Eleanor Roosevelt was one of the most influential people of the 20th century. Her relentless pursuit for the well-being of others led Eleanor through a remarkable life, through which she left a list of accomplishments probably never to be repeated. I chose her to write about because I have known her name all of my life, but really did not know much about her. I am glad that I took this opportunity to learn about such an amazing and dynamic person.
Though Eleanor was born into privilege, she had a rough childhood. Her mother was disappointed with Eleanor’s lack of beauty and made sure she knew it. Both of her parents died by the time Eleanor was 10 years old, and Mary Hall, Eleanor’s maternal grandmother, became her guardian. Mary Hall was strict and cruel guardian to her grandchildren and lacked affection. Eleanor was very shy and afraid of almost everything. Yet she overcame her fears and self doubts, and with the help and support of close friends she made over the course of her life accomplished more than many would in two lifetimes (Fleming, 2005).
What I admire most about Eleanor Roosevelt is her love for people. She worked tirelessly as a teacher, author, radio personality, and in many other areas. Her life’s work was to ease the lives of others and to provide comfort; almost all of the wages she earned were given to charity. It was her passion for improving situations for other people that led Eleanor into politics. She was instrumental in the enactment of the Social Security Act, civil rights and women’s rights. She worked to build homes for the poor, provide education to children, and fund public libraries (Fleming, 2005). Some of her accomplishments include:
- Educator (she was awarded life membership key from the NEA in 1938)
- Writer (published in the Harvard Law Review, and popular magazines including
- Good Housekeeping and Cosmopolitan)
- Author of more than a dozen books including 2 children’s books
- Radio personality (she was one of the highest paid radio personalities in the 1930’s, and earned the title “First Lady of Radio” from NBC.
- First American delegate to the United Nations
I found the life of Eleanor Roosevelt to be both awe inspiring and personally inspiring. She is quoted by Freedmen (1993) as saying, “About the only value the story of my life may have is to show that one can, even without any particular gifts, overcome obstacles that seem insurmountable if one is willing to face the fact that they must be overcome; that, in spite of timidity and fear, in spite of a lack of special talents, one can find a way to live widely and fully” (p.
3).
References:
Fleming, C (2005). Our Eleanor; A scrapbook look at Eleanor Roosevelt's remarkable life. New York City, NY: Simon & Schuster.
Freedman, R (1993). Eleanor Roosevelt: A life of discovery. New York City, NY: Scholastic, Inc.
Deb,
ReplyDeleteEleanor is a tremendous woman who was pivotal in the women's and civil rights movements. She donated much of her time and resources to helping others who were less fortunate or underprivileged. She is a great choice to demonstrate a true leader in all aspects of life. Our leaders share the common threads of helping others and leading by example. Both people have shown that perseverance and dedication are key components to success.
-Matt
Deb,
ReplyDeleteI am glad you chose her. I have heard her name a lot. Her list of achievements are very commendable. Even though both of our leaders have had a rough life they over came the odds and changed history. It appears the desire to help others is a great characteristic to have as a great leader.
Mike
Hi Deb,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading what you had wrote I began to reaserch more about her on my own. I found one particular bit of imformation that I found to be out of the norm, especially that of a previous president. I found it interesting that Teddy and Eleanor were cousins, and they still married. Although it may be on the odd side, I feel this proves more how brave she really was!
Holly