The Young Eleanor Roosevelt

Washington
FDR owes a great deal of his political success to Eleanor. It was she who convinced him to re-enter politics after he was stricken with polio. She mastered public speaking (no small feat for a girl known for her shyness) and represented her husband until he could resume normal activity. During the 1932 election, she organized the Women's Division of the Democratic National Committee, mobilizing thousands of female precinct workers. In this photo, and her son James help FDR as he enters the White House shortly after his inauguration in 1933.

• FDR and the Making of America