her attractive, vivacious cousin Franklin Roosevelt started to woo her in 1902; they married in 1905. The turning points in their personal lives and marriage occurred in 1918, when Eleanor discovered Franklin's attraction to another woman, and 1921, when Franklin contracted polio. Although the marriage survived and Eleanor aided in her husband's physical and mental rehabilitation, they led separate lives. Eleanor began to dedicate herself to political causes, especially women's and workers' rights, that made her a champion of the Democratic Party's liberal wing until her death.
Lotte Jacobi, 1944 |