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

[This column has emendations. View original version]

      

HYDE PARK, Friday—The afternoon at the World's Fair yesterday went off very well. I attended a very pleasant luncheon given by Mr. Grover Whalen, and then we adjourned to the Administration Building to await the arrival of the President. Crowds were streaming in and, finally, after what seemed a long wait, the first motorcycle outriders appeared followed closely by the rest of the cavalcade. I dashed out to tell the President breathlessly that we were half an hour late, but he was calm as a May morning and said the crowds in the Bronx had delayed the last lap of the trip.

When we reached the Federal Building, all was in readiness and the program began at once. Mr. Grover Whalen, the Governor, the Mayor, Secretary Wallace, all followed each other in quick succession and, finally, the President laid the cornerstone and made his little speech. We started for the big outdoor meeting of the National Education Association. It had been planned that my husband would drive around and, incidentally, have a glimpse of the sculpture sent by the Treasury Art Project to the Transportation Building. Unfortunately, that had to be given up, so we both missed this opportunity. I hope I may see it some other day.

Everyone was in a twitter as to how I was going to introduce the President. It seemed to me that was the only question that was asked me. They all looked completely surprised when I said that a presiding officer had no business making speeches, and that there would be nothing spectacular about my introduction!

Immediately after the President's speech, he left to visit the Swedish Crown Prince and go on to Hyde Park. I presided over the rest of the meeting, received a life membership and the key of the National Education Association (which I feel highly honored to possess) was given some beautiful flowers, and left a little after 5:00, taking Dr. Studebaker back to New York with me. This gave us a little opportunity to talk over some of his plans.

I reached my apartment not very long after my brother had arrived. I felt sorry not to have met him at the steamer, but as he had disembarked at quarantine, I think he was very glad not to have been burdened by anyone waiting for him. We had a pleasant dinner together. He has come back, if possible, more full of energy than when he left!

At 9:30 I started back to Hyde Park, arriving about midnight. I found my husband still reading because he had played a rubber of bridge, and that always means such concentration on his part that he couldn't possibly go to sleep early!

It is cloudy today but Mr. Hooker and I have had a grand ride this morning, and now we await our visitors from Sweden.

E.R.

(Copyright, 1938, by United Feature Syndicate, Inc.)


Names and Terms Mentioned or Referenced

Geographic
  • Hyde Park (Dutchess County, N.Y., United States) [ index ]


About this document

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, July 2, 1938

Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962
[ ERPP bio | LC | VIAF | WorldCat | DPLA | Wikidata | SNAC ]

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)
    [ VIAF | ORCID ]
  • Regenhardt, Christy (Associate Editor)
    [ ISNI ]
  • Black, Allida M. (Editor)
    [ VIAF | ISNI ]
  • Binker, Mary Jo (Associate Editor)
    [ VIAF | ORCID ]
  • Alhambra, Christopher C. (Electronic Text Editor)
    [ VIAF | ORCID ]

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.

XML master last modified on June 9, 2017.

HTML version generated and published on May 3, 2022.

Transcription created from a photocopy of a UFS wire copy of a My Day column instance archived at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library.
TMs, AERP, FDRL