FDR addresses thousands of Democratic women
On this day in 1940 President Franklin D.Roosevelt welcomes approximately 4000 women attending a womens division meeting of the Democratic National Committee to Washington D.C.He and his wife Eleanors plans to host the event at the White House however had to be modified at the last minute as they had originally expected only 100 guests.The leadership of this womens political advocacy group which included Eleanor took advantage of FDRs generous offer to host the meeting at the White House.
FDRs openness to the idea originally Eleanors reflected his support for womens political advocacy.In fact FDR frequently consulted Eleanor on policy matters.FDR initially had agreed to meet the Democratic womens division in the Executive Office in order to shake hands and have a little informal chat.
Three weeks before the conference Eleanor learned that some 600 members planned to attend the conference and suggested they move the reception to the larger White House East Room.When thousands of women showed up in Washington D.C.for the DNC conference a few days before the scheduled meeting of the womens division at the White House it completely surprised the Roosevelts and their White House staff.Deciding that the gathering would be too large to host at the White House FDR instead invited the women to meet with him after attending conference activities elsewhere.
Documents recounting that day do not reveal exactly how many women showed up at the White House on May 3 nor where on the grounds FDR addressed them.They do reveal however that after welcoming the women he invited them for an informal tour of the mansion with a warm Come on in
