The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, Digital Edition > My Day
My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt

      

NEW YORK, Thursday—Wednesday morning dawned clear and cold, but everyone was shivering because our changes of temperature this winter have been so sudden. However, I was delighted to be able to fly to Boston instead of taking an early morning train. Our friends, Mr. and Mrs. John Sargent, met me at the plane in Boston and I felt very well taken care of. One of the airlines officials kindly saw me on the plane in New York City and another met me in Boston.

I lunched at Fessenden School where one of my grandsons has been for the past year. After lunch I said a few words to the boys and shook hands with them.

It was a funny little reception because some of the smaller ones had no idea why they should shake hands with me and marched by with eyes straight ahead thinking of what they were going to do in the two hours of freedom before them!

The school has a delightful location, with plenty of room for the boys to play. One of the advantages of Boston is that it is so easy to get into the suburbs. One can live in the country and still be only 15 minutes away from the center of town.

I saw Mr. and Mrs. John Cutter at their apartment for a little while after lunch and then proceeded to Sanders Theatre at Harvard to talk on Human Rights. The United Nations Council of Harvard sponsored the lecture, and it was crowded. Again I must say I am delighted to find so many young people interested in these problems. Afterwards we went to Lowell House for a short reception and questions from the group of boys present.

Back at the Sargents' house I changed very rapidly and we reached the Harvard Club a few minutes after six-thirty. Harvard Hall, in which the dinner sponsored by the Harvard Club of Boston was held, is really a very beautiful room. It was filled to capacity, and Walter H. Trumbull, chairman of the dinner, told me they had had to disappoint a great many who wanted tickets. He also alluded to the fact that I had over a hundred relatives who attended Harvard, but I doubt if many of them were present last night.

I was given an original and delightful introduction by Mr. Hatch, who had written a catchy song for the Hasty Pudding Show back in 1937, I believe. I can vaguely recall that my son, John, had told him then I would enjoy it. It caught on so well that many of the boys sang it at that time, and Mr. Hatch announced last night that he had been waiting a long time for the chance to play it for me.

The song is entitled "Eleanor's Here and Eleanor's There," and even though it was written in 1937—before I had done some of my most extensive travelling—it took me all over the world. However, it is still appropriate and the tune is delightful and catchy, so I don't wonder the boys loved it. It was a good way to start the evening off with a laugh.

Everyone was more than kind and I enjoyed my day in Boston. I got on the midnight train and found myself back in New York City this morning rejoicing in a pelting rain which I hope will help our water supply.

E. R.

(WORLD COPYRIGHT, 1950, BY UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART PROHIBITED.)


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About this document

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, February 10, 1950

Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962
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Digital edition created by The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project The George Washington University 312 Academic Building 2100 Foxhall Road, NW Washington, DC 20007

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Digital edition published 2008, 2017 by
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Published with permission from the Estate of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt.

MEP edition publlished on June 30, 2008.

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Transcription created from a photocopy of a UFS wire copy of a My Day column instance archived at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library.
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