In 2017, Barbara Collins Jacques donated to the FDR Contrary to his promises never to see Rutherfurd again after their 1918 affair, Franklin maintained a friendship with his former mistress, going so far as to invite her to White House dinners. If FDR was incapable of giving love, as many close to him believed, perhaps ER was equally incapable of receiving it. When his half-nephew Taddy ran off with a woman from New Yorks Tenderloin district called Dutch Sadie, he wrote to his mother from Harvard that one can never again consider him a true Roosevelt. The years tempered his priggishness. [20] Winthrop Rutherfurd had proposed to socialite Consuelo Vanderbilt (18771964) in 1896, only to see her social-climbing mother instead force her into marriage with Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough (18711934) (cousin to later British prime minister Winston Churchill). The wife of his aide Edwin ("Pa") Watson called him the loneliest man in the world. In 1943 FDR told his distant cousin and close companion Margaret Suckley, Im either Exhibit A or left completely alone.. 'Everyone in the close-knit inner circle of father's friends accepted it as a matter of course,' he wrote. FDR was convinced he had found a new form of therapy. To license content, please contact licenses [at] americanheritage.com. She later commented, "He deserved a good time. He provided for her in his will, but she suffered a stroke in 1941 and predeceased him. WebIts true that in his spare time between 1941-1945, FDRs most frequent companion was Martha, though others were often with them as well. Months of medical treatments and intense therapy followed and Missy was one of the few who were allowed to see him at his Manhattan apartment during this time. Why the Fact that Weve Never Paid Serious Attention to Schiff's biographer, Jeffrey Potter, claimed in his 1976 book, 'Men, Money and Magic: The Story of Dorothy Schiff,' that she admitted to having an affair with FDR between 1936 and 1943. It won't rain on our parade! He replied that no one did, but that ER, who was breathtakingly generous to those in need, often turned away from those who no longer needed her. It is generally accepted that their relationship contained a romantic element, though scholars remain divided on whether the pair had a sexual relationship. He died on April 12, 1945 at the Little White House in Warms Spring, Georgia; the funeral took place on April 15 in Washington D.C. What should have been their day alone ended up with the two of them practically ignored. He hated to be alone. One of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's numerous rumored affairs will be revisited in the coming weeks with the release of 'Hyde Park on Hudson,' a film depicting the American president's quasi-incestual affair with his distant cousin, Margaret 'Daisy' Suckley. In an era when it was very difficult for women to rise to the highest levels of government, she was truly FDRs Right Hand Woman. Hopefully The Gatekeeper will finally put to rest the sexist gossip that Missy gained her power because she was FDRs mistress. Trusted Writing on History, Travel, and American Culture Since 1949. Missy arrived in Washington to much fanfare and excitement. [citation needed], Following Roosevelt's death, his administration concealed from the press the fact that Rutherfurd had been present during his death, fearing the scandal that would ensue. A novelist who has just spent several years with them tells a moving story of love: public and private, given and withheld, In the FDR Library in Hyde Park, among the effects of Anna Roosevelt Halsted, the only daughter of Franklin D. and Eleanor Roosevelt, there is a scrap of yellowing paper, about four inches by five. Their daughter Anna wrote in an unpublished article, It has always seemed to me that the greatest contradiction in my parents was, on the one handy their supreme ability to relate to either groups of people or individuals who had problems, and on the other hand, their apparent lack of ability to relate with the same consistent warmth and interest to an individual who was their child. Three of the children testified to their fathers charisma and elusiveness and their mothers coolness and confusing inconsistency. Eleanor did not enjoy or entirely approve of the bohemian lifestyle FDR was engaging in, fishing and drinking and frivolous pastimes, and so she spent little time onboard. The offices, ambitions, and illnesses of Franklin Roosevelt saw him frequently away from home. Eleanor Roosevelt, born in 1884, had the more difficult time of it. With Elliott Roosevelt deceased, Eleanor was given away at the wedding by her uncle. The extent of Suckley's close relationship with Roosevelt wasn't known until her death in 1991, when a stash of letters from Roosevelt was found under her bed. FDR was not the only one to endure the subtle retribution of his long-suffering wife. In this quiet domestic scene as the two had just been smiling at each other, Roosevelt suddenly placed his hand up on his forehead and temple, saying "I have a terrific headache," then slumped over losing consciousness. Getting to know FDR, ER, and Lucy Mercer was not an unalloyed pleasure. See also "Miss LeHand: FDR's Influential and Largely Forgotten Assistant". and how much more must still be given this greedy world . 00:00. He maintained a relationship with his secretary Marguerite "Missy" LeHand. Franklin Delano Roosevelt famously did his very best to control his public image. They mention her soft heart. When I thought about their personal flaws, I marveled at the public good to which they put them. While J. Edgar Hoovers FBI claimed credit for their quick arrests, the saboteurs plot was actually foiled from within: The groups leader, 39-year-old George Dasch (2nd from lower right in photo), called the FBI to volunteer their plans. I mean a contagious genius for living joyously. The experience transformed him. Dont you think . Their marriage may have been a failure, but their partnership was a triumph. Per Hazel Rowley's "Franklin and Eleanor: An Extraordinary Marriage," the four-time first lady went so far as to tell her grown daughter, Anna Roosevelt Halsted, that sex was "an ordeal to be borne.". Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd - Wikipedia Her relationship with her father was much warmer, but Elliott Roosevelt gradually succumbed to alcoholism. region: "", . WebWidely considered the first female presidential chief of staff, Marguerite "Missy" LeHand was the right-hand woman to Franklin Delano Roosevelt - both personally and professionally - Once againEleanor did not care for the informal lifestyle and poverty stricken countryside, so Missy became thehostess for FDRs Warm Springs home. WebThe exact nature of FDR's relationship with LeHand's is debated by historians, but it is generally accepted that there was an element of romance. Miss LeHand: FDR's Influential and Largely Forgotten Assistant, Missy LeHand: FDR's Influential but Largely Forgotten Assistant. [34] When Eleanor discovered, shortly after Roosevelt's death, from some female cousins, of Anna's role in arranging these meetings, the relationship between Eleanor and Anna became strained and cool for some time. The blog of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum. One such instance was over the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. 'The bottom dropped out of my world,' she later said. The Virginia Quarterly Reviewdescribes her as feeling rejected by her mother Anna Hall Roosevelt, who once told her that she must be good, as she was too plain to be anything else. Missy suffered a terrible stroke in 1941 and left the White House, so her assistant Grace Tully took over for her. [39][44] When the news of the memoir's contents broke, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr. (19141988), said that he had no knowledge of an affair between Rutherfurd and his father,[45] while Rutherfurd's daughter Barbara flatly denied that any such romance had occurred. [Press officer] Steve Early called me into his office and asked me to stop.. And what was the future First Lady who would champion female equality doing opposing woman suffrage? In the first decade of their marriage, Eleanor was pregnant five times, four within the first four years. Anna Roosevelt, Franklin and Eleanor's only daughter, played hostess at these dinners, and other members of the Roosevelt and Delano families were aware of the clandestine rendezvous. And biographer Hazel Rowley has speculated (via Roll Call) that Mercer's devout Catholic faith may have prevented a physical relationship. Because of her efforts, women as well as men had Civilian Conservation Corps camps, and children no longer drank tainted milk, and blacks got a share, if not a fair one, of the defense miracle that was wresting the nation out of the Depression and into World War II. She had to, and J began to resent her for it. Kathryn Smith is a biographer and author of The Gatekeeper: Missy LeHand, FDR and the Untold Story of the Partnership that Defined a Presidency (Simon &Schuster, 2016). His team included Louis Howe, Frances Perkins, Sam Rosenman, and of course Missy. After resigning his job FDR left for an extended cruise on a houseboat in Florida with Missy, his personal valet LeRoy Jones and a rotating cast of old friends. When his daughter Anna was grown and newly divorced, she took up residence in the White House and became her father's confidante. *Based on a series of articles(in Norwegian) written by Mari Aftret Mrtvedt and Ola Nymo Trulsen for NRK, the Norwegian Broadcasting Company. However, she ultimately relented and set up a meeting in Georgetown. James realized even then what a cruel thing that was to say, but even Eleanor felt that the children were more Sara's than hers. Their correspondence is filled with romantic expressions and longing, though whether they had a physical relationship isn't known for sure; at least in regards to her marriage, Eleanor maintained that shared connection and common interest trumped lusty urges. She spent long periods of time at the White House with him during the war years and they often visited his cottage in Hyde Park. Debate over America's involvement in World War II came to a head in July 1941 as the Senate argued over a draft extension bill. Even during the terrible years when he was battling to walk again, he delighted in company. Together they saw the White House through the Great Depression and World War II, and their separate and joint efforts to combat both issues reshaped the office of the presidency and the role of the first lady. Throughout his life, Franklin Roosevelt was surrounded by remarkable women. That there was genuine affection between Franklin and Mercer is evident, however, as is the devastation the affair brought to Eleanor. Attention and admiration were not things a young Franklin Roosevelt needed to worry about. As a young Assistant Secretary of the Navy, FDR returned home each evening to a high-minded wife who was continually reminding him that he hadnt mailed the $50 hed blithely pledged to a hospital for immigrant children or that the story he told about his conversion to woman suffrage was more vivid than accurate. [8] Mercer and Franklin continued to see one another privately, causing widespread gossip in Washington. WebBesides children and grandchildren, several other longtime aides and friends also lived in the White House during the Roosevelt years. One Roosevelt son called her a lady to her fingertips. FDRs mother wrote to her daughter-in-law, Miss Mercer is here, she is so sweet and attractive and adores you, Eleanor. I could not believe FDR had sacrificed the complicated, redoubtable, and, in her youth, lovely ER for this saccharine Victorian clich. Kathryn Smiths new book goes a long way to correcting the error of omission that history has made regarding Missy LeHand. The young FDR did not take socially unsanctioned sex lightly. Marguerite LeHand, Personal Secretary to President Eleanor discovered the affair in in 1918 when she found love letters in her husband's suitcase. She showed no hesitation in using the sliding door to come and go as she pleased. portalId: 20973928, My mother hated FDR. [43], The MercerRoosevelt affair became wider public knowledge in 1966 when revealed in The Time Between the Wars, a memoir by Jonathan W. Daniels (19021981), a Roosevelt aide from 1943 to 1945. He bought an old boat with his friend John Lawrence and christened it the Larooco (Lawrence, Roosevelt Co.) and in the winter of 1924, FDR, Missy, and Leroy set sail for the warm Caribbean waters near Florida. Missy lived with her sister and two nieces for several years, and finally passed away on July 31, 1944. Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt wed on St. Patrick's Day of 1905 in New York City in the home of Eleanor's grandmother, perHistory Today. UVA's Miller Center speculated that Sara Delano Roosevelt would likely have disapproved of any possible match for her son. Franklin's response was to tell his wife gently, she would say that she was upset now but would feel differently later and so excused himself from the conversation. Fierce opposition came from Franklin's political advisor, Louis Howe, and from his mother, Sara Delano Roosevelt. [8], In June 1917, Mercer quit or was fired from her job with Eleanor and enlisted in the US Navy, which was then mobilizing for World War I. [27] Historian/author Persico speculates that these letters may have been the cause of the 1927 nervous breakdown of Roosevelt's long-time unmarried first secretary Marguerite "Missy" LeHand (18981944), as LeHand was also reputedly in love with Roosevelt and no medical cause for her breakdown was found. Daisy Bonner, who cooked for Franklin Roosevelt for twenty years in the Georgia White House, recalled his favorite dish. Polio struck without warning on August 10, 1921, while he was vacationing at his home on Campobello Island in Canada. She did not fight for jobs for the nations destitute, or decent homes for families living in automobiles, or safe consumer products, or rural electrification, or racial equality, or rearmament. While fond of his niece, Theodoremade the wedding into a St. Patrick's Day "pit stop," according to Marc Peyser and Timothy Dwyer's book "Hissing Cousins." But the woman who is perhaps least remembered but most important was Marguerite Missy LeHand, his personal secretary and closest confidant for more than 20 years. Mrs. Nesbitt told him it was unavailable, though when his secretaries chipped in to buy some, they managed to find it in the local stores. Now closed to the public as part of the enlarged White House security zone, the Square has witnessed many historic moments over the last two centuries. The Gatekeeper: Missy LeHand, FDR, and the Untold Story During her childhood the family moved to Massachusetts, settling Four years ago, when reports of presidential misbehavior convulsed the country, I found myself wanting to tell the story of three people who comported themselves with dignity and grace in the face of imminent heartbreak and of an era that allowed them to. The home is now a tourist attraction, Lifelong 'friend:' Lucy Mercer, pictured in the 1930s, stayed in FDR's life until his death in 1945, and she was with him when he took his last breaths, Box office: One of FDR's numerous rumored affairs will be revisited with the Dec. 7 release of 'Hyde Park on Hudson,' a film depicting his quasi-incestual affair with his distant cousin, Margaret 'Daisy' Suckley, Another affair? FDR's affinity for the company of women was always well known and some historians dispute stories of his alleged affairs, saying his friendships never grew to become romances. One of many women: Franklin D. Roosevelt was said to have carried on a 20-year affair with his secretary, Marguerite 'Missy' LeHand. And while she clearly had her favorites, she was widely respected for her fairness and devotion to the presidents needs. Eleanor Roosevelt was the greatest obstacle I faced when I started the research for Lucy, a novel about the love affair that altered and almost derailed twentieth-century history. To fully understand why Missy LeHand had such influence in the White House it is important to look at her role during the years FDR was out of public view recovering from polio. * [Contains spoilers. The historical consensus is that Lucy Mercer gave FDR the unquestioning adoration ER could not. Hers was the ONLY office with such a door. "[16] Eleanor later wrote, "I have the memory of an elephant. But these long separations also occurred after Eleanor discovered Franklin's affair in 1918, an event that significantly loosened her marital ties to her husband. In addition, the relationship was covered in an episode of The President's documentaries for the PBS American Experience series on American history, as well as in the 2014 PBS miniseries The Roosevelts, directed by noted documentary film-maker Ken Burns, with an accompanying companion pictorial book by Geoffrey Perrett. Fala was a gift from Margaret Suckley and FDR took the dog with him everywhere, Gifts: Roosevelt left his secretary, Missy LeHand, half of his $3 million estate, Til' death do us part: A handful of Roosevelt's alleged mistresses were with him when he died, 17:41 25 Nov 2012, updated 13:35 18 Sep 2014, Marguerite 'Missy' LaHand was FDR's secretary for more than 20 years, Legendary life revealed: Stunning behind the scenes pictures show Elizabeth Taylor as child star, blushing bride and Hollywood icon, 'I hit her in the face with the spare ribs': Frank Sinatra's loyal valet tells how he carried out singer's dirty work and broke up with lovers for the star, Franklin D. Roosevelt allegedly carried on affairs with at least five women, Lucy Mercer was Eleanor Roosevelt's social secretary, Margaret 'Daisy' Suckley was Roosevelt's sixth cousin and close confidant, Princess Martha of Sweden was forced to flee Scandinavia in 1941, Dorothy Schiff was a former publisher of the New York Post. Readmore about the magazine >>, The magazine was forced to suspend print publication in 2013, but a group of volunteers saved the archives and relaunched it in digital form in 2017. Missy LeHand Relationship Copyright 1949-2023 American Heritage Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. After his reelection in 1930 he became the most activist governor in the country. She did such a good job that when FDR was hired to be a vice president for the Fidelity and Deposit Company he asked her to become his full time secretary. At nearly the same hour, forty-three-year-old Marguerite A. Missys role as Gatekeeper gave her enormous influence in who the president spent time with. And everyone from John D. Rockefeller to W. E. B. After all the experts and advisers have rung in, one man must make the decision to cut the meager pensions of World War I veterans, to give Americans numbers to ensure their social security, to send abroad precious ships and arms that may soon be needed at home. [35], In early April 1945, Anna arranged for Rutherfurd to come over from her South Carolina estate in Aiken to meet her father at his "Little White House" in Warm Springs, Georgia, the small plain rustic cottage built at the polio therapy center by the heated mineral water springs resort that Roosevelt helped develop beginning in the 1920s. She was also romantically involved with the dashing and daring William Bullitt who served as FDRs secret spy and later as Ambassador to Russia and France. Joseph Lash was a faithful intimate during ERs life and an excellent friend in the books he wrote about her after her death. This photo is from Jan. 20, 1936, Love nest: FDR took many of his close female friends whom he was rumored to be involved with romantically to his Hyde Park home in upsate New York. And I continued to worship Franklin. He was physically fearless, but he could be emotionally craven. While Lucy Mercer, now Mrs. Winthrop Rutherfurd, was having tea with the President in the oval study, Marguerite ("Missy") LeHand, his personal secretary, lay in her small room on the third floor sedated but uncalm. But this was FDRs first shot at national political office and he went at it with his trademark gusto. Olav confronts his wife about rumors of an affair. Mercer's friendship with Franklin Roosevelt was portrayed in the well-regarded TV mini-series Eleanor and Franklin, with Mercer portrayed by actress Linda Kelsey in the 1976 telecast, based on the best-selling biography of the same name by Eleanor's personal friend Joseph P. Lash, published in 1971. She was a devoted and successful mother to five stepchildren and one biological daughter, all of whom adored her.