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Franklin Delano Roosevelt, popularly referred to as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States. He was born into a prominent upper-class family on January 30, 1882, and was the only child of James and Sara Delano Roosevelt.

 

Historical Collections
The Foundation
Frank and Harvard

Though not particularly remembered for his love of music, FDR the student was no stranger to popular songs of the day.

In the good old Summer TimeBill Bailey,

Won’t You Please Come Home?

Home on the Range

Silver Threads Among the Gold

Taking a Trip Up the Hudson 

Babes In Toy land

The Man On The Chair : A Brief History Of Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, popularly referred to as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States. He was born into a prominent upper-class family on January 30, 1882, and was the only child of James and Sara Delano Roosevelt.

Roosevelt was home-schooled by private tutors until he became fourteen years old and gained admission into the prestigious Groton Preparatory School. At Groton, he was groomed to be a gentleman, and based on the teachings of his beloved headmaster, he developed a keen interest in public service and helping the less fortunate.

Upon graduating from Groton in 1900, Roosevelt enrolled at Harvard University, where he joined the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity and also became the editor of the Harvard Crimson Newspaper. It was equally at Harvard that he met and fell in love with his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, who was the niece of his fifth cousin, Theodore Roosevelt. They got married in 1905.

Roosevelt went on to study Law at Columbia University and passed the New York bar exam in 1907. However, he realized that he wasn’t cut out for the practice of law. FDR had been disinterested in his studies while at Columbia and was also dispassionate about the legal practice. He practiced law for a few years before discovering where his genuine interest lay. He realized that his passion lay in politics and worked tirelessly to become a renowned politician.