History Fact Finder | Government and Politics - Why Was Eleanor Roosevelt Called The "People's First Lady"?

Why was Eleanor Roosevelt called the "people's first lady"?

Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) was the wife of the thirty-second president of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945). During his three terms in office (1933–45) she was called "the people's first lady" because she remained in constant communication with Americans. She was known for her weekly press conferences (numbering some 350 by the end of the Roosevelt presidency) that were open only to female reporters. In 1934 she began a radio program that became so popular she was soon nicknamed "the First Lady of Radio." Beginning in 1936 she wrote a daily column called "My Day," which was syndicated (appeared) to newspapers around the country. These forums gave the first lady an unprecedented voice in American life. During her husband's administration, which began in the dark days of the Great Depression (1929–40; a period of...

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