Roosevelt, West Point, and the CIA

“When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR), served as the 32nd POTUS, 1933 – 1945. Elected to office four times, his administration introduced and implemented countless programs to benefit Americans, young and old, regardless of your party affiliation.

The Roosevelt Library

FDR was deeply involved in every facet of the library’s development; he chose a Dutch Colonial style of architecture, to represent a sense of endurance. The library opened on June 30, 1941. The first Presidential Library, it has the distinction of being the only one that has opened while a President is in office.

Born in Hyde Park, NY on 01/30/1882, FDR died on April 12, 1945 in Warm Springs, GA.  He contracted Polio in 1921, and carefully hid is disability from the public. Many have said the pressures of World War II killed him; the war ended on Sept 2, 1945.

The Library included the original March 4, 1933 Inaugural address.

“… the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”

During the 1932 campaign, backed by the union, FDR came out against prohibition.  During the first 100 days he successfully passed the Beer-Wine Revenue Act, announcing “Beer Returns”.

Although elected 4 times by popular vote, he knew not everyone was a fan.

“I voted for you, I shall always be deeply ashamed of that vote.” 

FDR was born in this home. Remodeled and expanded over time, his mother, Sara, remained there until her death.

Planting Trees – New Farming Initiatives

During the Great Depression, farms were abandoned; massive fields of cleared land, without water or vegetation, became nothing but dust.  One of the earliest programs of FDR was the formation of a civilian conservation corp that enlisted 250,000 youth, ages 17 to 25, who planted over two billion trees to stop the soil erosion, eliminating the Dust Bowl. It was nice to see his farming efforts stretched all the way to the territory of Alaska (yes, Finny, the Matanuska Valley farms stem from his program).

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (10/11/1884 – 11/7/1962)

First Lady Eleanor, was a diplomat and an activist.  She even faced death threats, rumored to be from members of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).  Founded in 1890, the DAR remains a controversial, highly selective organization (to read more click here).

President Harry S. Truman later called her the “First Lady of the World” in tribute to her human rights achievements.

On behalf of all the ladies out there who were deeply inspired by the love and courage of our First Lady; thank you, Eleanor. 

Here’s a little trivia quiz:  What – or who – was:

1. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt’s maiden name
2. The President credited with the repeal of the 18th Amendment
3. The only president elected to four consecutive terms
4. The president who included credit legislation in his farm programs, introducing the Emergency Farm Mortgage Act and the Farm Credit Act.
5. The President credited with the formation of the Tennessee Valley Authority
6. Who designed the first national presidential library.

Answer is at the very bottom of this blog post. 

FDR – Senior Programs

In 1935, his lasting gift to seniors was the creation of Social Security; a program that has survived MUCH longer than anticipated.

Visiting the CIA Headquarters

We were excited to visit the CIA – no, Craig, it was not the Central Intelligence Agency – YES, Danielle and Sandra, we went to the New York campus of the Culinary Institute of America, the world’s premier culinary college! To learn more about the school, click here. As they like to say, Food is Big Business. It was a magnificent tour of the central campus, including the main building, a pristinely restored Jesuit church constructed in 1903, complete with original tiffany fixtures. Our charismatic guide, Ezra Cohen, will be graduating soon, with a plan to expand his culinary talents in Italy.

West Point US Military Academy

As you can see, West Point sits on prime real estate, overlooking the Hudson.  Here’s our view from the water.

Unfortunately, we ran out of time to visit it, due to a repair of the thrusters. And then there were three.

Captain in Training

Bravo to our return crew member, Dave (also our first guest – in early March), who is learning one of Rick’s best captain techniques, driving with his feet.

Donna found a moment to relax with a cup of hot tea.

This little boat, seen in Roundout, NY, is for Mathilda, aka Sam.

Next Stop:

Heading to Albany, New York. Guests on Board – Donna and Dave 🙂

Trivia Answer:  Roosevelt, Roosevelt, Roosevelt ...  All of the answers are Roosevelt, including Eleanor’s maiden name; married in 1905 – she was a 5th cousin once removed to FDR, her uncle was Teddy Roosevelt. To learn more about Eleanor, click here.