Eleanor Roosevelt: First Lady of the World

Eleanor Roosevelt: First Lady of the World

Eleanor Roosevelt accomplished many things in her life. She was born into privilege but didn’t let that mold her into the socialite role that was chosen for her. She went on to become one of the most recognizable and influential women of the 21st century. She did so by being the voice and face for the human rights movement. She was so named “The First Lady of the World” by President Truman as a tribute to her human rights achievements. (first ladies, 2009) Eleanor Roosevelt was born Anna Eleanor Roosevelt on October 11, 1884. She was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt and would later marry her distant cousin, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Orphaned by the age of 10 by a criticizing mother and an alcoholic father, Eleanor was sent to boarding schools where she met her teacher, Marie Souvestre, a noted feminist educator who Eleanor accredited with shaping her later activism. Eleanor married her fifth cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, much to the contention of her domineering mother-in-law, Sara Delano Roosevelt, on March 17, 1905. She was a member of many organizations and helped found many ventures with her colleagues. One of her greatest achievements and contributions to the world though was her helping Franklin Roosevelt improve his health after his bout with polio and become the longest running president of the United States. (Cook, 1992) Eleanor Roosevelt is quoted as saying “A woman is like a tea bag- you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.”(Cook, 1992) Her strength can be determined by how she handled many of the experiences in her life. She overcame a hurtful childhood, a cheating husband, and political scrutiny. Her strength and determination were evident by her work with the human rights of children, women, and minorities. She is also quoted as saying, “Justice cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both.”(Cook, 2000) She felt this to be true of all people and spent her life advocating for this to be so in society. Eleanor Roosevelt was an active member in many capacities of the United Nations, a radio broadcaster, a newspaper columnist, an author, and the voice behind one of the greatest presidents of our time. Eleanor died in November of 1962 in New York City. (first ladies, 2009)

Eleanor Roosevelt was the leader of her own destiny. She chooses to not let anyone tell her to be a socialite and to sit pretty for afternoon tea. She was the mother of six children and accomplished many other feats in her time. Eleanor took the transformational approach to leadership. She was a role model for others of high society to reach out and make social change. She