5c Eleanor Roosevelt stamp

This Eleanor Roosevelt Issue stamp features a portrait of Eleanor Roosevelt. Born in New York City in 1884, Roosevelt was the niece of the twenty-sixth President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. She married her fifth cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who eventually became the thirty-second President of the United States. He served in office for twelve years and four terms. As First Lady, she was active and vocal in civil rights issues. She served as the first chair of the UN Commission on Human Rights and oversaw the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

United States; New York City; Eleanor Roosevelt; Theodore Roosevelt; Franklin Delano Roosevelt; President; First Lady; civil rights; United Nations; human rights; portrait

Eleanor Roosevelt was born in 1884 to Elliot and Anna Hall Roosevelt. Her parents died when she was a child, and she was raised by her grandmother. Educated by private tutors and at a British boarding school, Eleanor showed academic promise and a passion for social service work. In 1905, she married her fifth cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt; her uncle, President Theodore Roosevelt, gave her away. The Roosevelts had six children (one of whom died in infancy), and at first Eleanor dedicated herself to raising her family, but during World War I, she began volunteering with the American Red Cross. When Franklin was stricken with polio in 1921, she became increasingly involved in political causes, in part to promote his career, but also out of her own interests.

During Franklin Roosevelt's presidency (1932-1945), she served an active role as First Lady, drawing his and the nation's attention to the needs of the poor, minorities, and the socially disadvantaged. She published a daily syndicated newspaper column, "My Day," and held the first White House press conferences exclusively for women journalists. After her husband's death, President Truman appointed Eleanor to the United States Delegation to the United Nations General Assembly, where she continued her work in the struggle for universal for human rights.

Eleanor Roosevelt died in 1962, and is buried alongside her husband at their Hyde Park estate.

Scott Catalogue USA: 1236

Museum ID: 1980.2493.5458