[36] The two women, Mercer and Shoumatoff, immediately packed and left the cottage. The offices, ambitions, and illnesses of Franklin Roosevelt saw him frequently away from home. He left the table to answer the letter. As I came to know Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd, I began to shed my predilections and prejudices and admire the strength of her convictions, the delicacy of her principles, and the size of her heart. Rumors of their affair spread like wildfire, as she always conveniently visited the White House and Hyde Park when Eleanor was out of town. By the time of his final campaign in 1944, many noted his gaunt appearance and declining faculties, according to UVA's Miller Center. The decision would have profound consequences for the nation. "[17] The incident marked a turning point in her life; disillusioned with her marriage, she became active in public life, and focused increasingly on her social work rather than her role as a wife.[18][19]. Minnie then raised the girls alone. Lucy Page Mercer was born on April 26, 1891, in Washington, D.C., to Carroll Mercer (18571917), a member of Theodore Roosevelt's "Rough Riders" cavalry military unit in the campaigns in Cuba, on the south shore of the island near Santiago during the brief SpanishAmerican War in 1898, and Minna Leigh (Minnie) Tunis (18631947), an independent woman of "Bohemian" exotic, free-spirited tastes. Per the Washington Post, Eleanor burned the love letters she uncovered from Mercer to Franklin. The home was a gift from Sara (per Biography), and both residences were run by her. Home Movies Show the Private Lives of the And every day they would gather for Childrens Hour and FDR would mix martinis or some other cocktail and they would drop the worlds woes and spend time gossiping, chatting, and generally having fun. But if his need for company was prodigious, it could also be promiscuous. And I continued to worship Franklin. She advocated unsuccessfully against the internment policy; when it went through, she kept up a pragmatic front in public speeches and mitigated and challenged interment where she could in private. All three lingered in my consciousness long after the need for adolescent mutiny faded. The Gatekeeper: Missy LeHand, FDR, and the Untold Story of the Partnership That Defined a Presidency by Kathryn Smith finally gives Missy LeHand her due. The film, opening December 7, stars Bill Murray as Roosevelt and Laura Linney as Miss Suckley. The princess called Roosevelt by the nickname 'Dear Godfather,' and friends said they were very flirtatious towards one another. Whatever his reasons, Franklin chose to reconcile with his wife and promise to stop seeing Mercer. In June 1942, two squads of saboteursall U.S. residents who returned to Germany to serve the Reichwere dropped by U-boat on beaches in New York and Florida, respectively. Missy lived with her sister and two nieces for several years, and finally passed away on July 31, 1944. Marguerite LeHand, Personal Secretary to President According to UVA's Miller Center, Franklin wasn't terribly involved in their upbringing. Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd - Wikipedia After his reelection in 1930 he became the most activist governor in the country. She remained in the White House, and it was there she received the sad word of her husband's passing. With Elliott Roosevelt deceased, Eleanor was given away at the wedding by her uncle. 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. They brought explosives and cash and had plans that included disrupting New Yorks water supply. Kathryn Smith, author of The Gatekeeper: Missy LeHand, FDR, and the Untold Story of the Partnership That Defined a Presidency the first full biography of Missy LeHand, describes her as tall and slim, with wavy dark brown hair and large blue eyes under dark arched brows the classic black Irish coloring. Widely considered the firstand onlyfemale presidential chief of staff, Marguerite Missy LeHand was the right-hand woman to Franklin Delano Rooseveltboth personally and professionallyfor more than twenty years. The next four years in Albany provided FDR with a powerful platform to re-establish his national profile. Missy was part of FDRs most inner circle, those few people who crossed over from the political to the personal worlds of the Roosevelts. (Mostly) FICTION: A similar telegram existed, but American intelligence never caught it nor implemented security measures based on it, say Atlantic Crossing co-writers; their research revealed the telegram became known only after the war. But in 1960, when ER refused to come to the telephone because she suspected the caller wanted something from her, her surprised secretary asked if she didnt believe people could like her for herself. portalId: 20973928, Despite all of her work in helping bring FDRs dream of a presidential library to fruition, on June 30th, 1941, when it was dedicated, Missy was not there. FDR and Marshall had to build a fighting force able to take on the Nazis, against the wishes of many in Congress. Who was this woman who attracted the greatest man of her time and held him until he died, not in her arms, as gossip still has it, but close enough? the grandniece of Marguerite A. Throughout his life, Franklin Roosevelt was surrounded by remarkable women. 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. 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. [22] The Rutherfurds had one child, Barbara Mercer Rutherfurd (June 14, 1922November 6, 2005),[23][24] who married Robert Winthrop "Bobby" Knowles, Jr. in 1946. [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. [21] Franklin Roosevelt learned of the marriage by overhearing news of it at a party. Sign up to get the latest news on your favorite dramas and mysteries, as well as exclusive content, video, sweepstakes and more. Surely the monumental demands ER made on her husband were proof of her belief in his ability to rise to them. [5] According to historians Joseph Persico and Hazel Rowley, the affair between Mercer and Franklin likely began in 1916, when Eleanor and the children were vacationing at Campobello Island to avoid the summer heat, while Franklin remained in Washington, D.C.[6][7] In 1917, Franklin often included Mercer in his summer yachting parties, which Eleanor usually declined to attend. According to Joseph Alsop, a Roosevelt cousin and political columnist, ER had a downright ghastly childhood and youth, while FDR had an immensely happy childhood and a youth altogether comfortable and if anything overprotected. From initial encounters during the 1932 presidential campaign, Hickok would eventually take up residence in the White House near Eleanor's rooms. Several of them actually lived in the White House at one time or another. Support with a donation>>. And what was the future First Lady who would champion female equality doing opposing woman suffrage? . WebWidely considered the first female presidential chief of staff, Marguerite Missy LeHand was the right-hand woman to Franklin Delano Rooseveltboth personally and FDR was the most convivial of men. you have breathed new life into its spiritand the fate of all that is good is in your dear blessed and capable hands. Still, she cannot help wishing for the soft life of joy & the world shut out.. I never wish to hear money, jewels, or labels mentioned again. In 1917, on an official trip to Haiti, FDRs behavior to his hosts was as unfailingly courteous as his enjoyment of his colleagues racist jokes was hearty. [29] At his first memorable presidential inauguration on March 4, 1933, Roosevelt made arrangements for Rutherfurd to attend and witness his swearing-in. For comparison, Franklin's secretary, Missy LeHand, was with him for 110 weeks. WebThe Missy LeHand Archive, comprising some 1,400 pieces, is the most important grouping of original documents still in private hands from such a central figure in FDRs political and personal life. Her office also had a door leading to the garden, allowing unannounced visitors direct access to FDR when he didnt want their names showing up on the official White House registry. The Quaker was Malcolm R. Lovell, a double agent who worked closely with German diplomat Hans Thomsen. Marguerite (Missy) LeHand was FDRs longtime personal secretary and confidante. [33] In June 1944, Roosevelt requested of his daughter Anna, who was then managing some White House social functions and acting as hostess, that she help him arrange to meet Rutherfurd without Eleanor's knowledge. Her name was Marguerite Alice LeHand, but everyone knew her as Missy. Lash speculates that this last betrayal contributed to Eleanor's feeling that Franklin's death was more an abstract grief at the loss of a symbol than a personal sorrow for her. These were without doubt the most difficult years of his life, and those who were with him during that period became his most trusted confidants and advisers. Could any husband, or any other human being, have healed ERs wounds? Grace performed dictation and typing, managed the President's mail, and served as primary files manager for the White House. hbspt.enqueueForm({ His removal from friends and peers was made up for by the love and support of his family, particularly his mother. WebMissy LeHand was FDRs longtime personal secretary and confidante. Historians have also debated whether, as a Roman Catholic, Mercer would have been willing to marry a divorced man. Subscribe to the MASTERPIECE email newsletter for weekly show news, schedule updates, and features on shows including Tom Jones. I can forgive, but never forget. FDR expressed a longing for white asparagus. In 1941 she re-entered the paralyzed Presidents life bearing an additional gift. The letters of Lorena Hickok, the AP reporter who became a government worker when her closeness to the White House compromised her professional objectivity, reveal a burning, and for a while reciprocated, passion for ER. Most historians ascribe FDRs metamorphosis from callow politician to visionary statesman to his contracting polio in the summer of 1921, but some contemporaries, such as Joseph Alsop and his mother, Corinne, who was ERs first cousin, thought that loving, and losing, Lucy Mercer was the fire that began to forge his strength and patience even before his illness. In A First Class Temperament, Geoffrey C. Ward recounts a telling conversation between the young FDR and his wife. As she had cherished Franklin, Sara showered affection on her grandchildren. FDR relished rich foods and fine wines. . 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. After Ambassador William Bullitt attempted to sabotage the career of Assistant Secretary of State Sumner Welles by spreading rumors of a homosexual scandal, FDR predicted that on the Day of Judgment, Welles would receive a rap on the knuckles for giving in to his human predilections but that Bullitt would burn in hell for ruining another mans life.