Day 43: May 18
Leg braces used by Franklin Roosevelt
(Steel, leather)
FDR could not stand without the support of leg braces like these. They were strapped to his legs and locked at the knee. These braces weigh approximately ten pounds.
In order to appear to “walk” in public, Roosevelt used a cane and a strong companion’s arm to support his weight while he pitched his body forward. This required skill and considerable upper body strength, developed through practice and exercise.
Iconic Presidential Photos
The Presidential Libraries are now on Pinterest. You’ll find some of the most requested images from the holdings of all 13 Presidential Libraries.
We’re pinning the historic moments, meetings with world leaders, Air Force One, First Ladies, and much more. You’ll find a fair share of White House pet pics too.
Take a look and let us know what else you would like to see!
http://pinterest.com/ourpresidents/
Photos: Lyndon B. Johnson gives Senator Richard Russell the “Johnson Treatment.” 11/7/63.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower Meeting the Troops Prior to the Normandy Invasion. 6/5/44.
The Big Three — Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin at the Yalta Conference. 2/9/45.
John F. Kennedy points to a reporter at a news conference. 11/20/62.
Gerald R. Ford in the Oval Office. 3/25/75
FDR at The First Presidential Library Dedication
The first Presidential Library and Museum was conceived and built under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s direction from 1939 to 1940 in Hyde Park, NY. The official FDR Library dedication was a small, quiet affair, with close friends and family attending the ceremony.
-History of the FDR Library
FDR’s funeral train en route to Hyde Park, New York. April 15, 1945.
FDR’s Last Official Act as President: April 12, 1945
Each year around the anniversary of FDR’s death on April 12, 1945, the FDR Library is asked about the last official action taken by Roosevelt as President.
Because of President Roosevelt’s love of stamps and stamp collecting, he was always very involved in the design and issuance of new and commemorative postage stamps.
With the first United Nations Conference scheduled to begin on April 25 in San Francisco, Postmaster General Frank Walker sent a memo to FDR on April 9th asking him to select his preferred design for the UN Conference commemorative stamp. A typed notation made at the top of this memo shows that on April 11, the day before the President died, he selected Design No. 1 to be issued as a five cent stamp and printed in blue.
But this was not the last official act. FDR’s last official directive – given just a half hour before he was stricken – was to agree to the Postmaster’s request that the President purchase the first issue of the UN Conference commemorative. Read More
-from the FDR Library
Congressional Resolution on the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt and confidence in Harry S. Truman
After the enexpected death of President Roosevelt on April 12, 1945, Harry Truman was sworn in just eighty-two days after taking the oath as Vice President.
This resolution expresses sorrow for the passing of FDR and the confidence of Congress in the new President, Harry S. Truman. It is signed by Alben W. Barkley and Leslie L. Biffle. It is dated April 20, 1945.
-from the Truman Library
The Death of FDR
On April 12, 1945, Franklin D. Roosevelt, 63, President of the United States serving his fourth term, died of a cerebral hemorrhage in his cottage at the Georgia Warm Springs Foundation.
Vice President Harry S. Truman took the oath of office as President at 7:09 P.M., in the Cabinet Room in the White House. Chief Justice Harlan F. Stone of the Supreme Court administered the oath.
Shown here is the White House Stenographer’s Diary on the day of FDR’s death.
-from the FDR Library
Ration Coupon for Meat, Fats, Fish, and Cheeses
The rationing of meat, butter, and cheese began during World War II on March 29, 1943.
The first meeting between Harry S. Truman and President Franklin D. Roosevelt after Truman won the Democratic Vice-Presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention. 8/18/44.
We don’t get to see too many color photos of FDR or Truman but you can find more in the Truman Library’s digital catalog and some handpicked choices here.
The Beer-Wine Revenue Act - March 22, 1933
80 years ago, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Beer–Wine Revenue Act into law on March 22, 1933. This law amended the Volstead Act and permitted the sale of beer and wine with an alcohol content of less than 3.2% by volume. The act represented the first relaxation of the prohibition laws since 1918 and was followed up at the end of the year with the passage of the 21st Amendment repealing prohibition. Repeal of prohibition laws was a key plank in the Democratic platform during the 1932 Presidential election as reflected in Clifford Berryman’s cartoon.
(Admittedly Marine Corporal R.L. Quisenberry and the New Ulm German singers club were likely not contemporaries of FDR’s decision, but we suspect they would have approved.)
