My Day

"Eleanor Roosevelt's "My Day" was a syndicated newspaper column published from 1935 to 1962. During those years, Eleanor wrote the column consistently six days a week, the only interruption being when her husband died, and even then she missed only four days. The column allowed Eleanor to reach millions of Americans with her views on social and political issues, current and historical events, and her private and public life. Dealing with subjects far out of the range of the conventional first lady's concerns, "My Day" is an outstanding example of the breadth of issues and activities which occupied Eleanor Roosevelt's life." - The American Experience, PBS

March 12, 1936

If one thing more than another on a trip of this kind reminds you that you are not just an ordinary lecturer and that you can not separate yourself from being the wife of the President of the United States, it is the beautiful flowers that greet you wherever you go. You can not wear more than a certain number and you can not take them with you, so you tentatively suggest that the hotel be kind enough to send them to a hospital and pray that some one else will continue to enjoy them as much as you do during the time that you have them with you.

The other thing which is quite amusing is the tremendous anxiety to take proper care of me—policemen and plain clothes men spring out of the ground at every turn. In Washington or New York City an occasional policeman will say "hello" or salute with a smile but that is the extent of the excitement which I arouse. In short away from one's usual haunts one is much more conscious of being the wife of the President than one ever does at home!

The train trip to Cleveland this morning was uneventful. I read a plan for helping us out of the depression, submitted by some one in Iowa. I also read the whole of the National Student Federation's magazine and the morning papers. A few people waved to me from the station platforms on the way and when we pulled into Cleveland there was quite a crowd at the station. The committee met us and as usual the photographers and the press were our first visitors after we reached the very comfortable Cleveland Hotel. Then we lunched with the committee and from two-forty-five to four-thirty I visited WPA projects. Miss Nell Moley and Mrs. Samuel Halle came to call for a few minutes and I enjoyed very much talking to Mrs. Clark and Mrs. Burke at luncheon. Mrs. Clark was particularly interesting in describing a new form of community agency which she hopes will render civic work much more efficiently. There was quite a little mail here which we have been hurriedly going through and in a little while we will dine and after my speech tonight, we take a train for Dayton.

- E.R.