On November 17, 1941, just weeks before Pearl Harbor, the ECTC Entertainment Program brought Eleanor Roosevelt to campus for an evening lecture in Wright Auditorium before a capacity crowd. Former university historian, Henry C. Ferrell, Jr., noted that Roosevelt “embodied, for many East Carolina women students, the active, involved woman.” Earlier, in 1916, Helen Keller had spoken on campus in the Administration Building’s (later Austin) auditorium. Twenty years later, in 1936, Amelia Earhart gave a lecture in Wright Auditorium. Mrs. Roosevelt’s visit continued a tradition of campus addresses by prominent, powerful women whose very presence inspired the student body, still largely female, to new heights of achievement. However, in unprecedented ways bellicose themes in Mrs. Roosevelt’s remarks foreshadowed impending war and sacrifices that soon challenged the campus and the nation.
After arriving by train in Wilson, Mrs Roosevelt was taken to Greenville via a highway patrol escort including President Leon Meadows and Greenville mayor B. B. Sugg. After a brief motorcade tour of the town, Mrs. Roosevelt visited the campus and met with student journalists there. On campus, the entire student body of 1200, faculty, and campus workmen were assembled in various locations to greet her. At the president’s home on Fifth Street, Mrs. Roosevelt was the guest of honor at a lunch, prepared and served by ECTC home economics students. Combining the New Deal agenda in her itinerary, she visited the National Youth Administration center as well as the Greenville Public Library where artwork by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) was displayed. Earlier, she met briefly with a group of local Girl Scouts. For dinner, Mrs. Roosevelt dined on campus in the student cafeteria, surrounded by students and various dignitaries including Governor Joseph Broughton and his wife.
In Wright Auditorium, Governor Broughton and President Meadows formally welcomed Mrs. Roosevelt. The 1942 Tecoan caught that moment in an iconic photo showing the three leaders, representing campus, state, and nation, together on the stage of Wright. Her address, entitled “A Typical Day at the White House,” was “punctuated throughout with many instances of the First Lady’s Keen Wit.” Earlier in the student interview, she emphasized the importance of teachers in defending the nation, comparing them to Red Cross workers, nurses, and those serving as air raid wardens. When asked what women could do to protect their rights from being abused as had happened in Europe, Mrs. Roosevelt replied, “Beat Mr. Hitler.”
Prior to her talk, the Teco Echo emphasized the need for students to maintain decorum. Students were instructed not to leave the auditorium before the talk was over because “such behavior would be a disgrace to the college.” Also, no requests for autographs after the lecture could be allowed because the First Lady was on a very tight schedule, permitting no delays. Before the evening was over, Mrs. Roosevelt traveled to Rocky Mount where she caught a night train back to Washington, D.C.
In retrospect, Mrs. Roosevelt’s visit sought to instill, especially in women and teachers, greater patriotism and devotion to democracy as the nation approached what many considered inevitable, entry into WWII. At another level, her time on campus and in the community sought to uplift and empower women in their various areas of service to their communities and the nation. Mrs. Roosevelt was the most esteemed celebrity speaker to have visited East Carolina and would remain so for nearly two decades when, in September 1960, Senator John F. Kennedy staged a campaign stop on the east end of campus during his run for the presidency. Although he had yet to be elected, within two months Kennedy was the U.S. president elect. Politically, his visit was precedented by Mrs. Roosevelt’s in 1941.
Sources
- “Await Arrival Of First Lady.” Daily Reflector. November 15, 1941. P. 1.
- Bratton, Mary Jo. East Carolina University: The Formative Years, 1907-1982. Greenville, N.C.: East Carolina University Alumni Association, 1986.
- “East Carolina Teachers College Entertainment Program, Season 1941-’42.” The Evening Telegram (Rocky Mount). August 9, 1941. P. 3.
- “Eleanor Roosevelt with Girl Scouts.” University Archives # 55.01.2129. J. Y. Joyner Library. East Carolina University. Greenville, N.C. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/23205.
- Ferrell, Henry C., Jr. No Time For Ivy: East Carolina University, 1907-2007. Greenville, N.C.: East Carolina University Alumni Association, 2006.
- “First Lady Is In And Out Of City So Fast Few Find Out About Visit.” The Evening Telegram (Rocky Mount). November 18, 1941. P. 3.
- “Huge Audience Is Expected To Welcome First Lady.” Teco Echo. November 14, 1941. Vol. 18, no. 4. P. 1. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/37896.
- “Mrs. Roosevelt Grants Interview To Student Press.” Teco Echo. December 5, 1941. Vol. 18, no. 5. Pp. 1, 4. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/37897.
- “Mrs. Roosevelt In City For Tonight’s Address.” Daily Reflector. November 17, 1941. P. 1.
- “Mrs. Roosevelt Is Heard By Capacity Audience.” Daily Reflector. November 18, 1941. P. 1.
- “Prominent Speaker.” Teco Echo. November 14, 1941. Vol. 18, no. 4. P. 2. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/37896.
- Roosevelt, Eleanor. "My Day, November 18, 1941." The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Digital Edition 2017. https://www2.gwu.edu/~erpapers/myday/displaydoc.cfm?_y=1941&_f=md056040.
- Roosevelt, Eleanor."My Day, November 19, 1941." The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Digital Edition. 2017. https://www2.gwu.edu/~erpapers/myday/displaydoc.cfm?_y=1941&_f=md056041.
- Tecoan. Greenville, N.C.: East Carolina University, 1942. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/15347.
Citation Information
Title: Eleanor Roosevelt
Author: John A. Tucker, PhD
Date of Publication: 7/18/2019