Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born on January 30, 1882 in Hyde Park, New York. His father was James Roosevelt and his mother was Sara Delano Roosevelt. He graduated from Harvard College and Columbia Law School. His fifth cousin was Theodore Roosevelt, 26^th President of the United States. “F.D.R.” was elected to four terms of office as our nation’s 32^nd President. He served from March 4, 1933 to April 12, 1945.

     Mr. Roosevelt was a lawyer. He served as a Member of the N.Y. State Legislature, as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and as Governor of New York. In 1920, he ran for Vice-President, but lost. He contracted polio in 1921. He was forced to use crutches or a wheelchair for the rest of his life. When he took office as our President, the country was in a Depression. Millions of Americans had been put out of work and nearly all the banks had closed. In his inaugural address, he told the people: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” He was guiding the country back toward prosperity when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and America declared war. Sadly, he didn’t live to see the end of World War II.

     Mr. Roosevelt married Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (a niece of President Theodore Roosevelt) on March 17, 1905. They had five children: Anna, James, Elliot, Franklin and John.

     President Franklin Roosevelt died, while still serving in office, on April 12, 1945 in Warm Springs, Georgia. He was 63.