Franklin D. Roosevelt: 1882-1945

USMC / AP

After building a reputation as a reformer in the New York State Senate, Roosevelt moved on to Washington, D.C., where, by 1917, he had become one of the Wilson administration's rising young stars. As assistant secretary of the Navy, Roosevelt established a valuable network among Washington's political insiders through his negotiations with navy yard labor unions, and campaigned for increased preparation for entry into World War I.

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