Introduction

Franklin D. Roosevelt was proud of his heritage and family name. He idealized and strived to assume the gallant qualities he saw in his ancestry - generations of which he learned about from family stories passed down, and from the papers they left behind. Like his legendary stamp collection, FDR collected, sorted, and cared for the records of the Delano and Roosevelt families.

Told here are the stories of several generations of Roosevelts and Delanos who worked hard to prosper and establish the prominence now associated with their names. Their voices and deeds are captured within the following selection of correspondence, accounts, estate papers and public announcements. These documents, once held by President Roosevelt, now in the collection of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, simultaneously tell the history of settling on the banks of the Hudson River and the rise of two of the Hudson River Valley’s great families.

The items featured in this exhibit are a selection of digitized historical materials contributed to New York Heritage by the FDR Library. 

Credits

This exhibit was researched and written by Rejoice Scherry, 2012 FDRL summer intern, and Hartwick College class of 2013.