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Use Restrictions: The unpublished writings of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt are in the public domain.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 20: Office of Civil Defense (71), 1942

Correspondence, memoranda, speech drafts, lists and various printed and mimeographed materials. Correspondence is arranged in rough alphabetical order; most of the material is dated between January and March 1942. This file concerns Mrs. Roosevelt's work with the Office of Civilian Defense during the early part of 1942 when she served as associate director. It contains offers of help and suggestions on what the agency should do; and letters protesting the appointment of Melvyn Douglas, the motion picture actor and Mayris Cheney, a professional dancer. These protests resulted in restrictions being placed by the Congress on the OCD appropriation bill and the resignation of Mrs. Roosevelt as associate director on February 20, 1942.

There is material concerning OCD administration, plans and programs for meetings and speeches, proposals for food saving campaigns, evaculation of civilians, civilian morale and the problem of Negro participation. The series is divided into four parts: 71: O.C.D. - General; 71.1: O.C.D. - Miscellaneous; 71.4: O.C.D. - Suggestions; 71-9: O.C.D. - Women's Activities.

Mrs. Roosevelt replied to a few letters but most of the outgoing correspondence was prepared and signed by Mrs. J.M. Helm. None of the approximately 1,000 letters protesting the Douglas-Chaney appointments was answered.

Box 427

Response to Broadcast - A-K, January 18, 1942
Response to Broadcast - L-Z, January 18, 1942
Response to Broadcast - Unidentified, January 18, 1942
General Correspondence - A-I, 1942
General Correspondence - J-Z, 1942

Box 428

Administrative Douglas-Chaney Appointments - A-E Favorable, 1942
Administrative Douglas-Chaney Appointments - F-K Favorable, 1942
Administrative Douglas-Chaney Appointments - L-P Favorable, 1942
Administrative Douglas-Chaney Appointments - R-Z Favorable, 1942
Administrative Douglas-Chaney Appointments - A-B Unfavorable, 1942

Box 429

Administrative Douglas-Chaney Appointments - C-E Unfavorable, 1942
Administrative Douglas-Chaney Appointments - F-Ha Unfavorable, 1942
Administrative Douglas-Chaney Appointments - He-K Unfavorable, 1942
Administrative Douglas-Chaney Appointments - L-M Unfavorable, 1942
Administrative Douglas-Chaney Appointments - N-R Unfavorable, 1942
Administrative Douglas-Chaney Appointments - S Unfavorable, 1942

Box 430

Administrative Douglas-Chaney Appointments - T-Z Unfavorable, 1942
Offers of Service - A-Ba, 1942
Offers of Service - Be-Bo, 1942
Offers of Service - Br-Ch, 1942
Offers of Service - Ci-D, 1942
Offers of Service - E-Gi, 1942
Offers of Service - Go-He, 1942

Box 431

Offers of Service - Hi-J, 1942
Offers of Service - K-Le, 1942
Offers of Service - Li-Mc, 1942
Offers of Service - Me-O, 1942
Offers of Service - P-R, 1942

Box 432

Offers of Service - Sa-Sm, 1942
Offers of Service - Sn-T, 1942
Offers of Service - V-Z, 1942
Miscellaneous (71.1) - Printed Materials - A-Z, 1941
Position Requests (71.3) - Printed Materials - A-Z, 1941
Suggestions (71.4) - Printed Materials - A-Z, 1941
Women's Activities (71.9) - Printed Materials - A-Z, 1941