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My Day: The Post-War Years, Her Acclaimed Columns, 1945-52
Book by Eleanor Roosevelt, David Emblidge
297 pages, Hardcover
Published July 26, 1990
22 people want to read
About the author
Eleanor Roosevelt
140 books1,677 followersAnna Eleanor Roosevelt was an American political leader who used her influence as an active First Lady from 1933 to 1945 to promote the New Deal policies of her husband, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, as well as taking a prominent role as an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, she continued to be an internationally prominent author and speaker for the New Deal coalition. She was a suffragist who worked to enhance the status of working women, although she opposed the Equal Rights Amendment because she believed it would adversely affect women. In the 1940s, she was one of the co-founders of Freedom House and supported the formation of the United Nations. Eleanor Roosevelt founded the UN Association of the United States in 1943 to advance support for the formation of the UN. She was a delegate to the UN General Assembly from 1945 and 1952, a job for which she was appointed by President Harry S. Truman and confirmed by the United States Congress. During her time at the United Nations chaired the committee that drafted and approved the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. President Truman called her the "First Lady of the World" in tribute to her human rights achievements.
She was one of the most admired persons of the 20th century, according to Gallup's List of Widely Admired People.
She was one of the most admired persons of the 20th century, according to Gallup's List of Widely Admired People.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 17, 2017
Although these essays were written 70 years ago, it's amazing how relevant some of the My Day columns seem. Each of the entries included here are introduced with a brief paragraph or two to lend context or background, which is helpful. Ans some of her columns talk about family doings or general home life. But Eleanor Roosevelt rarely stayed away from politics for long, and she was incredibly smart and insightful. And her views are still relevant. Did you know that President Harry Truman had tried to get Universal Healthcare passed during his presidency? It turns out that all those World War II GIs and their wives rather liked having easily accessible, affordable healthcare, and wanted it to continue. Apparently an original form of the bill included money for the education and training of doctors, too. Here is Mrs. Roosevelt on why she thought universal healthcare was a good idea (and still is):
"If (the plan) is to be put in operation, of course, the new administration will have to study it and decide whether it is the best way that we can be sure to give all out people, as a basic human right, health services - free if need be for a few, and for all at very moderate cost.
This was of course going to be expensive, so there's this:
"When we look at the loss to industry on account of neglected illness and the loss to the country because of neglect in this area of health among our children we realize that if this plan would actually meet the actual health needs of the country it would pay us many times to put it into operation."
She also took on critics of her husband and his "New Deal" programs, which some people considered "socialist schemes" that would make people dependent on the government.
"The people whose farms were saved, the people who did not lose their homes, the people who found work on government projects until the factories could begin to open again - all these people were not made dependent. They were simply kept from revolution against our government.
When you stand in line in the street for a cup of coffee, you rarely feel that your government is a successful one. I would like those who feel that the people of the United States have been rendered soft and dishonest by the things the government has done for them to remember that there were a good many part of this country in 1933 where a revolution could have been engineered by almost any enterprising person. And that condition was brought about by the conservative, orthodox business methods that prevailed under the experienced men of business under President Herbert Hoover and his very able Cabinet."
So - I'm still a big fan of Eleanor Roosevelt. She's still definitely invited to my "Amazing Women" dinner party.
"If (the plan) is to be put in operation, of course, the new administration will have to study it and decide whether it is the best way that we can be sure to give all out people, as a basic human right, health services - free if need be for a few, and for all at very moderate cost.
This was of course going to be expensive, so there's this:
"When we look at the loss to industry on account of neglected illness and the loss to the country because of neglect in this area of health among our children we realize that if this plan would actually meet the actual health needs of the country it would pay us many times to put it into operation."
She also took on critics of her husband and his "New Deal" programs, which some people considered "socialist schemes" that would make people dependent on the government.
"The people whose farms were saved, the people who did not lose their homes, the people who found work on government projects until the factories could begin to open again - all these people were not made dependent. They were simply kept from revolution against our government.
When you stand in line in the street for a cup of coffee, you rarely feel that your government is a successful one. I would like those who feel that the people of the United States have been rendered soft and dishonest by the things the government has done for them to remember that there were a good many part of this country in 1933 where a revolution could have been engineered by almost any enterprising person. And that condition was brought about by the conservative, orthodox business methods that prevailed under the experienced men of business under President Herbert Hoover and his very able Cabinet."
So - I'm still a big fan of Eleanor Roosevelt. She's still definitely invited to my "Amazing Women" dinner party.
May 1, 2023
I really enjoyed this glimpse of Mrs. Roosevelt, first lady of the world, as she's called. This quirky column is sort of an ancient Twitter feed as she talks about family, personal beliefs and political observations.
I appreciate her dedication in word and work to human rights above country. Granted, she's a little conservative here and there and awkward about other cultures, but she's surprisingly progressive for her day on a lot of things. Her commentary and concern about McCarthyism could be printed today and be just as timely.
I appreciate her dedication in word and work to human rights above country. Granted, she's a little conservative here and there and awkward about other cultures, but she's surprisingly progressive for her day on a lot of things. Her commentary and concern about McCarthyism could be printed today and be just as timely.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews