Our Women’s History Month celebration rages on as we continue highlighting the most influential women in history as chosen by you. Next up is Eleanor Roosevelt who was selected by Patricia Frank – a 41-year Evanston resident, community gardener, and birder who earned a Ph.D. from NU’s Feinberg School of Medicine and founded a local consulting company. Writes Ms. Frank:
“Eleanor Roosevelt changed the role of women in American politics even though she was never elected. She showed how a woman can be strong on her own without the support – or necessarily the approval – of her husband. And her influence had nothing to do with personal beauty, just force of personality.”
You can learn more about Eleanor Roosevelt below, and make sure to share your pick for one of the most influential women in history. Tell us today by visiting EPL Celebrates Women’s History Month.
The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt by Eleanor Roosevelt
This absorbing reflection on her extraordinary life examines her many accomplishments: raising five children, working as a newspaper columnist, chairing the Commission on Human Rights, and serving as a United Nations delegate and diplomat.
The Firebrand and the First Lady: Portrait of a Friendship by Patricia Bell-Scott
This brand new biography chronicles the boundary-breaking friendship of Roosevelt and Pauli Murray – a writer, activist, and the granddaughter of a slave. After a 1934 meeting at a NY unemployment center, these two tireless and innovative women joined forces to fight for justice, equality, and human dignity. Essential reading.
The Roosevelts: An Intimate History by Ken Burns
This acclaimed documentary series from Ken Burns chronicles the public and private lives of Eleanor, Franklin, and Theodore Roosevelt. Weaving together archival film footage, interviews with historians, and readings of personal letters and diaries, this captivating saga of triumph and tragedy, greatness and betrayal is not to be missed. Features Meryl Streep as the voice of Eleanor.
Want to learn more? Try the following:
- Eleanor Roosevelt by Blanche Wiesen Cook
- Courage in a Dangerous World: The Political Writings of Eleanor Roosevelt
- Eleanor Roosevelt’s My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt
