Anna Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, Part 1, 1884-1964 | Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum

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Collection Overview

Title: Anna Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, Part 1, 1884-1964

Primary Creator: Roosevelt, Eleanor (1884-1962)

Extent: 889.62 Cubic Feet

Arrangement:

The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers is organized into three distinct parts - pre-White House material, White House material, and post-White House material. Within those parts, the collection is arranged into 63 series. The series are generally arranged chronologically and then aplhabetically thereunder.

Due to the large size of the Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, the online finding aid has been divided into three sections. Part 1 covers boxes 1-1395.

Scope and Contents of the Materials

This collection contains material accumulated by Anna Eleanor Roosevelt during her lifetime. The pre-White House material includes early family papers, school exercise books, and correspondence with family and friends up to her years as the wife of the governor of New York. The White House material contains correspondence with family, friends, the general public, and government officials. The general public wrote requesting material assistance; commenting on her activities as First Lady, including her trips, speeches and articles; seeking her patronage; requesting an autograph, photograph or invitation to the White House; invitations to events, and sending her gifts. The correspondence with government officials asks their help in finding work, saving homes and farms and other assistance requests. The post-White House material contains correspondence with family, friends, the general public and government officials. This material also includes her correspondence and other material pertaining to her term as a delegate to the United Nations and as Chairman of the Human Rights Committee. The collection also contains copies of a number of her speeches and articles including her "My Day" column.

Administrative Information

Repository: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum

Access Restrictions: The papers contain material restricted in accordance with Executive Order 12958, and material which might constitute the invasion of privacy of living persons has been closed.

Use Restrictions: The unpublished writings of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt are in the public domain. Mrs. Roosevelt's published writings are subject to her literary estate.

Acquisition Method: The papers of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt were donated by Mrs. Roosevelt and her children.

Related Materials: Numerous collections in the Library including: President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Official, Personal and Secretary’s Files; Franklin D. Roosevelt: Papers pertaining to Family, Business and Personal Affairs; Franklin D. Roosevelt: Papers as Vice Presidential Candidate, 1920; Franklin D. Roosevelt: Papers as Governor of New York, 1929 -1932; Eleanor Roosevelt Oral History project; Papers of Anna Roosevelt Halsted; Papers of Lorena Hickok; and Roosevelt Family Papers Donated by the Children of Franklin, Eleanor Roosevelt, and John A. Roosevelt.

Box and Folder Listing

Series 16: Messages Requested (40), 1934-1945

Correspondence, memoranda, press releases, radio broadcast transcriptions, newspaper and periodical clippings and statement and message drafts. Arranged chronologically and thereunder in rough alphabetical order by name of correspondent or organization. The papers in this file include messages, statements, editorials and greetings prepared by or for Mrs. Roosevelt for defense workers, military servicemen, schools, hospitals, religious bodies, relief and philanthropic organizations, magazines and newspapers. Also messages and statements to be read before political rallies, war bond drives, social and fraternal gatherings and labor and educational conventions. Prepared statements for inclusion in periodicals and newspapers published in Australia, Great Britain, Iceland and Russia, done at the request of the Office of War Information during World War II, are also found herein. Includes personal messages and congratulations to individuals, requests to review books, write forwards and editorials. There is also correspondence concerning material written by "ghosts" and published under Mrs. Roosevelt's name. The file contains a good deal of information on Mrs. Roosevelt's background, activities, daily routine, and views on contemporary matters as well as requests for interviews, information concerning the history, furnishings and routine of the White House and appeals for personal letters. This series is divided into six parts: 40.1: Messages sent by Mrs. Roosevelt; 40.2: Messages Refused; 40.3: Requests for Information about the White House; 40.4: Requests for Interviews; 40.5: Requests for Personal Letters from Eleanor Roosevelt; 40.9: Miscellaneous Messages Requested from Eleanor Roosevelt.

Among the organizations listed are: American Friends Service Committee, American Newspaper Guild, American Society for the Control of Cancer, American Youth League, Camp Fire Girls, California Federation of Women's Clubs, Child Study Association of America, China Relief, Civilian Conservation Corps, Common Council for American Unity, Council Against Intolerance in America, Daughters of the American Revolution, Federal Arts Project, Girl Scouts, National Conference of Christians and Jews, National Education Association, National Maternal and Child Welfare Conference, National War Fund, Non-Sectarian Foundation for Refugee Children, Office of Civilian Defense, Office of War Information, Russian War Relief, United Office and Professional Workers of America, United States Travel Bureau, Women's Field Army, Women's Institute, and World Student Service Fund.

Sub-Series 1: Messages Sents by Eleanor Roosesvelt (40.1)

Box 142

1933-1934
1935
1936
1937

Box 143

1938
A-H, 1939
I-Z, 1939
A-H, 1940
I-W, 1940
A-D, 1941
E-K, 1941

Box 144

L-R, 1941
S-Z, 1941
A-F, 1942
G-L, 1942
M-R, 1942
S-Z, 1942
A-I, 1943-1945
J-Z, 1943-1945

Sub-Series 2: Messages Refused (40.2)

Box 144

A, 1934

Box 145

Ba-Bo, 1934
Br-By, 1934
C, 1934
D-E, 1934
F, 1934
G, 1934
H, 1934
I-K, 1934
L, 1934

Box 146

M, 1934
N-O, 1934
P-Q, 1934
R, 1934
S, 1934
T-V, 1934
W-Z, 1934
A-B, 1935

Box 147

C, 1935
D-E, 1935
F-G, 1935
H, 1935
I-K, 1935
L-M, 1935
N-Q, 1935
R, 1935

Box 148

S, 1935
T-Z, 1935
A - B, 1936
C -D, 1936
E-F, 1936
G-J, 1936
K-L, 1936

Box 149

M, 1936
N-P, 1936
R, 1936
S, 1936
T-Z, 1936
A-B, 1937
C, 1937
D-G, 1937

Box 150

H, 1937
I -L, 1937
M, 1937
N -R, 1937
S, 1937
T-Z, 1937
A, 1938
B, 1938
C-E, 1938

Box 151

F-G, 1938
H, 1938
I-K, 1938
L-M, 1938
N-P, 1938
R, 1938
S, 1938
T-V, 1938
W-Z, 1938

Box 152

A-B, 1939
C-D, 1939
E-G, 1939
H, 1939
J-L, 1939
M-N, 1939
O-P, 1939

Box 153

Q-S, 1939
T-Z, 1939
A-B, 1940
C, 1940
D-E, 1940
F-G, 1940
H, 1940

Box 154

I-K, 1940
L, 1940
M, 1940
N-P, 1940
R-S, 1940
T-Z, 1940
A, 1941

Box 155

B, 1941
C, 1941
D-F, 1941
G, 1941
H, 1941
I-K, 1941
L, 1941
M, 1941

Box 156

N-P, 1941
R, 1941
S, 1941
T-Z, 1941
A-B, 1942
C-G, 1942
H-K, 1942

Box 157

L-M, 1942
N-P, 1942
R-S, 1942
T-Z, 1942
A-F, 1943
G-L, 1943
M-R, 1943
S-W, 1943

Box 158

A-Z, 1944-1945

Sub-Series 3: Messages for Information about the White House (40.3)

Box 158

A-H, 1934
J-Z, 1934
A-K, 1935
L-W, 1935
A-L, 1936
M-Z, 1936
1937
1938
1939

Box 159

A-D, 1940-1944
E-J, 1940-1944
K-R, 1940-1944
S-Z, 1940-1944

Sub-Series 4: Requests for Interviews (40.4)

Box 159

A-F, 1934-1941
G-J, 1934-1941
K-N, 1934-1941
O-Z, 1934-1944

Box 160

A-G, 1942-1945
H-R, 1942-1945
S-Z, 1942-1945

Sub-Series 5: Requests for Personal Letters from Eleanor Roosevelt (40.5)

Box 160

1936
1937
1938
A-H, 1939
J-Z, 1939

Box 161

A-H, 1940
J-W, 1940
A-J, 1941
K-W, 1941
A-K, 1942-1943
L-Z, 1942-1943
1944-1945

Sub-Series 6: Miscellaneos Messages Requested from Eleanor Roosevelt (40.9)

Box 162

1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
A-L, 1940
M-Z, 1940

Box 163

A-L, 1941
M-Z, 1941
1942
A-J, 1943
K-Z, 1943
A-F, 1944

Box 164

G-P, 1944
R-Z, 1944
A-Z, 1945