FDR Memorial
The FDR Memorial is a tribute to the memory of this great man and influential president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt . The FDR Memorial park spreads across 7.5 acres and, through various sculptures and monuments, depicts the 12 years of American history that occurred under Franklin D. Roosevelt's leadership. One sculpture was inspired by a photo of Roosevelt with his dog Fala. FDR's wife is also honored; a bronze statue of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt stands in front of a United Nations emblem to honor her for her work for the UN.
The park also has some beautiful man-made waterfalls and pools, which are designed to be symbolic of various events that occurred during Roosevelt's terms as president. The FDR Memorial is designed for visitors to be able to walk about as they please, taking in and reflecting on the sights, sounds, and symbolism they will find at this presidential park.
Divided into four sections, each of these is representative of one of the four terms that FDR served. First elected in 1932 during the Great Depression, Roosevelt guided the nation during some of the darkest days of our nation's history. FDR was elected three more times, but died in April 1945, only a few weeks before Germany surrendered to the Allies in Europe.
Interesting Facts
The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial is the only presidential memorial that depicts a First Lady.
Polio--though a terrible disease that infected many during the early twentieth century--left only 1% of its victims permanently paralyzed. FDR just happened to be among that unlucky 1%.
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was Franklin D. Roosevelt's fifth cousin once removed, niece of President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt. Teddy walked Eleanor down the aisle at the Roosevelts' wedding.
Roosevelt was home schooled until age 14. After graduating from Harvard and then attending Columbia University, he passed the bar exam without finishing his law degree.
