FDR statistics at a glance
Franklin Delano Roosevelt left behind a record that is unusually rich in dates, numbers, and institutional milestones. The facts below cover his life, career, disability, collections, recordings, and the presidential archive built around him, with source labels kept visible so each figure stays anchored to the original record.
Table of contents
- Fast facts
- Early life and physical profile
- Career milestones
- Polio, Warm Springs, and daily life
- Presidency and elections
- Audio archive and Fireside Chats
- Library, home, and legacy
Fast facts
A useful way to read FDR statistics is to separate biographical measurements from institutional and presidential numbers. That makes it easier to see how the same life can produce both personal details and large-scale historical totals.
| Category | Statistic | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Birth date | January 30, 1882 | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| Birth time | 9 pm | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| Birth weight | 10 lbs | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| Height | 6’2” | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| Approximate weight | 182 lbs | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| Shoe size | 12 | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| First elected governor | 1928 | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| First presidential election win | 1932 | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| Total presidential election wins | 4 | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| Death date | April 12, 1945 | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| Fireside Chats identified | 31 | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| Disc-recorded speeches | 238 | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| Book volumes on exhibit at Springwood library | Approximately 3,000 | National Park Service |
The strongest pattern in the data is the breadth of the record itself. It spans the intimate, like shoe size and shirt measurements, and the civic, like elections, speeches, and archival preservation.
FDR statistics are not just a list of trivia facts. They map a presidency, a disability story, a personal archive, and a preserved historic home into one record set.
Early life and physical profile
The earliest FDR statistics describe a person whose physical profile was memorable even before the political career began. He was born on January 30, 1882, at 9 pm, and the library record gives his birth weight as 10 lbs (FDR Presidential Library & Museum). That same source also lists him at 6’2” tall, approximately 182 lbs, with a shirt size of 16 3/4 neck and 35 sleeve, a hat size of 7 and 3/8, and a shoe size of 12 (FDR Presidential Library & Museum).
Those measurements matter because they help frame the person behind the presidency. They are not political statistics, but they are part of why FDR appears in historical memory as a large, visible figure. The data record emphasizes that his body was documented with unusual specificity.
Another early-life statistic stands out: he was the only child of James Roosevelt and Sara Delano (FDR Presidential Library & Museum). That single-child status is useful context for understanding the family environment that shaped him. The same source notes that he had one older half brother, James Roosevelt Roosevelt, born in 1854, and that James Roosevelt died on December 8, 1900 at age 72, while Sara Delano Roosevelt died on September 7, 1941 at age 87 (FDR Presidential Library & Museum).
A compact family snapshot
| Person | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| James Roosevelt | Father; died December 8, 1900 at age 72 | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| Sara Delano Roosevelt | Mother; died September 7, 1941 at age 87 | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| James Roosevelt Roosevelt | Older half brother; born in 1854 | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| Franklin Delano Roosevelt | Only child of James Roosevelt and Sara Delano | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
The family facts are sparse compared with the presidency data, but they still give shape to the larger record. They show that the Roosevelt household combined inheritance, continuity, and a single direct heir in FDR himself.
Career milestones
The chronology of FDR’s career is unusually clean in the source record. He entered Groton School in September 1896 at age 14 (FDR Presidential Library & Museum). Later, he became an apprentice lawyer in the autumn of 1907 (FDR Presidential Library & Museum). From there the path moves into formal politics: he was elected New York State Senator in 1910 and re-elected for a second Senate term in 1912 (FDR Presidential Library & Museum).
The career sequence then speeds up. Woodrow Wilson appointed him Assistant Secretary of the Navy in 1913 (FDR Presidential Library & Museum). In 1920 he became the Democratic vice-presidential nominee (FDR Presidential Library & Museum). By 1928 he was elected Governor of New York, and in 1930 he was elected Governor again for a second two-year term (FDR Presidential Library & Museum).
These dates show a progression from education to law to state office to national visibility. The sequence matters because it shows that FDR’s later national power was built in stages, not suddenly.
Career timeline
| Year | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1896 | Entered Groton School at age 14 | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| 1907 | Became an apprentice lawyer in the autumn | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| 1910 | Elected New York State Senator | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| 1912 | Re-elected for a second Senate term | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| 1913 | Appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| 1920 | Democratic vice-presidential nominee | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| 1928 | Elected Governor of New York | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| 1930 | Elected Governor again | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
One of the clearest takeaways from the record is how steady the escalation is. FDR’s political life moved from state lawmaking to executive administration to national ticket politics before he ever won the presidency.
Polio, Warm Springs, and daily life
The disability statistics are central to any serious reading of FDR. The source says he was 39 when he developed acute polio symptoms on August 10, 1921 (FDR Presidential Library & Museum). The illness left him with motor paralysis from the waist down, and he never again walked without leg braces, crutches, canes, or support from another person (FDR Presidential Library & Museum).
Those are hard facts, but they also explain later choices. In 1927 he purchased Warm Springs and converted it into a treatment center (FDR Presidential Library & Museum). The Warm Springs Foundation treated thousands of polio victims over the years (FDR Presidential Library & Museum).
A statistical reading of this section reveals an important shift: the disability event is not just a medical milestone, but also a turning point in public service and institutional creation. Warm Springs became part of FDR’s legacy because he turned a private need into a broader treatment mission.
Disability and Warm Springs facts
- Acute polio symptoms began on August 10, 1921, when FDR was 39 (FDR Presidential Library & Museum).
- The condition caused motor paralysis from the waist down (FDR Presidential Library & Museum).
- He never again walked without braces, crutches, canes, or support from another person (FDR Presidential Library & Museum).
- He purchased Warm Springs in 1927 and converted it into a treatment center (FDR Presidential Library & Museum).
- The Warm Springs Foundation treated thousands of polio victims over the years (FDR Presidential Library & Museum).
That list is short, but its significance is large. It captures the personal consequence, the adaptation, and the institutional response in one run of facts.
Presidency and elections
FDR was the only American president elected and inaugurated four times (FDR Presidential Library & Museum). He won presidential elections in 1932, 1936, 1940, and 1944 (FDR Presidential Library & Museum). That four-election sequence is one of the defining political statistics of the twentieth century.
The record also shows the vice-presidential transitions across those years. John Nance Garner served from March 4, 1933 to January 20, 1941; Henry Agard Wallace served from January 20, 1941 to January 20, 1945; and Harry S. Truman served from January 20, 1945 to April 12, 1945 (FDR Presidential Library & Museum). Across four terms, FDR had three vice presidents (FDR Presidential Library & Museum).
Presidency by the numbers
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Presidential election wins | 4 | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| Election years | 1932, 1936, 1940, 1944 | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| Vice presidents across four terms | 3 | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| First listed vice president | John Nance Garner | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| Second listed vice president | Henry Agard Wallace | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| Third listed vice president | Harry S. Truman | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
The presidency data is especially useful because it combines continuity and transition. The elections show political durability; the vice-presidential record shows how the administration changed shape over time.
Frances Perkins also appears in the record as Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945 (FDR Presidential Library & Museum). That long span adds another stabilizing number to the era and underscores how durable some New Deal-era appointments were.
Audio archive and Fireside Chats
FDR’s communication record is unusually measurable. His presidency produced 31 identified Fireside Chats (FDR Presidential Library & Museum). The earliest listed Fireside Chat was on March 12, 1933, and the final listed Fireside Chat was on January 6, 1945 (FDR Presidential Library & Museum).
The archive also includes 238 disc-recorded speeches (FDR Presidential Library & Museum). In addition, it includes 14 unique presidential press conferences recorded in 1940, and the White House recordings span from August 23 to November 8, 1940 (FDR Presidential Library & Museum). One archival note describes 28 definite Fireside Chats and says the total could be extended to as many as 33 chats (FDR Presidential Library & Museum).
That mix of counts is worth reading carefully. It shows that the archival total depends on how the documents are grouped, labeled, and interpreted. Some figures are definite counts, while others are broader archival estimates.
Archive snapshot
| Archive item | Count or span | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identified Fireside Chats | 31 | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| Earliest listed Fireside Chat | March 12, 1933 | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| Final listed Fireside Chat | January 6, 1945 | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| Disc-recorded speeches | 238 | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| Unique presidential press conferences recorded in 1940 | 14 | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
| White House recording span | August 23 to November 8, 1940 | FDR Presidential Library & Museum |
The audio record matters because it shows how modern the Roosevelt presidency was in communication terms. The data captures both the scale of his broadcast presence and the archival effort to preserve it.
The audio archive turns FDR from a historical name into a measurable voice: 31 Fireside Chats, 238 disc-recorded speeches, and multiple preserved press conferences (FDR Presidential Library & Museum).
Library, home, and legacy
The presidential library system formally began in 1939 when FDR donated his papers (National Archives). That one fact helps explain why there is such a strong documentary trail around his life and administration. The system itself became part of the legacy.
The home and estate record is equally concrete. Congress designated the home as a National Historic Site on January 15, 1944 (NPS). The Roosevelt family bequeathed the house with its original furnishings in 1946 (NPS). The National Park Service took ownership of the property on November 1, 1945 at 7 a.m., and the park opened to the public on April 12, 1946 (NPS).
The site also preserves the family library at Springwood, which contains approximately 3,000 volumes on exhibit (NPS). Another household detail reaches even farther back: the 1890 federal census recorded six household servants in the Roosevelt home (NPS). Today, the house has ten servant bedrooms (NPS).
Home and preservation facts
- Presidential library system began in 1939 when FDR donated his papers (National Archives).
- Congress designated the home a National Historic Site on January 15, 1944 (NPS).
- The National Park Service took ownership on November 1, 1945 at 7 a.m. (NPS).
- The park opened to the public on April 12, 1946 (NPS).
- The family library at Springwood contains approximately 3,000 volumes on exhibit (NPS).
- The 1890 federal census recorded six household servants in the Roosevelt home (NPS).
- The house has ten servant bedrooms today (NPS).
These numbers show how preservation turns biography into infrastructure. The house, papers, furnishings, recordings, and books are all part of the same record ecosystem.
FDR’s stamp collection is another striking legacy statistic. At his death it numbered over 1,200,000 stamps, about 80% of which was low-value scrap, and the collection sold for $228,000.00 at public auction (FDR Presidential Library & Museum). That is one of the clearest examples in the record of a private hobby becoming a measurable estate asset.
Finally, the funeral record closes the chronology with precision. FDR died on April 12, 1945 of a cerebral hemorrhage (FDR Presidential Library & Museum). His funeral train was accompanied by 2,000 soldiers from Fort Benning, traveled no faster than 35 miles per hour, and the Episcopal funeral service lasted 23 minutes (FDR Presidential Library & Museum). The funeral train arrived four miles from the Roosevelt home in Hyde Park, and three volleys were fired over his grave (FDR Presidential Library & Museum).
Those final figures are not just ceremonial details. They show how the nation staged one of the most consequential deaths in American political history with military, religious, and geographic precision.