| Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 20th district |
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| In office May 17, 1949 – January 3, 1955 |
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| Preceded by | Sol Bloom |
| Succeeded by | Irwin D. Davidson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 17, 1914 Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada |
| Died | August 17, 1988 (aged 74) Poughkeepsie, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Liberal Party Democratic Party |
| Spouse(s) | Ethel du Pont (1937-1965) |
| Children | Franklin Delano Roosevelt III Christopher du Pont Roosevelt John Roosevelt Nancy Roosevelt Ireland Laura Roosevelt |
| Alma mater | Harvard University University of Virginia Law School |
| Occupation | Politician, Attorney |
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Jr. (August 17, 1914 – August 17, 1988) was an American politician. He was the fifth child of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Sr. and his wife Eleanor.
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Roosevelt was born at his parents' summer home at Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada -- now a historic site. This made Roosevelt entitled to Canadian citizenship, in addition to being an American citizen, although it is unknown if he ever exercised any of the prerogatives of Canadian citizenship. An elder brother who had possessed the same name had died in infancy in November 1909 having lived only seven months.
As a young man in 1936, he contracted a streptococcal throat infection and developed life-threatening complications. His successful treatment with Prontosil, the first commercially available sulfonamide drug, avoided a risky surgical procedure which the White House medical staff had considered, and the subsequent headlines in The New York Times and other prominent newspapers heralded the start of the era of antibacterial chemotherapy in the United States.[1]
He was married five times, including to Ethel du Pont (1916–1965) of the du Pont family of industrialists. The couple married on June 30, 1937, and the marriage produced two sons, Franklin Delano Roosevelt III (b. 1938) and Christopher du Pont Roosevelt (b. 1941). The couple separated and formally divorced in 1949. Ethel du Pont later committed suicide at the age of 49, on May 25, 1965.
His other wives were :Suzanne Perrin (m. 31-Aug-1949, div. 1970) ii) Felicia Schiff Warburg Sarnoff (m. 1-Jul-1970, div. 1976) iii)Patricia Luisa Oakes (m. 6-May-1977, div. 1981) iv) Linda McKay Stevenson Weicker (m. 3-Mar-1984, until his death)
In total, he had five children. His other children are Nancy Roosevelt Ireland, Laura Delano Roosevelt and John A. Roosevelt.[2]
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Jr. died in Poughkeepsie, New York after a battle with lung cancer, on his 74th birthday, August 17, 1988.
He was a Naval officer in World War II and was decorated for bravery in the battle of Casablanca.
He graduated from Groton School in 1933, Harvard University in 1937, and from the University of Virginia School of Law in June 1940.[3] During his graduation, his father, Franklin D. Roosevelt gave what is known as the "Stab in the Back" Speech, criticizing Italy's entry into the war.
Roosevelt Jr. served as a member of the United States Congress, representing the 20th District of New York from 1949 to 1955. In 1949, he won a special election running as a candidate of the Liberal Party of New York and later ran on the Democratic ticket as well.
He sought the Democratic nomination for Governor in 1954, but was nominated by the Democratic State Convention to run for New York State Attorney General. Roosevelt was defeated in the general election by Republican Jacob K. Javits, although all other Democratic nominees were elected.
He campaigned for John F. Kennedy in the 1960 West Virginia primary, and Kennedy later named him Under-Secretary of Commerce and chairman of the President's Appalachian Regional Commission. This post (Under-Secretary of Commerce) was given to him when Defense Secretary Robert McNamara shot down the proposal of his appointment as Secretary of Navy.
He ran for Governor of New York on the Liberal Party ticket in 1966, but was defeated by the incumbent Republican Nelson A. Rockefeller.
He served as chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from May 26, 1965 to May 11, 1966.
He was senior partner in the New York law firm of Roosevelt and Freiden before and after his service in the Congress.
He also ran a small cattle farm and imported Fiat automobiles.( He was a personal friend of Fiat chairman Gianni Agnelli).
| United States House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sol Bloom |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 20th congressional district 1949–1955 |
Succeeded by Irwin D. Davidson |
| Government offices | ||
| New title | Chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 1965–1966 |
Succeeded by Stephen N. Shulman |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Francis D'Amanda |
Democratic Nominee for New York State Attorney General 1954 |
Succeeded by Peter Crotty |
| Preceded by Robert Morgenthau |
Liberal Nominee for Governor of New York 1966 |
Succeeded by Arthur Goldberg |