Early Life

Roosevelt was born on January 30, 1882, in the Hudson Valley town of Hyde Park, New York, to businessman James Roosevelt and his wife, Sara Ann Delano. Roosevelt's parents, who were sixth cousins, both came from wealthy old New York families, the Roosevelt family and the Delano family, respectively. They were of mostly English descent; Roosevelt's patrilineal great-grandfather, Jacobus Roosevelt III, was of Dutch ancestry, while his mother's maiden name could be traced to French Huguenot immigrant ancestors of the 17th century. Franklin was the only child of James and Sara's marriage, though James had another son, James "Rosy" Roosevelt, from a previous marriage.

Roosevelt grew up in an atmosphere of privilege. His father, had graduated from Harvard Law School in 1851 but chose not to practice law after receiving an inheritance from his grandfather. James was a prominent Bourbon Democrat; when he took along five-year-old Franklin to see President Grover Cleveland, the busy president told Franklin, "I have one wish for you, little man, that you will never be President of the United States." Sara was the dominant influence in Franklin's early years; she once declared, "My son Franklin is a Delano, not a Roosevelt at all." James, who was 54 when Franklin was born, was considered by some as a remote father, though biographer James MacGregor Burns indicates James interacted with his son more than was typical at the time. Frequent trips to Europe—he made his first excursion at the age of two and went with his parents every year from the ages of seven to fifteen—helped Roosevelt become conversant in German and French.

Roosevelt attended Groton School, an Episcopal boarding school in Groton, Massachusetts; 90% of the students were from families on the social register. He was strongly influenced by its headmaster, Endicott Peabody, who preached the duty of Christians to help the less fortunate and urged his students to enter public service. Forty years later Roosevelt said of Peabody, "It was a blessing in my life to have the privilege of [his] guiding hand", and the headmaster remained a strong influence throughout his life, officiating at his wedding and visiting Roosevelt as president.

Like all but two of his twenty one Groton classmates, Roosevelt went to Harvard College in nearby Cambridge, Massachusetts. Roosevelt was again an average student academically, and he later declared, "I took economics courses in college for four years, and everything I was taught was wrong." He was a member of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity and the Fly Club. Roosevelt was undistinguished as a student or athlete, but he became editor-in-chief of The Harvard Crimson daily newspaper, a position that required great ambition, energy, and the ability to manage others.

Roosevelt's father died in 1900, causing great distress for him. The following year, Roosevelt's fifth cousin Theodore Roosevelt became President of the United States. Theodore's vigorous leadership style and reforming zeal made him Franklin's role model and hero. Nonetheless, Roosevelt campaigned for Theodore's opponent, William Jennings Bryan, in the 1904 presidential election. Roosevelt graduated from Harvard in 1903 with an A.B. in history. He later received an honorary LL.D. from Harvard in 1929. Roosevelt entered Columbia Law School in 1904, but dropped out in 1907 after passing the New York bar exam. Many years later, he posthumously received a J.D. from Columbia Law School. In 1908, he took a job with the prestigious Wall Street firm of Carter Ledyard and Milburn, dealing mainly with corporate law.

• Outline of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945)
  

  HISTORIC PEOPLE

  Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945)

  He was an American statesman and political leader who served as the 32nd President of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. His third and fourth terms were dominated by World War II, in which the United States aligned with the Allied Powers against the Axis Powers of Nazi Germany, Japan, and Italy. He is often rated by scholars as one of the three greatest U.S. Presidents, along with George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. View Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945) »

  Early Life: Roosevelt grew up in an atmosphere of privilege. His father, had graduated from Harvard Law School in 1851 but chose not to practice law after receiving an inheritance from his grandfather.

  Early Political Career: Roosevelt held little passion for the practice of law, and confided to friends that he planned to eventually enter politics. Prior to the 1910 elections, the local Democratic Party recruited Roosevelt to run for a seat in the New York State Assembly.

  Paralytic illness and political wilderness (1921–1928): Roosevelt convinced many people that he was improving, which he believed to be essential prior to running for public office again.

  Governor of New York (1929–32): As the Democratic Party presidential nominee in the 1928 election, Smith in turn asked Roosevelt to run for governor in the state election.

  1932 Presidential Election: As the 1932 presidential election approached, Roosevelt increasingly turned his attention to national politics. He established a campaign team led by Howe and Farley and a "brain trust" of policy advisers.

  Presidency (1933–1945): Roosevelt appointed powerful men to top positions but made certain he made all the major decisions, regardless of delays, inefficiency or resentment.

  First and Second Terms (1933–1941): Historians categorized Roosevelt's program as "relief, recovery and reform." Relief was urgently needed by tens of millions of unemployed. Recovery meant boosting the economy back to normal. Reform meant long-term fixes of what was wrong, especially with the financial and banking systems.

  Third Term (1941–1945): Roosevelt's third term was dominated by World War II. By 1940, re-armament was in high gear, partly to expand and re-equip the Army and Navy and partly to become the "Arsenal of Democracy" for Britain and other countries.

  Fourth Term and Death (1945): On March 29, 1945, Roosevelt went to the Little White House at Warm Springs, to rest before his anticipated appearance at the founding conference of the United Nations.

  Legacy and Memorials: He is widely considered to be one of the most important figures in the history of the United States, as well as one of the most influential figures of the 20th century.

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