Alva Review-Courier -

Eleanor Roosevelt has the distinction of being the longest-serving First Lady in U.S. history – from March 1933 until April 1945.

The untimely death of her husband, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, early in his fourth term prevented her from being First Lady for 45 more months.

One interesting footnote about Eleanor Roosevelt is that her maiden and married names were the same.

Both she and her husband were descendants of Claes Maartenszen von Rosenvelt, a Dutch settler who came to what is now New York in the early 17th century. By the time Franklin and Eleanor met, the family tree had grown quite large.

Eleanor was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt who walked her down the aisle at her 1905 wedding because her father (Theodore’s brother) was deceased.

Franklin was from another branch of the family, and was a distant cousin of both his wife and the first President Roosevelt.

Eleanor Roosevelt was like no other First Lady had ever been. She had her own political agenda, and was very vocal in championing the causes in which she believed.

Some people liked this, but others thought that her actions were improper – that the only role of a First Lady was to be the dutiful spouse of the president.

Ignoring the criticism aimed at her, Roosevelt became a staunch advocate on behalf of women, children, minorities, laborers and others who had little political power.

She often lobbied her husband to do more for members of these groups, persuading him to create more jobs for women and to appoint more African Americans to government positions.

Eleanor Roosevelt traveled extensively. She made speeches, held press conferences, hosted a radio program, and wrote a syndicated newspaper column.

In late 1945, President Harry Truman appointed Roosevelt to be part of the U.S. delegation to the United Nations. She resigned when Republican Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953.

Until Hillary Clinton became a U.S. senator in 2001, Roosevelt’s job in the United Nations was the most significant political position ever held by a former First Lady.