Eleanor Roosevelt and "My Day" : The White House Years / Maurine Beasley.

Beginning in 1936, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt wrote an unprecedented newspaper column that provided readers with a detailed recital of her daily activities. Titled "My Day," the column gave behind-the-scenes glimpses of White House life and served as a platform from which the First Lady could state her personal views. The column was a mixture of political oratory, public relations for President Roosevelt's New Deal, and the perceptions of an individual playing a leading role in the drama of her time. During its first year, "My Day" addressed humanitarian concerns such as poverty, unemployment, conservation, and the role of women, but much of it could be read as ingenious political propaganda during an election year. The column gave the Roosevelt administration a highly flexible weapon in its political arsenal, and Mrs. Roosevelt and the President most certainly conferred on some of its contents. Numerous columns during the years of World War II contained patriotic messages, descriptions of Mrs. Roosevelt's travels to various war areas, letters from servicemen, and advice from the Office of War Information. Beyond its political overtones, "My Day" sent a series of mixed messages regarding the position of women in society. While the column failed to offer a role model of much meaning to the average woman, it nevertheless showed a middle-aged woman continually on the move, establishing a place in the competitive occupation of journalism, and defining a role for herself outside the customary boundaries of her position. (HTH)

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