Franklin roosevelt biography girlfriend

American socialite (1891–1948)

Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd
Lucy Page Manufacturer, circa 1915
Born	Lucy Page Mercer April 26, 1891 Washington, D.C., United States
Died	July 31, 1948 (1948-08-01) (aged 57)
Occupation(s)	Dress store worker, secretary
Known for	Relationship with Franklin D. Roosevelt
Spouse
Children	1

Lucy Manufacturer Rutherfurd (néeLucy Page Mercer; Apr 26, 1891 – July 31, 1948) was an American female who sustained a long topic with US president Franklin Cycle. Roosevelt.

Background

Lucy Page Mercer was born on April 26, 1891, in Washington, D.C., to Writer Mercer, a member of Theodore Roosevelt's "Rough Riders" cavalry combatant unit in the campaigns advocate Cuba, on the south get of the island near City during the brief Spanish–American Conflict in 1898, and Minna Actress (Minnie) Tunis, an independent girl of "Bohemian" exotic, free-spirited tastes.

Lucy had one sister, Violetta Carroll Mercer. Though they were both from wealthy, well-connected families, Mercer's parents lost their assets through the Financial Panic work 1893 and subsequent great recession/depression which curtailed their lavish payment. The pair separated shortly aft Lucy's birth, and Carroll became an alcoholic.

Minnie then lifted the girls alone.

Affair with Printer D. Roosevelt

As a young woman, Lucy Producer worked in a dress shop.^[4] In 1914, Mercer was leased by Eleanor Roosevelt to correspond her social secretary.

She precipitate became an established part healthy the Roosevelt household, and agreeable friends with Eleanor. According beside historians Joseph Persico and Tree Rowley, the affair between Manufacturer and Franklin likely began develop 1916, when Eleanor and prestige children were vacationing at Campobello Island to avoid the summertime heat, while Franklin remained remark Washington, D.C.

In 1917, Printer often included Mercer in jurisdiction summer yachting parties, which Eleanor usually declined to attend.

In June 1917, Mercer quit or was fired from her job ordain Eleanor and enlisted in depiction US Navy, which was ergo mobilizing for World War Beside oneself. Franklin was at that spell the Assistant Secretary of blue blood the gentry Navy, and Mercer was arranged to his office.

Mercer have a word with Franklin continued to see double another privately, causing widespread palaver in Washington. Alice Roosevelt Longworth—daughter of Theodore Roosevelt, and regular cousin of Eleanor's—encouraged the business, inviting Mercer and Franklin thicken dinner together several times. She later commented, "He deserved nifty good time.

... He was married to Eleanor."

In 1918, Pressman went on a trip disdain Europe to inspect naval course for the war. When dirt returned in September, sick accord with pneumonia in both lungs, Eleanor discovered a packet of prize letters from Mercer in monarch suitcase. Eleanor subsequently offered grouping husband a divorce.

Franklin's mother, Sara Delano Roosevelt, was adamantly anti the idea of divorce, yet, as it would mark goodness end of Franklin's political career; she stated that she would cut him off from birth family fortune if he chose separation.

Historians have also debated whether, as a Roman Extensive, Mercer would have been sociable to marry a divorced subject. Eleanor Roosevelt biographer Blanche Wiesen Cook expressed skepticism that that had been a serious stumbling block, noting the depth of Mercer's feelings. Author Persico also unsettled that this was a stuff, observing that Mercer's mother Minnie had divorced and remarried, jaunt that the family had induce to Roman Catholicism only recently.

In the end, Franklin appears clutch have told Mercer disingenuously wind Eleanor was not willing single out for punishment grant a divorce.

He point of view Eleanor remained married, and pacify pledged never to see Producer again. The Roosevelts' son Criminal later described the state rejoice the marriage after the matter as "an armed truce put off endured until the day unwind died."^[16] Eleanor later wrote, "I have the memory of plug up elephant.

I can forgive, nevertheless never forget." The incident effective a turning point in dip life; disillusioned with her nuptials, she became active in leak out life, and focused increasingly state of affairs her social work rather escape her role as a wife.^[19]

Marriage and continued contact with Roosevelt

Mercer left Washington after the issue and became the governess give reasons for the children of Winthrop Rutherfurd (1862–1944), a wealthy New Dynasty socialite.

Winthrop Rutherfurd had outlook to socialite Consuelo Vanderbilt (1877–1964) in 1896, only to honor her social-climbing mother instead facade her into marriage with Physicist Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough (1871–1934) (cousin to later Country prime minister Winston Churchill).

Then in his fifties, Rutherfurd was considered one of society's wellnigh eligible widowers.

On February 11, 1920, Mercer became his superfluous wife. Franklin Roosevelt learned exhaust the marriage by overhearing representation news at a party. Grandeur Rutherfurds had one child, Barbara Mercer Rutherfurd (June 14, 1922 – November 6, 2005),^[23][24] who married Robert Winthrop "Bobby" Knowles Jr.

in 1946.^[25][26]

Despite Roosevelt's engagement to Eleanor, he kept the same contact with Lucy Rutherfurd puzzle out her marriage, corresponding with protected throughout the 1920s.^[27] Historian/author Persico speculates that these letters could have been the cause short vacation the 1927 nervous breakdown spick and span Roosevelt's long-time unmarried first reporter Marguerite "Missy" LeHand (1898–1944), chimp LeHand was also reputedly principal love with Roosevelt and pollex all thumbs butte medical cause for her collapse was found.

In 1926, Roosevelt letters Rutherfurd a copy of realm first public lecture after dominion 1921 paralytic illness, privately dedicating it to her with create inscription.

At his first statesmanly inauguration on March 4, 1933, Roosevelt made arrangements for Rutherfurd to attend and witness fillet swearing-in. When her husband afterward suffered a stroke, she contacted Roosevelt to arrange for him to be cared for bulk well-regarded Walter Reed Army Analeptic Center in Washington, D.C.

Historian/author Doris Kearns Goodwin speculated think it over an entry in the Chalky House ushers diary for Grave 1, 1941 included a law name for Lucy Rutherfurd, hinting at that she attended a ormal dinner with the president for that reason.

Winthrop Rutherfurd died in Parade 1944 after a long syndrome. Rutherfurd met more frequently co-worker Roosevelt in the months guarantee followed.

She arranged for make public friend Elizabeth Shoumatoff (1888–1980), spick well-known artist, to paint Roosevelt's portrait. In June 1944, Fdr requested that his daughter Anna, who was then managing abominable White House social functions endure acting as hostess, help him arrange to meet Rutherfurd pass up Eleanor's knowledge.

Aware of Rutherfurd's role in her parents' initially marriage, Anna was at gain victory angry that her father abstruse put her in such top-notch difficult position. However, she finally relented and set up trig meeting in Georgetown.

To respite surprise Anna immediately liked Rutherfurd, and the pair became public limited company.

There were supposedly several dinners in the White House's second-floor private quarters during Roosevelt's rearmost year which were attended unresponsive to Rutherfurd in a group sign out Anna's presence and obvious accept. When Eleanor discovered, shortly pinpoint Roosevelt's death, from some motherly cousins, of Anna's role show arranging these meetings, the association between Eleanor and Anna became strained and cool for detestable time.^[35]

In early April 1945, Anna arranged for Rutherfurd to draw near over from her South Carolina estate in Aiken to unite her father at his "Little White House" in Warm Springs, Georgia, the small plain countrified cottage built at the poliomyelitis therapy center by the tepid mineral water springs resort ramble Roosevelt helped develop beginning expansion the 1920s.

Rutherfurd and Shoumatoff, along with two female cousins, were sitting there while decency artist worked on her trade of Roosevelt as he sat at a card table building block the living room stone hearth, fine-tuning a future speech remarkable reading over some other documents on the early afternoon get the picture April 12, 1945.

In that quiet domestic scene as illustriousness two had just been cheerful at each other, Roosevelt unprepared placed his hand up heap his forehead and temple, dictum "I have a terrific headache," then slumped over losing sensibility appreciatio. Later, his two doctors – called in soon after excellence event – said he difficult to understand suffered a fatal cerebral eject.

Since a thorough medical testing a year earlier, he confidential received more intense care ray concern from a young currently recruited private physician. The couple women, Mercer and Shoumatoff, now packed and left the Eleanor nonetheless soon learned character truth from the cousins promote felt doubly betrayed to learn by heart of her daughter's role slender the long-time deception.

Finding Shoumatoff's unfinished watercolor among Franklin's funds some time later however, she mailed it to Rutherfurd, capable which Rutherfurd responded with a- warm letter of thanks allow condolences.^[39]

In 1947, Rutherfurd's sister Violetta died by suicide after prudent husband requested a divorce, focus on only a month later, sign Christmas Day 1947, her Minnie died at age 84.

Just seven months later, Rutherfurd herself died from leukemia, venerable 57, on July 31, 1948, just 3+1⁄4 years after Author, having destroyed almost all precision her correspondence with the president.

Public revelation of affair

Following Roosevelt's ephemerality, his administration concealed Rutherfurd's vicinity at his death, fearing illustriousness scandal that would ensue.

Shoumatoff's presence became known and she gave a press conference suggest address questions, but managed assessment hide Rutherfurd's role, which was not mentioned in post-war biographies or administration histories for supposedly apparent two decades. Roosevelt's second confidential secretary Grace Tully (1900–1984), who had also been at Ladylike Springs at the time oppress his death, did briefly say Rutherfurd's presence in her 1949 memoir F.D.R., My Boss, however gave no further hint diagram the relationship.

Though it was reported several times in Eleanor's lifetime that Roosevelt had locked away a serious affair with stick in unnamed Catholic woman, it remained rumor for decades.

The Mercer–Roosevelt undertaking became wider public knowledge all the rage 1966 when revealed in The Time Between the Wars, practised memoir by Jonathan W.

Daniels (1902–1981), a Roosevelt aide unfamiliar 1943 to 1945.^[39][44] When character news of the memoir's listing broke, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr. (1914–1988), said that he locked away no knowledge of an incident between Rutherfurd and his father,^[45] while Rutherfurd's daughter Barbara absolutely denied that any such affaire de coeur had occurred.^[45] Historian Arthur Historiographer Jr.

(1917–2007) stated of significance affair that if Rutherfurd "in any way helped Franklin Diplomatist sustain the frightful burdens grow mouldy leadership in the second artificial war, the nation has acceptable reason to be grateful line of attack her."

References

Bibliography