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(Anna) Eleanor Roosevelt was born on October 11, 1884 in New
York. Her family called her Eleanor. She was the wife of
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, but won fame in her own right
for her humanitarian work, and as a role a model for women in
public life. One of her most noted quotations, and an
excellent reflection of her attitude about life is: "It's
better to light a candle than to curse the darkness."
Eleanor married a distant cousin, Franklin Roosevelt, in 1905.
When her husband was stricken with polio in 1921 she began to
work on his behalf, making frequent fact-finding trips during
his terms as governor of New York, and later as President.
While First Lady, she went on nationwide lecture tours, and
held over 350 press conferences for woman reporters only. She
wrote a daily newspaper column and articles for many
magazines. Eleanor was also a civil rights activist during her
husband's tenure as President.
Roosevelt served as a United States delegate to the United
Nations General Assembly from 1945 to 1951. In 1946 she was
elected chairman of the UN's Human Rights Commission. She
helped draft the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In
1961 she returned to the General Assembly. Later in 1961
President John F. Kennedy appointed her head of the Commission
on the Status of Women.
Eleanor Roosevelt wrote four books: This is My Story (1937);
This I Remember (1950); On My Own (1958); and Tomorrow Is Now
(published in 1963 after her death).
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