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

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EN ROUTE TO BOWLING GREEN, Ky.—Last night, for old friendship's sake, we broke our rule of always stopping at hotels, and spent the night in Louisville, Ky., with Mr. and Mrs. Barry Bingham, son of the late Ambassador.

What beautiful country this is! From the terrace of the big house, which we visited this morning, there is a view over the tops of the trees, which are just beginning to turn, to the Ohio River. As we drove along this river last night, Mr. Bingham told me that during the flood there were forty feet of water over the road. One can still see the repair work going on.

The young Binghams have a delightful house. It started as a very small house for a lone lady and has been added to twice until it now very comfortably accomodates a young and growing family. I always enjoy houses which have been added to, because they have such unexpected features. In this one, you go down two flights to the dining room.

After being interviewed by three ladies of the press, I changed from my travelling clothes and had the pleasure before dinner of seeing three charming children—two boys and a little girl. She was born just at the time of the flood, so she will carry through life a constant reminder that she is a "flood baby." Her mother must have had a decidedly difficult experience.

The auditorium was crowded and I had to go outside and stand on a table for a minute to say a word of greeting to those who could not get in. This Women's institute is a delightful contribution offered to the women of the state by the Louisville Courier-Journal. It gives them opportunities which even the University cannot duplicate. It was a joy to see President and Mrs. McVey again, who came with some friends to see us after the lecture. It was fairly late when we went to bed.

At 10:00 o'clock this morning, we started off to see Miss Lou Tate, who has been doing some very interesting research in old weaving patterns. It has never been my privilege to see so many collected before. I am glad that she is giving so much cooperation to Mr. Allen Eaton and all other people who are interested in the old and the new art of weaving.

From there we were accompanied by the State Director for the NYA and the State Director for the WPA, and went to visit two projects. Both of them were housed in abandoned schoolhouses. The first one, an NYA youth center for white boys and girls, had as its main work, a sewing room and a wood-working shop. In the related activities, the youngsters had an opportunity to learn many other things and enjoy some recreation.

Then we went to a colored girls' sewing center housed in the same building as a WPA women's sewing project. They told me that only 10 percent of the girls and women knew how to sew when they came on this project and it is astonishing to see what really charming dresses and what well-made overalls for men they are now turning out.

We are now on the train en route for Nashville, Tennessee.

E.R.

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


Names and Terms Mentioned or Referenced

Geographic
  • Bowling Green (Ky., United States) [ index ]


About this document

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, October 5, 1938

Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962
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Digital edition created by The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project The George Washington University 312 Academic Building 2100 Foxhall Road, NW Washington, DC 20007

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Digital edition published 2008, 2017 by
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MEP edition publlished on June 30, 2008.

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