Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) overcame shyness and a lack of confidence to become a great social reformer and advocate during her tenure as First Lady and after.

She was the niece of 26th President Theodore Roosevelt and married her cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1905, creating a great political partnership. She strongly encouraged FDR to pursue election to the governorship of New York and later the presidency. Eleanor became an important adviser to FDR during his presidency as she travelled across the US to see first-hand what social conditions were like. Many of the social programs of the New Deal were her ideas or were adopted because of her support.

After FDR's death in 1945, she became heavily involved in the Human Rights Committee of the new United Nations. She served as a delegate to the UN representing the United States until 1953.

Throughout her life, she was a strong advocate for the rights of women, minorities, and the disadvantaged. She is the only First Lady honored with a statue at a Presidential memorial.