Eleanor's Political Life
When Eleanor turned thirty-five the following year, she began to feel abandoned and ugly. Her children ranged from ages three to thirteen, but she still felt an empty space in her life. These feelings motivated her to reach out and do more social work of her own. In 1921, FDR contracted a very serious case of polio, which forced Eleanor to make speeches and public appearances for the Democratic Party in his place.
During the next few years Eleanor became a more prominent figure and began to hold more political importance. In 1922, she joined the Women's Division of the Democratic State Committee. That same year, she wrote, "Why I am a Democrat" for the League of Women's Voters. She then became a member of the Women's Trade Union League. Through the years, she continued to make public appearances and gained increasing popularity among Americans, especially women seeking to gain equality. In 1928, she was named the director of the Bureau of Women's Activities for the Democratic National Committee. Her views of women's place in society had changed dramatically since she was a young socialite, when she was indifferent towards women's rights. In fact, in 1928 she wrote an article that appeared in Redbook Magazine entitled, "Women Must Learn to Play the Games as Men Do.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt became President in 1933, and Eleanor feared the move to the White House would make her a prisoner in a gilded cage. As First Lady, she broke many precedents by initiating weekly press conferences with women reporters, giving lectures throughout the country, and having her own radio program. Her syndicated newspaper column, My Day, was published daily for many years. Traveling widely, she served as her husband's eyes and ears and became a major voice in his administration for measures to aid the underprivileged and racial minorities.
In 1941, she made her one venture while her husband was president into holding public office herself, as co-director of the Office of Civilian Defense. However, she resigned following criticism of some of her appointments. During World War II, she visited troops in England, the South Pacific, the Caribbean, and on U.S. military bases.
