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

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TEL AVIV, Israel—In the few days I had in England, I had the pleasure of meeting in Nottingham with some of the trustees and contributors to the Nottingham-Roosevelt Scholarships.

These scholarships were endowed after the end of World War II by a group of industrial leaders in Nottingham in memory of my husband. They have continued the project since then, sending to the United States for travel each year a few young executives from business and the professions. They sometimes visit Canada briefly, too.

It is astounding how carefully and conscientiously the recipients of the scholarships carry out the purposes of the donors. If their businesses or professions have ties in the United States, they make connections with their American counterparts and see something of American methods.

But their main objective is to make friends in the U.S. and get to know our country. Many of them go by bus the whole way across the country.

The scholarships now have so many "graduates" that they have formed a Roosevelt Club, and I was asked to go up to Nottingham to speak at a luncheon and later attend a reception at which many of the "graduates" were present. This gave me a chance to see them and find out what they had accomplished since their trip to the U.S.

Some, of course, have scattered to the far corners of the earth. One is in Hong Kong, another one in Turkey, two are back in the U.S. and one is in Canada. Many are in other parts of England. Those still in Nottingham seem to have done remarkably well. They have kept up ties they made on their trips and a few of them return to the U.S. occasionally on business.

I told them I would be happy to see them whenever they come back to our country. I have seen one, Wallace Fletcher, who has settled in Boston, and I will bring back to him messages from those I had the good fortune to see in England.

After spending the night with Mr. and Mrs. George Spencer, who have always been so very kind to me, I returned to London.

One of the most lively topics of discussion in England now is the Common Market and Great Britain's entry into it. In Paris I did an educational TV program on this subject which I hope, when shown in the U.S., will be highly informative. In my next column I plan to discuss some of the things being said in Europe on the subject.

Of course, the topic that transcended in interest all others was the remarkable achievement of Lieut. Col. John Glenn Jr. To be listening to the reports by radio in a foreign country gave me a sort of strange feeling. It made me want to be home where I could feel the pleasure and excitement of the American people and their pride in the achievement of one of their countrymen.

I was particularly glad that Col. Glenn's experiences were shared with the world, for I think it is important that all these excursions into space should be joint achievements. There should be no rivalry in scientific projects which widen the world's knowledge of the universe and open new fields for the imagination to wander in.

As the U.S. prepares for a celebration in Col. Glenn's honor, I am sure that wherever he goes in the U.S. for a long time, the people will pay him tribute.

This first American to orbit the earth showed remarkable qualities in standing up against the uncertainties of the weeks preceding his flight. Then, to make the flight with so much calm showed a self-control that few persons can claim.

My warm congratulations go to Col. Glenn and to his wife and family. This must have been a long and hard strain for all of his family, and they must have supported his efforts in a remarkable way.

E.R.

(Copyright, 1962, by United Feature Syndicate, Inc.)


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About this document

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, February 23, 1962

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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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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