Eleanor Roosevelt and Leadership

The Early Years
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was born on October 11, 1884 in New York City, New York. Although economically comfortable, her family was very distressed. Elliot Roosevelt, her father, was an alcoholic and was frequently troubled with mental depression. Elliot was also away from the home frequently for business, pleasure or medical treatment; Eleanor’s father entered a sanitarium for alcoholics when she was just a child. Her mother, Anna Hall Roosevelt, was very concerned with keeping the family’s high class reputation in society and as years passed she became very disconsolate trying to balance her responsibilities (Encyclopedia of World Biography, 1998). Eleanor recognized the tension and problems in her family at a young age, taking much of the responsibility for her mother’s unhappiness. Eleanor cared so much for her mother, yet she was embarrassed by Eleanor’s homeliness and continually reminded her of her lack of beauty. Her mother even went as far as to give her nicknames, such as “Granny” for being plain and lacking beauty. When Eleanor was eight years old, her mother passed away, starting the theme of death that she would endure throughout her childhood. Eleanor and her younger brothers went to live in New York with their maternal grandmother. Not long after moving to her grandmother’s home, Eleanor received the news that her older brother had passed away. Shortly before Eleanor was ten, she learned that her father, too, was deceased. (Black) She continued living a life sheltered from the outside world with her grandmother until the age of 15 when Eleanor was sent to live at Mademoiselle Souvestre’s finishing school for girls; there she was taught about social service and responsibility. Upon the completion of finishing school she returned to New York City and became involved in social work. In March of 1905,