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Franklin Delano and Eleanor Roosevelt’s marriage is one of the most celebrated and scrutinized partnerships in presidential history. It raised eyebrows in their lifetimes and has only become more controversial since their deaths. From FDR’s lifelong romance with Lucy Mercer to Eleanor’s... read more

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Author Hazel Rowley examines the strange and often discussed marriage of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt. Rowley delves into the upbringings of both partners and the events which shaped their future lives together.

People edit see section history

  • Franklin D. Roosevelt: The 32nd President of United States.
  • Eleanor Roosevelt: FDR’s wife.
  • Anna Hall: Eleanor’s mother. Died at age of 29 when Eleanor was eight. Eleanor found her emotionally lacking.
  • Elliott Roosevelt: Eleanor’s father. A younger brother of Theodore Roosevelt. Died at age of 34 when Eleanor was ten. Suffered from alcoholism. Comes from the Oyster Bay branch of the Roosevelt family. Eleanor idolized him.
  • James Roosevelt Sr.: FDR’s father. Comes from the Hyde Park branch of the Roosevelt family. He was 54 when FDR was born.
  • Sara Ann Delano Roosevelt: FDR’s mother. A daughter of a wealthy merchant who made a fortune in the tea and opium trade in China. Extremely possessive of FDR and a mother-in-law from hell for Eleanor.
  • Elliot Roosevelt Jr.: Eleanor’s brother. Died in childhood when Eleanor was eight years old.
  • Gracie Hall Roosevelt: Eleanor’s youngest brother. Died of alcoholism.
  • Marie Souvestre: The headmistress of the boarding school Les Ruches in Allenswood, England, where Eleanor spent her teens her favorite protégée. She was a feminist educator (whose friends included Henry James, Marcel Proust, Sir Leslie Stephen (Virginia Woolf’s father) and encouraged Eleanor to think independently and participate in political and social causes.
  • Dorothy Bussy: The sister of the famous homosexual biographer, Lytton Strachey. Published a “lesbian” novel Olivia (1949) based on her experience at Les Ruches.
  • James 'Rosy' Roosevelt Jr.: FDR’s paternal half brother.
  • Tadd Roosevelt: James Rosy Roosevelt’s son. He and FDR attended Groton School and Harvard University at the same time. Caused a scandal when he married a foreign prostitute.
  • Valentine Hall: Eleanor’s maternal grandfather. Died before Eleanor was born.
  • Mary Livingston Ludlow: Eleanor’s maternal grandmother. Brought up (rather strictly and conservatively) Eleanor after her mother died.
  • Vallie Hall: Eleanor’s maternal uncle. A raging alcoholic.
  • Eddie Hall: Eleanor’s maternal uncle. An alcoholic.
  • Edith 'Pussie' Hall: Eleanor’s maternal aunt. In her childhood, ER was close to her. In 1920, died in fire with her two daughters.
  • Maude Hall: Eleanor’s maternal aunt.
  • Theodore Roosevelt: Eleanor’s paternal uncle & FDR’s distant cousin. The 26th US President (Republican — in 1912, created the Progressive Party (aka Bull Moose Party).
  • Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt: The second wife of Theodore Roosevelt. His first lady.
  • William McKinley: The 25th US President. After he was assassinated in 1901, the then-vice president Theodore Roosevelt took over office.
  • Alice Lee Roosevelt: Theodore Roosevelt’s eldest daughter from his first marriage. (Unhappily) married to Nicholas Longworth, a Republican U.S. House of Representatives member. Had a very competitive relationship with Eleanor.
  • Anna 'Bye' Roosevelt Cowles: Eleanor’s paternal aunt. For ER throughout her childhood and early political career, she was one of the most important role models, but later had a public fall-out over Theodore Roosevelt Jr.’s unsuccessful campaign for the seat of Governor of New York. Afflicted by a spinal ailment. At the age of 40, married William Sheffield Cowles.
  • Quentin Roosevelt: Theodore Roosevelt’s youngest son. Fought and killed as a pursuit pilot in the World War I.
  • Robert Munro Ferguson: A close friend of Bye and Theodore Roosevelt. Proposed to Eleanor, but refused. Became a close friend of Eleanor and FDR.
  • Dona Isabella: The first Congresswoman in Arizona history. A very close friend of Eleanor. Married to Robert Ferguson, then after his death to John Campbell Greenway, and later to Harry O. King.
  • Lucy Mercer: Eleanor’s former secretary. FDR almost left Eleanor to marry her. Later married to Winthrop “Wintie” Rutherfurd. Continued to correspond and meet (especially after her husband died) with FDR and was present when FDR had a fatal stroke.
  • Louis Howe: A newspaperman who had predicted FDR’s brilliant political future from the moment they first met and became an indispensable political supporter/advisor and an intimate friend of FDR and Eleanor. Lived with them during the very difficult time of FDR’s illness. Strongly encouraged Eleanor’s involvement in politics. Known for his somewhat “gnome-like” appearance.
  • Grace Howe: A wife of Louis Howe. Jealous of her husband’s intimate relationship with Eleanor.
  • Woodrow Wilson: The 28th U.S. President (Democrat). FDR was an Assistant Secretary of the Navy during his presidency.
  • Josephus Daniels: A newspaper editor and publisher from North Carolina, who served as Secretary of the Navy (and as a boss of FDR) under Woodrow Wilson. FDR’s long-time supporter and friend.
  • Warren Harding: The 29th U.S. President (Republican). Defeated FDR’s campaign for the Democratic candidate, James M. Cox (as a vice president candidate) by landslide. Died only after two years into office amidst serious administrative scandals (incl. Teapot Dome scandal) and succeed by Vice President Calvin Coolidge.
  • Stephen 'Steve' Early: A U.S. journalist who was the advance man for FDR’s 1920 Presidency campaign as Vice President candidate. Served as the White House Press Secretary under President FDR(and later Truman). As a “Southern gentleman,” he disapproved of Eleanor’s involvement in politics.
  • Marvin McIntyre: An American journalist who was the speechwriter during FDR’s 1920 Vice Presidency campaign. He was appointed White House Appointment Secretary by President Franklin.
  • Marguerite 'Missy' LeHand: A capable and “adoring” private secretary to Franklin. Had a certainly romantic but somewhat “mysterious” relationship with FDR and dubbed the “Second Wife.”
  • Linda Vanderlip: The head of the New York League of Women Voters, who asked Eleanor to join the board.
  • Elizabeth Reed: Eleanor’s close friend as well as personal attorney and financial advisor during the first part of her public career. A life-partner of Esther Lape.
  • Esther Lape: Became Eleanor’s close friend through her work for the New Women movement. A journalist, researcher, and publicist. Elizabeth Read’s life-partner.
  • Jack Delano: Sarah Ann Delano Roosevelt’s younger brother. The patriarch of the Delano family.
  • Nancy Cook: An avid supporter of woman's suffrage and campaigned for protective labor legislation for women, the abolishment of child labor, and world peace and a close friend of Eleanor. Along with her life-partner, Marion Dickerman, lived together with Eleanor at the Val-Kill. Their friendship gradually chilled after Eleanor a first lady.
  • Marion Dickerman: A life-partner of Nancy Cook. In 1919, she ran as a first-ever-woman progressive democratic candidate in the New York legislature (though unsuccessfully). Probably jealous of intimate closeness between Nancy Cook and Eleanor.
  • Al Smith: Preceded FDR as NY Governor (Democratic). A Progressive, who created state parks, reformed the civil service, brought in worker’s comp, improved labor condition for women, even though a critic of FDR’s New Deal.
  • Raymond Moley: The chief brain of the Brain Trust. Professor of political science at Barnard, who wrote the famous “forgotten man” speech that FDR delivered over the air waves in April 1932. Later became a conservative Republican.
  • Frances Perkins: The U.S. Secretary of Labor during FDR and Truman’s presidency. The first woman to be appointed to the U.S. cabinet.
  • Grace Tally: FDR’s secretary (Missy’s assistant).
  • Sam Rosenman: FDR’s speechwriter. One of FDR’s Jewish advisors.
  • Earl Miller: Eleanor’s bodyguard. He was a chivalrous man and suspected of having a romantic, though most likely platonic, relationship with Eleanor. Was also Missy’s lover. Liked to flaunt his body in a swimsuit.
  • Lorena Hickok: A political journalist. Eleanor’s lesbian “friend.” Wrote Eleanor’s biography, “Eleanor Roosevelt: Reluctant First Lady.”
  • Giuseppe Sangara: A deranged Italian anarchist, who tried to assassinate FDR soon after the 1932 election.
  • Herbert Hoover: The 31st U.S. President (Republican). Won against the Democratic candidate, Al Smith.
  • Malvina “Tommy” Thompson: Eleanor’s secretary.
  • Ernest Lindley: A journalist who wrote FDR’s propagandistic biography “Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Career in Progressive Democracy,” commission by Howe.
  • Alf Landon: The Republican candidate for the 1936 Presidential campaign.
  • James Roosevelt: The eldest son of FDR and ER. Appointed a presidential secretary during FDR’s second term, but resigned after 18 months with severe gastric ulcers and a broken marriage. Idolized FDR, but thought ER cold and too critical.
  • Betsy Cushing: The first of James Roosevelt’s four wives. Had a hostile relationship with Eleanor.
  • Anna Eleanor Roosevelt: The eldest daughter of FDR and Eleanor. Took care of FDR as his private secretary after Missy became incapacitated by a stroke.
  • Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr.: The second son of FDR and ER. Died in infancy.
  • Elliot Roosevelt: The third son of FDR and Eleanor. An author of biographies of FDR and ER (“Mother R: Eleanor Roosevelt’s Untold Story”).
  • Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr.: The fourth son of FDR and Eleanor. Also given the same name as the second child who died in infancy.
  • John A. Roosevelt: The fifth son and last child of FDR and Eleanor.
  • James 'Big Jim' Farley: FDR’s (Irish Catholic) campaign manager for his 1932 Presidential campaign. Commonly referred to as a political “kingmaker” Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. The 53rd US Postmaster General.
  • William Bullitt: The first U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union. Courted Missy, but probably could not measure up to FDR in her eyes.
  • Eric Gugler: FDR’s architect friend, who in 1934 began renovating the White House.
  • Henrietta Nesbitt: The chief housekeeper of the FDR White House. To the dismay of FDR and his guests, she was at best a mediocre cook. Wrote a memoir “White House Diary.” Some say she was Eleanor’s passive-aggressive revenge on FDR.
  • Margaret Suckley: A distant cousin of FDR’s. Exchanged flirtatious letters with FDR and dreamed of a quiet life with him after his retirement.
  • John Garner: FDR’s Vice President during his first and second term.
  • Henry Wallace: FDR’s Vice President during his third term.
  • Harry S. Truman: FDR’s Vice President during his fourth term and succeed as the 33rd U.S. President after FDR’s death.
  • Dorothy Schiff: Along with her husband, George Backer, was a supporter of FDR during his presidential campaign. Had a flirtatious friendship with FDR. Bought the New York Post which under her direction would be thoroughly pro-Roosevelt.
  • Crown Princess Olav of Norway (Princess Martha of Sweden): Exiled to U.S. from Norway invaded by Nazi with her children. Flirted with FDR.
  • Joseph 'Joe' Lash: The young Jewish Socialist radical who became Eleanor’s entourage. Authored several biographies of FDR and ER including “Eleanor Roosevelt: A Friend's Memoir” “Eleanor and Franklin: The Story of their Relationship, Based on Eleanor Roosevelt's Private Papers,” which won Pulitzer Prize.
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Quotes edit see section history

  • “As Alice put it: "My father. . . lived up to his reputation of being the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral and hogged the limelight unashamedly." pg. 40”
    Alice Roosevelt

First Sentence edit see section history

They were cousins, fifth-generation, once removed.

Table of Contents edit see section history

Preface ix

ONE: Cousins in Love, 1902-1905 3

TWO: A Victorian Marriage, March 1905 - March 1913 39

THREE: Somewhat at Sea, March 1913 - February 1920 63

FOUR: Tragedy at Campobello, June 1920 - March 1922 91

FIVE: The Wilderness Years, March 1922 - November 1928 119

SIX: In the Governor's Mansion, November 1928 - March 1933 153

SEVEN: Grand Hotel, March 1933 - November 1936 179

EIGHT: Embattled, November 1936 - November 1940 211

NINE: "I am a bit exhausted..." December 1940 - March 1945 241

TEN: The Rose Garden, March 1945 - November 1962 275

Notes 303
Acknowledgments 329
Index 333

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Country: united states
Publication Date: 2010
ISBN: 9780374158576
Page Count: 368

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: E807 .R763 2010
  • Dewey: 973.917092

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
  • Eleanor and Franklin
  • No Ordinary Time

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