WebThe Roosevelts were the ultimate power couple during the first half of the 20th century. WebThe exact nature of FDR's relationship with LeHand's is debated by historians, but it is generally accepted that there was an element of romance. It was not only that Eleanor, with her public achievements, personal tragedies, and flair for emotional undressing in public that would have warmed the heart of a latter-day talk-show host, could not help upstaging her; it was also that Lucy had a passion for privacy. They mention her soft heart. Copyright 1949-2023 American Heritage Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. "The Gatekeeper," Marguerite Missy LeHand and FDR at the White House, 1940. [1], As a young woman, Lucy Mercer worked in a dress shop. The home is now a tourist attraction, Lifelong 'friend:' Lucy Mercer, pictured in the 1930s, stayed in FDR's life until his death in 1945, and she was with him when he took his last breaths, Box office: One of FDR's numerous rumored affairs will be revisited with the Dec. 7 release of 'Hyde Park on Hudson,' a film depicting his quasi-incestual affair with his distant cousin, Margaret 'Daisy' Suckley, Another affair? It was a virtuoso performance. FDR's affinity for the company of women was always well known and some historians dispute stories of his alleged affairs, saying his friendships never grew to become romances. One of many women: Franklin D. Roosevelt was said to have carried on a 20-year affair with his secretary, Marguerite 'Missy' LeHand. It was during their years in Albany that Missy first came to the attention of the roving pack of reporters who covered FDR. There was more heartbreak waiting for Eleanor when she arrived in Warm Springs. Eleanor discovered the affair in in 1918 when she found love letters in her husband's suitcase. FDR flattered and flirted with them all, but it was Lucy for whom he had almost left his wife before he had polio, and Lucy whom the White House operators were instructed to put through no matter when she called, and Lucy whom he was with when he succumbed to a cerebral hemorrhage on that clement April afternoon in Warm Springs. The difference of several weeks would not seem important but for who else was in the White House at the time. and how much more must still be given this greedy world . Per NPR's review of the book "Franklin and Eleanor: An Extraordinary Marriage," she engineered a cruise with herself, Franklin, and Franklin's best friend that winter, a move that left Eleanor worried. In June 1942, two squads of saboteursall U.S. residents who returned to Germany to serve the Reichwere dropped by U-boat on beaches in New York and Florida, respectively. FDR's affinity for the company of women was always well known and some historians dispute stories of his alleged affairs, saying his friendships never grew to But if his need for company was prodigious, it could also be promiscuous. . She left only a handful of letters and no diaries, or at least none that have come to light. She called the White House and her former assistant Grace Tully took a message for the President, but he did not call her back that day. At this stage in their marriage, the Roosevelts were also maintaining distance in their private lives. The young FDR did not take socially unsanctioned sex lightly. In the same letter, she admitted that she had been reading over some very old letters of his.. WebBeing obsessed with all things Roosevelt, I was thrilled to see a biography about Marguerite Missy LeHand, President Franklin D. Roosevelts personal secretary. But whitewashing the weaknesses of the great is a disservice to them as well as history. Nonetheless, FDR had his standards of conduct. From Nazi saboteurs washing up near Marthas vacation home, to secretary Missy LeHands collapse and the press implying the President and Princess were an item, theres a ton of drama in Episode 6 of Atlantic Crossing. Rutherfurd continued to meet more frequently with Roosevelt in the months that followed. Alice Roosevelt Longworthdaughter of Theodore Roosevelt, and a cousin of Eleanor'sencouraged the affair, inviting Mercer and Franklin to dinner together several times. She lived quietly, if splendidly, on a great estate in rural New Jersey and a handsome retreat in fashionable Aiken, South Carolina. Then it would revert back to Eleanor. WebWidely considered the first female presidential chief of staff, Marguerite "Missy" LeHand was the right-hand woman to Franklin Delano Roosevelt - both personally and professionally - for more than 20 years. A new PBS documentary based on a book he wrote shows why. [33] In June 1944, Roosevelt requested of his daughter Anna, who was then managing some White House social functions and acting as hostess, that she help him arrange to meet Rutherfurd without Eleanor's knowledge. Kathryn Smith, author of The Gatekeeper: Missy LeHand, FDR, and the Untold Story of the Partnership That Defined a Presidency the first full biography of Missy LeHand, describes her as tall and slim, with wavy dark brown hair and large blue eyes under dark arched brows the classic black Irish coloring. He replied that no one did, but that ER, who was breathtakingly generous to those in need, often turned away from those who no longer needed her. But FDR never gave up on her. I naturally fell for him. }). On the rare occasions when she was less than that, ER owned up to her failings scrupulously. *Based on a series of articles(in Norwegian) written by Mari Aftret Mrtvedt and Ola Nymo Trulsen for NRK, the Norwegian Broadcasting Company. That there was genuine affection between Franklin and Mercer is evident, however, as is the devastation the affair brought to Eleanor. The more I admired the three of them, the less I wanted to gloss over their faults. Missys very capable protg Grace Tully took over the administrative responsibilities, but her personal relationship with FDR was not the same as Missys. The year 1924 also introduced FDR to Warm Spring Georgia, where he would focus his efforts on findingan effective cure for polio and provide a world class rehabilitation clinic for its victims. Eleanor did not enjoy or entirely approve of the bohemian lifestyle FDR was engaging in, fishing and drinking and frivolous pastimes, and so she spent little time onboard. Du Bois supported it. Eleanor Roosevelt was 13 years into her marriage in 1918. It is generally accepted that their relationship contained a romantic element, though scholars remain divided on whether the pair had a sexual relationship. hbspt.enqueueForm({ Franklin allowed Eleanor to build a personal cottage, Val-Kill, on the family's Hyde Park estate, where she could host whomever she liked or be left alone. She was also romantically involved with the dashing and daring William Bullitt who served as FDRs secret spy and later as Ambassador to Russia and France. Atlantic Crossing | Fact or Fiction: Inside Episode 6 - PBS Roles of Tully and LeHand were by this time well defined and accepted. But the demands ER made on herself could take a fearful toll on others, especially the man with whom she had linked her destiny when she was only 20 and he had just turned 23. Lucy Mercer could not have destroyed words written to her by one of the greatest men that ever livedto methe greatest, as she wrote his daughter after his death. . [30] When her husband later suffered a stroke, she contacted Roosevelt to arrange for him to be cared for at well-regarded Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.[31] Historian/author Doris Kearns Goodwin speculated that an entry in the White House ushers diary for August 1, 1941 included a code name for Lucy Rutherfurd, suggesting that she attended a private dinner with the president then. FACT: Though not as depicted in Atlantic Crossing. Unlike a formerly unpublished letter from which I finally got permission to quote, it wasnt even classified. Fierce opposition came from Franklin's political advisor, Louis Howe, and from his mother, Sara Delano Roosevelt. Three Decades Ago This Magazine Launched a Durable American Trend, For 70 years, American Heritage has been the leading magazine of U.S. history, politics, and culture. She was a devoted and successful mother to five stepchildren and one biological daughter, all of whom adored her. Her stress was a trigger for heart problems, say the series co-writers, adding that the medication LeHand took gave her mood swings, depression and anxiety. This was in part a matter of logistics; some of these trips were to do with Franklin's rehabilitation from polio, while Eleanor had the family to look after. Soon after his death, Suckley wrote in her diary: 'He told me once that there was no one else with whom he could be so completely honest.'. Trusted Writing on History, Travel, and American Culture Since 1949. But after she accidentally started a fire while lighting a cigarette the decision was made to send her home to Somerville, Massachusetts. But there is no question that the time they spent on board the Larooco laid the foundation for a deep bond between them that lasted until Missys death. "No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. And there were scores of others. As she had cherished Franklin, Sara showered affection on her grandchildren. Just in the late 1920s, Hazel Rowley (via NPR) documents 116 weeks that Franklin was gone. I knew her father had died of alcoholism, and her uncles had drunkenly fired hunting rifles at her from the windows of her grandmothers house. WebIts true that in his spare time between 1941-1945, FDRs most frequent companion was Martha, though others were often with them as well. FDR's Secretary of Labor the first female Cabinet member also helpedcreatethe minimum wage, 40-hour work week, and first tough child labor laws. Both branches of the Roosevelt family enjoyed wealth and privilege, yet the future first family were raised in markedly different circumstances. [25][26], Despite Roosevelt's promise to Eleanor, he kept in contact with Lucy Rutherfurd after her marriage, corresponding with her by letter throughout the 1920s. While fond of his niece, Theodoremade the wedding into a St. Patrick's Day "pit stop," according to Marc Peyser and Timothy Dwyer's book "Hissing Cousins." Just what the nature of that affair was is unknown and never will be. I discovered secrets I wanted to sweep under the rug. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. See also "Miss LeHand: FDR's Influential and Largely Forgotten Assistant". Who was this woman who attracted the greatest man of her time and held him until he died, not in her arms, as gossip still has it, but close enough? Sometimes, these bled into public view. Several of them actually lived in the White House at one time or another. The remained with her until her death, and in 2010 they finally arrived at the FDR Library as the Grace Tully Collection. The home was a gift from Sara (per Biography), and both residences were run by her. It was with the help of these accomplished attorneys, social workers, journalists, and activists that she found her voice and defined her causes. My study of the presidential chronology disclosed a meeting on June 5 of the same year. Roosevelt's longest supposed affair was with his secretary, Missy LeHand, which some historians believe he became romantically involved with beginning in 1921, when he was serving as governor of New York. After his reelection in 1930 he became the most activist governor in the country. Marguerite Missy LeHand (18981944) was born to an Irish family in Potsdam, New York. Despite all of her work in helping bring FDRs dream of a presidential library to fruition, on June 30th, 1941, when it was dedicated, Missy was not there. ER relied upon the kindness and sustenance of her friends, especially her women friends. Roosevelts: Relationship of a Political Power The affair lasted 20 years, according to some, and it was cataloged in a book written by FDR's son Elliott, who said the relationship was common knowledge. According to Joseph Alsop, a Roosevelt cousin and political columnist, ER had a downright ghastly childhood and youth, while FDR had an immensely happy childhood and a youth altogether comfortable and if anything overprotected. But she did. Their correspondence is filled with romantic expressions and longing, though whether they had a physical relationship isn't known for sure; at least in regards to her marriage, Eleanor maintained that shared connection and common interest trumped lusty urges. FDR's love nest in the park: How president took FIVE She was also determined that he would do good. Rutherfurd and Shoumatoff, along with two female cousins, were sitting there as the artist worked on her painting of Roosevelt as he sat at a card table by the living room stone fireplace, fine-tuning a future speech and reading over some other papers on the early afternoon of April 12, 1945. He loved to gather a group around him while he mixed cocktails, told stories, and traded gossip and jokes. But the woman who is perhaps least remembered but most Continue reading Opinion | FDRs private secretary who served also as his The better I got to know the woman whom I had been raised to revere, the more I marveled at her achievements and squirmed in her presence. For comparison, Franklin's secretary, Missy LeHand, was with him for 110 weeks. She advocated unsuccessfully against the internment policy; when it went through, she kept up a pragmatic front in public speeches and mitigated and challenged interment where she could in private. His mother Sara Delano, his wife Eleanor, his Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins the first woman to be appointed to the cabinet, and his distant cousin Daisy Suckley. Her film collection documents social activities from a Roosevelt inner circle perspective, and bring new The context of Eleanor's attitude is worth bearing in mind. Franklin D. Roosevelt (c. 1919) and Eleanor Roosevelt (1933), Marriage and continued contact with Roosevelt, Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough, his first memorable presidential inauguration, "Franklin Roosevelt Was Not Diplomatic as Wife", "FDR's Secret Love: How Roosevelt's lifelong affair might have changed the course of a century", "Paid Notice: Deaths KNOWLES, BARBARA RUTHERFURD", "MISS RUTHERFURD BECOMES FIANCEE; BETROTHED | Member of Noted Family WIll Be Wed to Robert Winthrop Knowles, Jr. of Boston", "MISS RUTHERFURD MARRIED IN AIKEN; Fermata School Graduate the Bride of Robert W. Knowles Jr., Former Service Man", "February 2011: FDR Letters to Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd", "Anna Eleanor Roosevelt Boettiger Halsted (1906-1975)", "New light on the revelations of Franklin Roosevelt's 30-year affection for Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd", Military history of the United States during World War II, Springwood birthplace, home, and gravesite, Little White House, Warm Springs, Georgia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lucy_Mercer_Rutherfurd&oldid=1152540330, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 30 April 2023, at 21:24.
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