jo binker. [applause] mary jo: thank you. i am delighted to be here with you today. there is no place i enjoy being more than an hyde park and the hudson valley. it is a great treat to be here with you. i am here to talk about my new book. advicu ask me: essential roosevelt." here is the top half of the page of one of her magazine columns. she wrote it for two women's magazines, first of all ladies' 1941 untill from 1949. in that year, she moved over to mccall's magazine and was with that magazine until her death in 1962. idea before itn was a column. the editors of ladies' home waynal envisioned it for a for first lady eleanor roosevelt to combat the rumors, innuendos, and backstairs gossip about the white house. as well as a way to answer these other queries about which the public rightly or wrongly thinks it has to know. more practically, the editors thought that a question and answer column would be easier to edit because they did not think eleanor roosevelt was a very good writer. that was the plan. but it did not work out that way. because eleanor roosevelt and her readers soon turned the column into a two-way conversation about almost every aspect of american life. unlike my book, which is organized thematically, i have organized this talk chronologically, starting with the white house in world war ii. i thought what we could do today would be to eavesdrop on the conversation that eleanor had with her readers. inn the column first began 1941, franklin roosevelt was beginning an unprecedented third term. europe was at war and the great depression was ending as america geared up to become the arsenal of democracy. it was a tense and difficult time. americans were jittery and afraid. by the spring of 1941, eleanor roosevelt was arguably one of the best-known women in the united states. millions of americans had seen , or heard her on the radio read her syndicated newspaper column, "my day." widely admired and roundly criticized for her support of minorities, women, and young people. many ofrth noting that fdr's political opponents in the 1940 presidential campaign had warned campaign buttons that said "we don't want eleanor either." began,he time her column eleanor roosevelt and the american public had established a relationship. this made writing traversing natural. many of those first columns that with the military and homefront issues. here are some of those questions. the first one comes from a military wife. tell me why a soldier can get furlough to see his dog will my husband cannot get a furlough for the first time to see his 14-month-old son? " lady,r answers, "my dear it went to happen that the soldier who had got a furlough to see his dog was due for one and a reporter made a good newspaper story out of it. i am sure that no man would get a furlough and less he was entitled to it and he was allowed to leave at that particular time. paramount consideration in granting any furloughs is the need of the military services, not the pleasure of the individual involved." the comes from a citizen. he is worried about his money. hat assurance do people have that defense bonds are safe? under week and on some leadership, the bonds might not be redeemable later?" "you must have faith in your ability and of the rest of the country to choose sound leadership. there is nothing else you can rely upon except the judgment of the people as a whole to make your government efficient. bondsnts like, if u.s. are not good, neither is anything else in the world. you might as well reconcile yourself to it." this one comes from a military mother. y can't mothers know what their sons and daughters are? if their would it do enemies knew that bill jones is in alaska or australia? " eleanor replied, "if you and your children would use a little bit of ingenuity, you could keep yourselves informed about your whereabouts. if it was openly dying, it could be harmful, not because bill jones is known to be in australia or alaska, but because the enemy would be able to find out what groups bill jones belongs to and from that might discover what opposition they were facing and the number of men probably involved." this is a great question. this is a reader asking about a rumor. is it true that soldiers from midwestern states, which are normally republican, are sent into combat zones before soldiers from democratic states?" [laughter] eleanor replies, "i have never heard anything so idiotic." [laughter] " as your question. no soldier is asked what his politics are. and they would be so mixed in the unit, it would be utterly impossible to separate them. anyone who believes such a statement as this, should go at once to a psychiatrist." [laughter] here is a question about rationing, which was a very big deal on the home front. you think of course should because that is necessary despite the rubber shortage? eleanor replies, "no, i imagine we will find some kind of substitute which will serve to keep us." pointedly, "dot you think women are wrong to have babies in these times?" "certainlylies, not. have faith in our simulation, you should do your share to populate the earth.' now we move on to the early postwar. . withbegan for eleanor franklin's death in april of 1945. piece was at hand. but the dropping of the atom bomb and the emerging cold war with the soviet union did not inspire confidence in the future. closer to home, americans were concerned that the wartime prosperity would collapse without the stimulus of military production. was in short supply and inflation was rampant. politically, fdr's successor, truman, and his liberal supporters were trying to extend the new deal while the conservatives in both parties were trying to rein in what they saw as socialistic excess. social change added to the chaos. women had left home to work in the factories or join the military. african-americans who had served in the military were coming home to segregation and discrimination. and other minorities were also facing poor working and living conditions. like millions of other americans, eleanor roosevelt had to adjust to both her new status and life in postwar america. she moved back here to her home intending to continue writing and lecturing as a private citizen. harry truman, however, had other ideas. in december of 1945, he appointed her to the first u.s. delegation to the inaugural session of the united nations general assembly. it was a job she would hold for six years and led to her becoming chair of the you -- you and human rights conditions and one of the principal architects of the universal declaration of human rights. to hear of the questions from that. -- period. the first comes in a reader worried about the economy. our country is headed into a bad depression. do you think this is true? what could be done to avoid it?" "i do not think we need to have a bad depression. if our economists and industrialists learned their lessons in the 1930's, it cannot be avoided by greedy men. it must be avoided by men who see that the mass of the people cannot be led without their fair share." the next question has particular relevance. "do you think using women to fill men's jobs is economically justified?" "certainly, if women do the same work, they should get the same pay." "i love and admire my wife. but there is one subject on which we can never agree. she thinks i should help with the dishes. do you think this is a husband's work?" "i thinkeplies, anything connected with the home is as much the husband's work as the wife's. this silly idea that there is a division and housework seems to me for this when very often the wife earns money outside the home as well as a husband. certainly if there are children, the wife has two jobs. the one of being a mother and the other of being a wife. the kind of man who thinks helping with the dishes is will also think that helping with the baby is beneath them. and then he is certainly not going to be a very successful father." the next question comes from a wife whose political views differ from her husband's. my husbands as the truman administration is a cesspool of corruption. how can i answer him/" "you can tell your husband that if any government is a cesspool of corruption, every single citizen is is possible when the government is a republic. governments do not become corrupt unless their citizens have allowed those standards to exist. youou live in a democracy, set the standard as the individual citizen. you elect your representative and the government belongs to you. you and i have to correct anything that is wrong. heard.always be if anything is wrong, the blame is ours." children often wrote to eleanor. here's a question from a concerned younger citizen. "i am in the sixth grade. or can i do to make the world more peaceful?" can learn to live harmoniously with people of your own age even though they might be from different races and religions. if you do that, you will be preparing your generation to live better and more peacefully in the world as a whole." not every questionnaire was so polite. here is one with an edge. "our newspaper published an amazing picture of you smiling all sweetness and light as you shook hands with russia's ambassador at the recent opening of the u.n. who are you kidding?" eleanor didn't miss a beat. "i did not know i was kidding anyone. i was preserving the amenities. when you shake hands, you usually smile. seat in the general assembly, we have to pass to rec league of the russian and u.k. delegates. i had known him for a long time. photographers, who are always on the alert, insisted on taking the photograph. i believe as long as we serve in the general assembly or anywhere in the u.n., we must be polite to one another. we must be able to talk to one somedayin the hope that this bridge will be used for the benefit of a peaceful settlement of our difficulties." many of eleanor's replies were much briefer than the one i just read. consider this question. you think is the greatest single cause of misunderstanding between the nations of the world, both great and small?" eleanor had a one-word answer. "fear." early in thebegins 1950's after dwight eisenhower has been elected president and eleanor has returned to private life. the increasing prosperity of the 1950's used americans financial worries what at the same time heightening their social was. marriage rates have risen before and after world war ii as young people hurried to exchange bows before shipping out to combat or married as soon as they returned. these young couples also have more children. the nation's birth rate rose --m fewer than 20,000 births 20 births per thousand in the 1930's to 25 births per thousand in 1947. the increased birthrates and the rise of a youth culture characterized by discontent and rebelliousness and concerns over juvenile the link with the made child-rearing questions more urgent. at the same time, divorce rates spiked, leading to uncertainty about how to deal with remarriage and wounded families. been moremay have prosperous, but politically, they were uneasy about possible communist subversion and american life. even began to fear their neighbors along with many other suspect groups that also included career public servants, educators, clergyman, librarians, and individuals working in the media. civil liberties contracted as the believe took hold that the rights of the accused could be ignored because the threat of communism was so severe. roosevelt haver returned to private life. she had firmly established herself as a trusted source and confidant for many americans. here is a typical question from this. questiontart with a from a marriage minded reader. do you consider the three most important qualifications of a good husband/" be honest, not only in material things, but in intellectual things. that he shall be capable of real love. and that he should find the world and increasingly interesting place in which to live." on birth control, which in the 1950's, was still a controversial topic. "do you believe in planned parenthood?" "yes, i do, if it is not used as an excuse to shirk having a family. i believe every married couple should have children if they are able to do so. but i believe they should use intelligence, so the children will be healthy and the mother not physically exhausted. of course, if this is against your religious beliefs, this is a different matter. seemde of that, it would sensible to plan intelligently for the family health and happiness." this next one is probably one of my most favorite of all the questions. "my has been once our son to play football and i don't. don't you think that bodily contact sports are necessary to the development of a boy's character?" says,"i i do know that they are necessary but i do know if a necessary -- boy wants to play football and you keep him from it, you will probably find that his character or his temper at least will not improve. he will probably align himself with his father and you will be left on the outside. so i advise you not to be too vocal about your feelings." i took this advice and she is absolutely right. is veryone that contemporary. son and his wife are republicans but my daughter recently married a man who favors the democrats. no matter how hard i try, i cannot keep the two couples from getting into nasty political arguments. visits. all of our how do you handle political differences in your own family?" " i try to make them amusing. my family loves to argue. they can argue passionately about things they really do not care about. i find a little laughter into and if necessary changing the subject makes our only gatherings rather entertaining." here is another one that come straight out of today's headlines. "how do you feel about wiretapping? justifiable?" only time i think it is justifiable as if the authorities have reason to suspect spies or traders. and then it should only be used by the most responsible authorities. for any other reason, it should never be allowed." roosevelt association with many liberal groups led many people to assume that she was a communist sympathizer. . the question from one of those readers. "what is your answer to people who accuse you of being procommunist?" very simple one. i have never been a communist. but i have never been afraid to come into contact with calmness. -- communists. but i think it will be a poor person who could not stand up and meet the communists and their theories." and senatorey long mccarthy have raised fears. under what circumstances would we be in danger of a dictatorship and what would be the best ways for citizens to recognize that danger in oppose it?" who have the instinct for dictatorship are always a danger in any society. must because of the alert to observe their liberties. in the u.s., it is easy to discover a demagogue, but it sometimes takes courage to stand up immediately and say you do not agree with certain methods and ideas. however, if we want to preserve our liberties, we better show that courage. it is the only way i know of to remain a free people. " the final air coincides with the last years of eleanor's life. 1950's, a growing restlessness was simmering under the seemingly placid surface of american life. the cold war, the burgeoning thel rights movement, increasing visibility of poverty, and the rising frustrations of women and other marginalized groups was becoming more apparent. nevertheless, the 1960's open on , note of hopeful optimism inspired in part by the election of a youthful president, john f. kennedy. early 1960's, eleanor was well into her 70's but still maintaining a hectic schedule. thewas still writing column, but on a reduced basis. three columns of week instead of six. and she was still traveling extensively and had added teaching and a monthly public affairs television program to her schedule. at president kennedy's request, she had also become the chair of the president's commission on the status of women. she continued to be active in the civil rights and labor movements and the democratic party. she was still writing her column. by this point, she had been a public figure for almost 40 years. she had seen it all and done most of it. she was used to being in the public eye. there were a few questions that taser. r. fazed he "does it's ever bother you that her age, a woman traditional secret, is known to all the world?" "no, my age has been known for so long it does not bother me at all." how do you explain the fact that you have grown much better looking as you have grown older?" compliment. for the you grow means as as older, people do not expected to be as good-looking as they expect a younger person to be. so they are kinder in their judgments." here is a question that draws on her long relationship with her mother in law. do do you think it is possible for two much or women, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law for instance, to live under one roof in peaceful coexistence?" "i think it possible, but not probable." [laughter] 1960 was an election year. readers wanted to know eleanor's views. "in any election year, there is always a big argument over whether to vote based straight ticket or split your ballot. you please tell me what you think/" "i have always said that this is something the individual must decide for himself. while ago thatg voting for the individual rather than the party was valid in local elections but not in elections covering state and national issues. , one chooses a party because on the whole, the party has shown a record of a competent that approximates one idea of good government. choice has been made, it seems to me that anything beyond the local level should be a question of voting for a party, rather than an individual." is a question about life in the white house, once she was well qualified to address. "shortly, we will have not only a first president but a new first lady. what would be the most difficult problem she will face?" "living her own life as she wants to live it. there are certain things you are obliged to do as first lady. in many ways you are him then, and you have this -- to fight your way out if you deal like you want some life of your own." . as a question from 1961 that displays eleanor's political acumen. "would you care to make a and telle prediction us to you think the republican candidate for president in 1964 will be?" "there will undoubtedly be some soul-searching and the republican party that could lead to the nomination of mr. rockefeller or perhaps mr. goldwater. who knows? " here is another question about politics. his appointment to the, there was publicity about mcnamara having to sell his ford holdings. do you think it is necessary to penalize public servants in this way? our cabino me that if members cannot be trusted to separate personal interests from public duty, they should not be trusted in such important positions at all." "it is customary and has been for many years for people accepting positions in government to divest themselves of holdings in any enterprise that does business with the government. it is not a question of distrust. it is a question of influence. it stems from the fact that they have such holdings. therefore, it is probably a wise decision but no one working in the government should have a considerable interest in any company transacting business with the government." one final question about women in politics. this comes from march of 1962, shortly before she died. " do you think there is a double standard in politics? are women candidates for office treated more gently than their opponents?" have watched a great many men and political life, and i think they are more reticent in bringing up certain types of accusations against a woman. i have an idea that if those accusations have foundation in fact, they will not be left out of a political campaign. when anyone, man or woman, goes into politics, i believe one has to develop a pretty tough skin and take for granted that one will be cheated no more gently than any other candidate." more than 50 years have passed since eleanor wrote those words. if you ask me, much has changed, yet much remains the same. anhough we live in increasingly wired world where events seem to move at warped speed and every day brings a fresh controversy, we still worry about our relationships, our children's upbringing, and how to make a living. social issues like health care and abortion are still with us. our domestic politics are increasingly fractious. and the world remains a dangerous place. the questions and answers and, if you ask me, are a vibrant conversation between what women in her fellow citizens as issues -- relevant as the latest tweet. they remind us that in times of tremendous change, our hopes and desires and worries remain constant. after half ais why century, eleanor roosevelt words remain so powerful. thank you. [laughter] paul: mary jo will answer some questions now. mary jo: i just want to say that i am not giving any advice. [laughter] anything else is fine. >> thank you for reminding us of eleanor's wisdom. youryou considered sending book to the present first lady of the united states? mary jo: honestly, no. i have been so busy try to get it out that i have not thought about it. but maybe for christmas. [laughter] >> as the first lady, was she as outgoing a person when she first became first lady or was it franklin found he would have to have some help? since mrs. hoover was so outgoing, and her husband was very shy, in the case of the roosevelts, mrs. roosevelt, as she originally very shy and fdrt and then because of having to come out and take his place? mary jo: as a young wife, yes. she was extremely shy and self-conscious. but she trained herself overtime to overcome that. roosevelt time the center the white house in 1933, she has already established herself as a public figure in new york because she has bee
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