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

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Hollywood, Cal., Tuesday—Yesterday we lunched with Mr. Herman Lissauer and the board members of the Modern Forum. I had an opportunity to talk for a few minutes with a representative of the YMCA who is considering some youth broadcasts.

In the afternoon, the members of the National Youth Administration Advisory Committee met here and the NYA Symphony Orchestra played for us on the patio in back of the house. It was a wonderful setting and I very much enjoyed the picture spread out before me as well as the music. The way in which the young musicians coped with a wayward wind, which came up and blew their music around, inspired everyone's admiration.

Governor Olson of California spent a little while with us, so the young people had a chance to meet him. I was particularly touched at his taking the time to come during such a busy period. He remarked that the State of California is a big State and its affairs could keep one on the go every minute.

I was glad of an opportunity to talk with several people quietly at the end of the afternoon. Then we had an early and very peaceful family dinner and a drive down the hills into the city for the lecture. I was amused by all the precautions taken because of one threatening letter. After all, even if anyone should be foolish enough to try to create any excitement, so little would be accomplished.

It is fortunate that we are not flying anywhere early this morning, for the skies are gray and I am afraid that over the mountains it would be foggy. It is a disappointment, for instead of breakfast out on the porch in the sunshine, we had to eat indoors.

However, it is atmosphere created by the people that makes a difference in the early morning hours. Everyone seems happy in this household. The children feel as much responsibility about making the guests feel at home as do their elders. Yesterday afternoon, Peter, aged seven, brought me a gardenia with a most charming card attached, which he had written himself.

In this house, it is soon apparent that everybody works hard. Mr. Melvyn Douglas breakfasts at eight and is off to the studio long before nine. Though he did not return until late yesterday afternoon, he worked again all evening. So many of us think that artists' lives are easy, but to create entertainment for our hours of ease requires much hard work behind the scenes.

Los Angeles is a friendly city and it was nice to have a word with so many people as I went in and out for my lecture last night. I shook hands with as many people as I could in passing by. The mere expression on their faces showed that they felt kindly toward me, and many sent messages to the President.

E.R.

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


Names and Terms Mentioned or Referenced

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  • Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif., United States) [ index ]


About this document

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, April 30, 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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Available under licence from the Estate of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt.

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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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