Full Name: Mrs. Anna Eleanor Roosevelt
Date of Birth: October 11, 1884
Place of Birth: New York City, New York, USA
Died: November 7, 1962
Place of Death: New York City, New York, USA
Classification: Leaders & Revolutionaries
A founder of the United Nations and known as the “First Lady of the World,” Eleanor Roosevelt helped in the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It was her finesse, dedicated work for those less fortunate, and her outspoken views in politics that won her fame and the hearts of so many governments and citizens of the world.
Her husband’s role as President Franklin D. Roosevelt allowed her to make valued contributions to the United States civil rights system. She was an instrumental player in the fight for Civil Rights and rallied hard behind her husband in support of his New Deal Campaign. Also as the founder of the United Nations’ Freedom House, she collaborated endlessly with foreign governments in an attempt to better conditions for people abroad.
Known as Anna when she was younger, but preferring to be called Eleanor since she could remember, the young Roosevelt had a rough upbringing. Her mother, neé Ana Eleanor Hall and father, Elliott Roosevelt, the younger brother of President Theodore Roosevelt, died when she was young. Following, she was forced to live with her maternal grandmother who saw no hope in the tall child. Theodore Roosevelt, her uncle and godfather, however, supported her emotionally during her these transitional years. Begging for some other living arrangement, Eleanor was eventually allowed to attend school at an all girls’ school just outside of London. It was here that young Eleanor’s eyes were opened to the world around her, where she became eloquent and poised, and where she was able to travel Europe and other countries to see the realities of certain impoverished areas.
Upon returning to the States and meeting Franklin D. Roosevelt, the two started a courtship that was accepted by most of the family. They eventually married and had six children. Even though their marriage was rocky at times, they were unstoppable at changing the nation once in the White House. On the brink of World War II, Eleanor visited many army bases and boosted the morale of soldiers who were defending American borders.
In the biography of Eleanor Roosevelt entitled No Ordinary Time, her political career is discussed and an in-depth analysis of why she fought against the Equal Rights Bill is discussed. It wasn’t until 1961 that her entire biography was finished, and it is still in print. In 1968, Eleanor was awarded the United Nations Human Rights Prize in honor of her work at home and abroad.
