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

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WASHINGTON, Thursday—My husband and the boys stayed in Hyde Park yesterday with my mother-in-law. The dedication of the new post office in the village was the one official occurrence of the day. I left in the morning for New York City, for I had promised to meet Mr. Charles Taussig to talk over the three day meeting here of the National Advisory Committee of the National Youth Administration, and also to see Lady Lindsay, who wanted to talk over several things on which we have been working together.

At 3:00 o'clock I took a plane for Washington, and was a little late, for we had to land at Bolling Field. At tea, two young men who are fired with enthusiasm over the promotion of real understanding between the South American countries and the United States, told me something of their hopes and plans for the future. They are both teaching in American colleges, but would like to start a school in some South American country to prepare young South Americans to enter college in this country, and to encourage some of our youngsters to study in South American countries, where they can better prepare for future work with their neighbors.

A few friends came to dinner, and about midnight I began to realize that I had had little sleep in the past twenty-four hours. I almost missed getting up in time to meet the President this morning! I did reach the station at 8:30 and the Cabinet, the Commissioners, some members of Congress and many friends were already gathered there. The people of the District of Columbia turned out in great numbers to welcome back the President and Vice-President elect. When we reached the White House, all the members of the household with the ushers, the aides and the Marine band were there to greet us. The front gates were open and the President had to go out under the front portico once before breakfast and once after it to wave his greeting to the people standing outside.

Then I went immediately to the opening session of the Advisory Committee of the NYA, returned to the White House for a press conference, and then ran over to the executive office to be with the President when he greeted all the members of the executive office staff. I finally found myself seated with Mrs. Helm to go over the accumulated details of social life, which must now be considered.

I shall quote just a brief excerpt from a letter I received this morning: "I have read and listened to both parties all that I could, and weighed it all with what knowledge and judgment. I have. ... I am bound as an American to say that if the people's vote gives Wendell Willkie the office, then we owe him, while he is there, the loyalty, devotion, cooperation and encouragement that is due any man on whom we thrust so heavy and frightening a responsibility. I, for one, pray that I may never forget this, my responsibility to our government."

The people's vote has been given to President Roosevelt and the above describes fairly accurately what I hope will be the attitude of all citizens who really love and serve their country.

E.R.

(COPYRIGHT, 1940, BY UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC.)


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About this document

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, November 8, 1940

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

  • Brick, Christopher (Editor)
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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.

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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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