Eleanor Roosevelt is remembered by most as America’s premier First Lady and an advocate for human rights. However, Mrs. Roosevelt is rarely acknowledged as a journalist and author.
During her lifetime she was the author of over a dozen books and a highly regarded weekly newspaper column, “My Day.” This syndicated column appeared in papers across the country from 1935-1962. Topics included civil rights, women’s rights, and prohibition, as well as current events, including an account of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Mrs. Roosevelt also wrote articles for Ladies Home Journal, Vogue, and McCall’s.
During a recent visit to the Franklin Roosevelt Library and Museum in Hyde Park, New York, I came across two of Mrs. Roosevelt’s press credentials — one from the Press Club of New York and a press credential from the United Nations as a representative of United Press International.
Roosevelt’s literary accomplishments are all the more remarkable given that she had no formal journalistic training.
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