The Wisdom of Eleanor Roosevelt

A role model for generations of women, Eleanor Roosevelt lent her passion, support, and life experience to humanitarian causes in the United States and abroad, making her a popular and influential figure of the twentieth century. Both as a first lady and as a public figure, Mrs. Roosevelt championed the poor, minorities, and women. Her work as a civil rights advocate resulted in the desegregation of the armed forces and the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Culling quotes from her books, letters, and articles, and also providing timelines, contextual explanations, and a reader’s guide, The Wisdom of Eleanor Roosevelt offers a thorough and lasting tribute to a tireless and compassionate leader.

One of the most respected women of the twentieth century, Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) was a humanitarian, feminist, and civil rights advocate. As first lady, she supported her husband Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal and influenced his executive orders barring discrimination. During her time as U.S. delegate to the United Nations, she helped author the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and was later appointed by John F. Kennedy to chair a presidential commission on the status of women. In addition to her tireless work and travel, she wrote a groundbreaking, nationally syndicated column, “My Day,” for twenty-six years.