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

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CAMPOBELLO, N.B., Tuesday—Yesterday was another interesting day at the International Students' Service conference here, spent for the most part listening to Justice Frankfurter addressing the Summer Student Leadership Institute. In the morning, he made a remarkably clear and simple statement of what law means in a civilized society and what the background of our own law is in this country.

He started out by telling us that he could not talk for an hour, since he was trained in the Harvard Law School method of making the pupils do the work. Therefore, he would expect the students being trained for leadership here, to behave in the same way and to carry the burden by asking questions after he had talked briefly. This was at 10:30, and at 12:15 he suddenly looked at Dr. William Allan Neilson, President of Smith College and asked: "What time is it?" He had been as interested as the listeners and I do not think anyone there had taken any account of the passage of time.

We returned to our seats and spent an hour questioning him immediately after lunch. Then all of us got into a boat and went to Eastport, Me., to visit the Quoddy village. Many of the young people at our institute had never seen an NYA resident project. I found some of them watching the boys at work in the aviation unit, rather enviously, I thought. Finally, one of them said: "I'd like to be here if I was not at Campobello."

We had a sumptuous repast with the senior personnel, what the chef termed a banquet. It certainly was that, and all for the price of 35¢ each. The boys in the kitchen had made us a most beautiful cake with a welcoming inscription on the icing, and I had to cut the first slice.

We attended the council meeting, which actually transacted business, and then Jimmy told them a little about his trip. He had hardly finished his outline, before hands were up all over the room. No need to fear that here there would be any lack of keen interest or good questions.

They poured forth on every hand and showed a knowledge of current events and thoughtful consideration of our present situation which was quite astonishing. I was proud of the young manhood of America and only sorry that the hour was so late we could not stay to satisfy all the eager questions.

The return trip was rapidly made, but it was nearly midnight before actual quiet settled down. I really hate to leave here this morning, but these few days have been almost too stimulating for me. Perhaps I need a little vegetating, for I am getting old. We hope to reach Whitefield, N. H., this evening in time for me to dine with my cousin, Mrs. Henry Parish, whom I have not seen for some time. Going back through the northern part of Maine is a pleasant change of scenery, and I always love the White Mountains.

E.R.

(COPYRIGHT, 1941, by UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC.)


Names and Terms Mentioned or Referenced

Geographic
  • Campobello Island (N.B., Canada) [ index ]


About this document

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, July 16, 1941

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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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.

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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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