Franklin D. Roosevelt

The White House East Wing: From Jefferson’s Vision to a $250 Million Ballroom

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Discover how the White House East Wing transformed from Theodore Roosevelt’s democratic cloakroom in 1902 to Trump’s $250 million ballroom. Explore 123 years of presidential renovations, including Wilson’s garden tent, FDR’s secret bunker, and the site’s fascinating evolution through detailed historical documents and photographs.

Rare Footage of FDR Dedicating the NIH Campus in Bethesda in 1940

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President Roosevelt at NIH

This is some great old footage of FDR dedicating the NIH back in 1940. Thanks to GoDCer Jeff for sending this in a while ago. It was originally posted on an NIH blog, Circulating Now, and below is an excerpt from the post.

On October 31, 1940, just days before President Franklin Delano Roosevelt would be elected to an unprecedented third term as President of the United States, he traveled to Bethesda to dedicate the National Cancer Institute and the new campus of what was then the National Institute of Health (NIH), before it would eventually become known in plural form—NationalInstitutes of Health—as multiple units were established over subsequent years.

Click here for the original post.

President Roosevelt at NIH
President Roosevelt at NIH

William Andrew Johnson: The Former Slave Who Visited President Roosevelt at the White House

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William Andrew Johnson, a former slave of President Andrew Johnson, was a guest at the White House when he visited President Franklin Roosevelt. Read the incredible story of his meeting with President Roosevelt, as well as details from his life before and after the Emancipation Proclamation.

The State Department Refused to Make a Reciprocal Trade Agreement with Cupid: Reflections on Social Interaction in Washington, DC

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marriages-1936

In this article, we observe a great tongue-in-cheek opening line from the December 2, 1936 copy of the Washington Post. We reflect on the continuity and change of social interaction in DC, from exclusive “hospitalities” to the incorporation of social media.

Reading the Washington Post Before Pearl Harbor: A Look at a Day Which Would Live in Infamy

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Pearl Harbor 1941

In the hours before Pearl Harbor, Washington Post articles spoke of the failing negotiations between the U.S. and Japan. Read about the articles and President Roosevelt’s dramatic move to prevent war. See his “Date Which Will Live in Infamy” speech and related articles.

We Want Beer! The 1937 All-Star Game at Griffith Stadium

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Lou Gehrig, Joe Cronin, Bill Dickey, Joe DiMaggio, Charlie Gehringer, Jimmie Foxx, and Hank Greenberg - July 7th, 1937 (Library of Congress)

This … picture … is … awesome. This is why I love baseball. I could almost end the post with just this picture because it’s just that amazing. The 1937 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was held in Washington at Griffith Stadium. The Senators were between mediocre and lousy by then, but this was reason … Read more