"Men
stood with their arms around the shoulders of their wives and mothers.
They stood in clusters, heads bowed, openly weeping. They clasped their
hands in prayer. A father lifted his son to see the last car, which
carried the flag-draped coffin. 
‘I
saw everything,’ the boy said. ‘That’s good,’ the father said.
‘Now make sure you remember.’ He had been the President of the United
States for 12 of the most tumultuous years in the life of the nation. For
many, an America without Roosevelt seemed almost inconceivable."
These are the words of historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, describing the
scene as President Roosevelt’s funeral procession made its way past a
grieving crowd.
The 32nd President of the
United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born into a patrician family
in Hyde Park, New York in the year 1882.
Graduating
from Columbia University with a law degree in 1905, Roosevelt set out to
lead a life of public service. Following the standard that had been
set by his fifth cousin, Theodore Roosevelt, FDR was elected to the state
Senate in 1910. Quickly becoming one of the most prominent Democrats in
the nation, he campaigned vigorously for Woodrow Wilson in 1912. Sadly, in
1921, Roosevelt was stricken with Polio, which would render his legs
useless for the rest of his life. Running for the seat of Governor in
1928, FDR successfully won the election. Serving until 1932, when he was
nominated as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate. After
defeating President Herbert Hoover, Roosevelt set out to tackle the
economic depression that was suffocating America. Upon taking office the
vibrant and optimistic President, like Churchill, attempted to pull his
citizens up by their collective bootstraps, exclaiming: "The
only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Rushing new fiscal
and social policies through Congress, Roosevelt wasted little time in
repairing the state of matters in America. Implementing what was to be
known as the "New Deal," Roosevelt provided millions of out of
work Americans with employment. The Depression era, along with World War
II, would come to epitomize FDR’s administration. Roosevelt knew how to
calm and soothe the minds of many Americans. The reassuring voice the
American public heard over the radio, FDR’s Fireside Chats, provided the
population with a sense of confidence and brotherhood with the President.
Whether it was the Depression or the Second World War, Roosevelt ensured a
familial and receptive feeling for all Americans. In this sense Roosevelt
was very similar to his military and political counterpart and friend,
Winston Churchill.
Churchill and Roosevelt, with their ability to lead in the most
desperate of times, carried their nations back from the brink on numerous
occasions. Franklin Delano Roosevelt is considered one of the most
productive and successful Presidents ever. He was extremely popular,
serving as President for four terms of office, and he was garnered the
utmost respect and admiration from his peers. There is no doubt that the
leadership and presence of FDR was instrumental in America’s rise out of
poverty and victory over the despotic forces of Hitler, Hirohito, and
Mussolini.
