[Magdalen] Keith's birthday list & thoughts on the Day of the Jackals

James Oppenheimer-Crawford oppenheimerjw at gmail.com
Fri Jan 20 17:12:24 UTC 2017


Come on up to Hyde Park and visit the library and museum.
There is a car there also that is fitted out for FDR to drive around in. A
couple years ago, an older man recalled that car stopping where he was and
FDR just stopped to talk to people, and then FDR turned to the little boy
and said, "Don't you worry, Johnnie! I'll make sure to get your daddy a
job!" And he did. The father got a prized job working on building the
Taconic State Parkway.

The Presidential library and museum was actually opened while FDR was alive
(He and everyone just assumed that he would serve two terms and then
retire.) After his death, the library director got a call. Harry Truman
called Eleanor and said, "Eleanor, I just CAN'T work at FDR's desk. Could
your library use it?"  So there is a room made up to look like the part of
the oval office with that disk, the top just covered with all the little
items FDR loved. Looking that desk is like looking into the room where the
man just stepped out.  You will love it, I will bet.

There was a big party and at that time, FDR wasn't saying whether he would
run again, and they made a huge status of FDR as the sphinx, complete with
a long cigarette holder.  FDR burst out laughing and directed that this
must be saved. It's one of the big attractions at the museum now.  Yep!
You're going to love it!

If anyone wants to visit, give me a heads up and I'll walk you around and
show you some other neat sights in the neighborhood, including St. James,
the President's church.

James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
*“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved,
except in memory. LLAP**”  -- *Leonard Nimoy

On Fri, Jan 20, 2017 at 11:52 AM, Cantor03--- via Magdalen <
magdalen at herberthouse.org> wrote:

>
>
> In a message dated 1/20/2017 11:37:54 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> scottknitter at gmail.com writes:
>
> I was  awash in tears during a documentary about FDR as they showed the
> outpouring  of love and grief across the nation at his death. He had
> truly been a  father to the whole  country.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
>
> I often heard FDR's name taken in vain in my youth, my
> parents being the Republicans they were.  There was the to
> unusual use of forms of "damn" in these frequent outbursts,
> with the Pope (Pius XII) thrown in for good measure:  "Damn
> FDR and the Pope."  During WW-2, the "Damn Hitler, Tojo,
> and Mussolini" replaced the FDR/Pope designation.
>
> Therefore, when I drove down from Atlanta to see the
> Callaway Gardens during the azalea  season, it was only an
> afterthought that caused me to drive still further south to check
> out FDR's Summer White House at Warm Springs, GA.
>
> The tour group for the Summer White House was led in through
> the garage where I was unprepared for the fact that his famous
> 1938 Ford convertible was parked there.  This is the car that  was
> fitted with pedals that allowed him to drive it even though he was
> paralyzed in his lower body.
>
> I burst into tears.
>
> I think that began my conversion to the Democratic Party.
>
>
> David S.
>
>
>


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