The Art Zuckerman Program- The New York Historical Society, The Ashcan Artists, and Richard J. Garfunkel talking about Franklin D. Roosevelt.

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There have been over 1000 books on this enigmatic man, who was on one hand the most public of individuals, photographed more often in his lifetime than any one else who had ever lived or lived in his time, and on the other hand the most private of individuals. He and his wife Eleanor were the most discreet of people and his close friends were the essence of discretion about their relationship with him. Some lived a long time like Grace Tully and Margaret “Daisy” Suckley and others were just plum worn out and died young. But few really revealed what they knew or had learned. Others speculated or were just disturbed that he never let them into his thinking, his true emotion or into his inner self. Never tell the left hand what the right hand is doing. He was very much like the Sphinx as he was often pictured as and called that mysterious figure from ancient Egypt. (Ross Lewis cartoon the Milwaukee Journal 1939!)

He had few real friends, especially after polio struck him in 1921, and those that he had were careful not to intrude into his inner world. His intimates, if he had any, were the close friends of his wife Eleanor. If any he had few lifetime friends from either Groton or Harvard, or Columbia Law School or his first law firm Carter, Ledyard. (The adored him along with Basil O’Connor)

If he ever had any real friends they were Eleanor, his wife, his mother Sara, his confidante, aide Louis Howe, his friend Lucy Mercer, Laura Delano, Daisy Suckley and his private secretary Miss LeHand. Every one else worked for him or were family. In fact, Howe, Mercer, LeHand also worked for him. Others like Harry Hopkins, Henry Morgenthau, Basil O’Connor, Steve Early, LaGuardia, Herbert Lehman, worked for or with him. Very few of them, including Morgenthau who socialized with FDR, and their wives were close really knew the inner man. He loved and owed his life to his hobbies, and relied on them to be alone with his own thoughts. He wrote many, many letters, but they were never really revealing, never kept a diary, and stated that anything that’s really important and personal do not write down. He was all things to all people, loved and hated by many,

But all in all, he saved capitalism, and rescued democracy. He was the creator of the New Deal, which became the answer and alternative to fascism. He was the co-author and the driving force behind the Atlantic Charter, the innovator of Lend-Lease, the Architect of Victory in the 2nd World War, the author of the Four Freedoms (want, speech, worship, fear) the founder of the UN and one of the greatest most respected statesman and leaders in world history.