Elenor Roosevelt Essay, Research Paper

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt was a good role model. She was a caring person who thought of others before herself. She always strove to improve the lives of people all over the world. She was a great reformer and humanitarian.

Mrs. Roosevelt was a representative for reforms for the poor, blacks, Indians, and the women of youth in the United States. After her husband (Franklin Delano Roosevelt) came down with poliomyelitis (polio), she became his eyes and ears.

Eleanor rose to power by being a great person to all people. Harry Truman appointed Eleanor to the United Nations. She was active in supporting relief work in Europe after World War II. She started projects to employ writers, artists, musicians, and actors insisting that women?s wages should be equal to men?s wages. She then supported Arthurdale, which was an experimental homestead community for extremely poor mining families. During World War II, Mrs. Roosevelt flew thousands of miles visiting troops overseas to fight racial prejudice in the war industries. She helped persuade her husband to establish the Fair Employment Practices Committee in 1941. Eleanor was involved in several other activities: she was active in the Red Cross relief work in Washington; she was chairman of the Commission on Human Rights and helped formulate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights after her husband?s death; she investigated social conditions and discussed world peace problems when she toured India, Pakistan, the Middle East and the Soviet Union.

?Her constant work to improve their lot made her one of the most loved – and for some years one of the most reviled – women of her generation.? (3) Eleanor was concerned about improving health and education on Indian reservations and fought to preserve the Indian culture. She made herself a strong voice on behalf of numerous social causes, including youth employment and civil rights for blacks and women. This woman helped to plan work camps for girls and to establish the National Youth Administration. Mrs. Roosevelt then helped black leaders gain the attention of government agencies.

?When her husband’s promising career seemed doomed by the crippling effects of polio, her help and encouragement gave him the will to persevere that eventually brought him to the Presidency of the United States.? (2) She dedicated her life for his purposes and was devoted to taking care of him. When he was ill, she inspired him to return to a life in politics. Mrs. Roosevelt held over 350 press conferences only for women, had her own radio program, traveled all over the country giving lectures, and she also had a newspaper column called ?My Day?. Eleanor became active in the Women?s Division of the State Democratic Committee to keep Franklin interested in politics. When Mr. Roosevelt was governor of New York, she toured the state and met officials whom she would later deal with as the president?s wife. She served on the Democratic State Committee in New York helping Alfred E. Smith?s presidential campaign and four years later, her husband?s presidential campaign.

In conclusion, I believe that Eleanor Roosevelt was a great person and a great role model. Everyone should try to be more like her and follow in her footsteps. People should be willing to give up some of what they have and give to others who don?t have. She was on several committees to help a variety of people, whether it be the blacks, the poor, women, the Indians or anyone else. She believed that everyone was equal. When Eleanor was a little girl, she was ignored by her family; because of that she became a giving, caring person. She developed self-confidence and also became an independent person. One of her most noted quotations, and an excellent reflection of her attitude about life is: “It’s better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.”

1. http://ink.yahoo.com/bin/query?p=elenor%2Broosevelt&z=2&hc=0&hs=0

2. http://www.wic.org/bio/roosevel.htm

3. http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/glimpse/firstladies/html/ar32.html

4. http://comptonsv3.web.a?/fastweb?getdoc+viewcomptons+A+6515+12++Elenor%20 Roosevelt