Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt was the first First Lady to use her role to bring national attention to her causes. Young Eleanor’s teacher, Mademoiselle Souvestre, ignited her interest in social issues while she studied in London. With her activism and public questioning of society’s injustices and defense of civil rights, Eleanor became a leading advocate for disenfranchised Americans. As First Lady, she kept a busy schedule traveling, speaking, and writing. She wrote thousands of articles in newspapers and magazines, including six books. Her tireless leadership as chairperson of the United Nations Human Rights Commission served as the articles for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.