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

[This column has emendations. View original version]

      

CHICAGO, Ill. Monday—I heard a great deal last week about the development of the Los Angeles chapter of the American Association for the United Nations and I think that the initiative they have taken in promoting a U.N. World's Day for the 10th anniversary of the U.N. is one of the signs of the activity which can come from one organization and spread not only through our own country but even through the world. They feel in Los Angeles that World's Day can be developed so that there will be greater unity among the nations of the world as a result of this celebration. They have enlisted the help of some of the best public relations people in big business in the area. I think they have some ideas which if promoted and accepted in other nations might bring a kind of unity on that day, October 24, 1955, which would go far towards consolidating the strength of the United Nations.

There is no reason why this day should not be celebrated in all nations, whether they as yet belong to the U.N. or not. If they want membership, eventually, why should they not be a part of this celebration which in every activity would be designed to spread knowledge about the aims and purposes and activities of the United Nations? Whether you are a member of the U.N. or not you may be still striving for the same ends and you may be willing to work with the United Nations even before you are a member.

I spent a pleasant day with my family in Los Angeles last Thursday. I was met by my three children, Anna, Elliot and his wife, and Jimmy. It is always a thrill to visit California and see the children. At dinner, Anna and her husband, Anna's Johnny and Chuck Halsted all dined with us and we had a delightful time discussing problems of organization for a U.N., world situations, national situations, and finally family news. Though Anna and Jim left somewhere around 11 o'clock it was nearly midnight when Jimmy finally left and Elliott and MInnewa and I put out the lights and closed the house and went to bed.

My time is always too short with my family whether I am traveling or at home in Hyde Park, with John and Anne and their family next door and Franklin, Jr., and Sue and little Nancy a half hour's drive away. We always have more to discuss and more interests to talk about than we have time to cover, which is not always the case with family gatherings.

I have had young people tell me they found family gatherings somewhat boring. A situation which I think never exists among our young people. They may violently differ with each other and I have had strangers present when Roosevelt arguments were going on who thought that we were about to kill each other. But as a matter of fact this intensity only stimulates thinking and interest and I think has a good deal of value. Somebody said about the United States that we have unity through variety, and that is what I always feel exists in my own family. Plenty of variety but basically a great deal of unity.

E.R.

(WORLD COPYRIGHT, 1954, BY UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART PROHIBITED.)


Names and Terms Mentioned or Referenced

Geographic
  • Chicago (Ill., United States) [ index ]


About this document

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, April 6, 1954

Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962
[ ERPP bio | LC | VIAF | WorldCat | DPLA | Wikidata | SNAC ]

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

  • Brick, Christopher (Editor)
    [ VIAF | ORCID ]
  • Regenhardt, Christy (Associate Editor)
    [ ISNI ]
  • Black, Allida M. (Editor)
    [ VIAF | ISNI ]
  • Binker, Mary Jo (Associate Editor)
    [ VIAF | ORCID ]
  • Alhambra, Christopher C. (Electronic Text Editor)
    [ VIAF | ORCID ]

Digital edition published 2008, 2017 by
The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project

Available under licence from the Estate of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt.

Published with permission from the Estate of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt.

MEP edition publlished on June 30, 2008.

TEI-P5 edition published on April 28, 2017.

XML master last modified on June 9, 2017.

HTML version generated and published on May 3, 2022.

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