Missy LeHand
Encyclopedia
Marguerite Alice "Missy" LeHand (13 September 1898 - 31 July 1944) was private secretary
to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt
for 21 years.
to Daniel J. and Mary J. (née Graffin) LeHand, who were themselves the children of Irish immigrants. The family later moved to Somerville, Massachusetts
. She graduated from Somerville High School in 1917, then attended secretarial school.
After holding a variety of clerical positions, she moved to Washington, DC, where she eventually became a secretary at the Democratic Party
's national headquarters (where her brother Daniel also later worked). In 1920, when Franklin Roosevelt was running for Vice President on a ticket with James M. Cox
against Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge
, Roosevelt's office manager, Charles McCarthy, hired LeHand to work in the campaign's Washington office. It was her work on the campaign and her clear personal devotion to Roosevelt that caught the eye of the Roosevelts, who asked her to help with FDR's personal correspondence after the campaign. This in turn led to two more decades of employment.
, leading many to believe that LeHand was Roosevelt's mistress. As Doug Wead wrote in his work on the parents of presidents, The Raising of a President,
In 1973, FDR's son Elliott published An Untold Story: The Roosevelts of Hyde Park, in which he stated that LeHand and his father "shared a completely familial existence."
Regardless of whether FDR and Missy LeHand had a sexual relationship, she was a constant presence in Roosevelt's life, fulfilling the First Lady's traditional role as hostess at White House functions when Eleanor was away. In many ways, the Roosevelts made her feel part of the family as well. Eleanor attended her mother Mary LeHand's funeral in Potsdam in 1932; FDR said he wished to attend, and most likely would have been able to, had the funeral been in Boston instead of New York
Roosevelt rewrote his will to leave half of the income from his estate (which was eventually probated at more than $3 million) for Missy's care after she suffered a stroke, and half to Eleanor
. This was in recognition of her years of service as his secretary. According to author Doris Kearns Goodwin in her book No Ordinary Time," Roosevelt said it was the least he could do. The will stated that upon Missy's death the income would go to Eleanor, with the principal eventually divided equally among his children. As Missy died before FDR, her half reverted to Eleanor.
as a child and was somewhat frail, collapsed at a White House dinner party and two weeks later suffered a major stroke that left her partially paralyzed with little speech function. A factor that may have led to her illness was stress stemming from fears that the exiled Princess Martha of Norway, a Washington-area resident during World War II, had replaced her as FDR's favorite companion, occupying the seat next to him that had long been hers in automobile rides. After treatment at Warm Springs
, LeHand, who remained an invalid, was taken to the home of her sister, where she died. FDR paid her medical bills and made provisions in his will for her care. Eleanor attended her funeral, but FDR, off on a wartime trip, did not.
Grace Tully
took over as Roosevelt's secretary, but she was never a companion for Roosevelt in the same way as LeHand had been.
When LeHand died on July 31, 1944, the president issued a statement:
Eleanor Roosevelt attended LeHand's funeral in Cambridge, Massachusetts
, over which Bishop (later Cardinal) Richard Cushing presided. Other mourners included Associate Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter
and former ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy. In her will, LeHand repaid some of the Roosevelts' generosity by leaving the furniture in her White House apartment to Grace Tully and the First Couple.
christened an 18,000 ton C3
cargo vessel, the S.S. Marguerite LeHand, in Pascagoula, Mississippi
. As LeHand was leaving Mobile Bay on her maiden voyage, she struck the U.S. Coast Guard
lighthouse tender
, which sank in two minutes, killing one Coastguardsman.
play Sunrise at Campobello
(also a 1960 film
), and also in the HBO production Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years (1977).
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
for 21 years.
Early life
LeHand was born in Potsdam, New YorkPotsdam (town), New York
Potsdam is a town located in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 15,957 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code is 13676. The town is named after the city of Potsdam in Germany...
to Daniel J. and Mary J. (née Graffin) LeHand, who were themselves the children of Irish immigrants. The family later moved to Somerville, Massachusetts
Somerville, Massachusetts
Somerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 75,754 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in...
. She graduated from Somerville High School in 1917, then attended secretarial school.
After holding a variety of clerical positions, she moved to Washington, DC, where she eventually became a secretary at the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
's national headquarters (where her brother Daniel also later worked). In 1920, when Franklin Roosevelt was running for Vice President on a ticket with James M. Cox
James M. Cox
James Middleton Cox was the 46th and 48th Governor of Ohio, U.S. Representative from Ohio and Democratic candidate for President of the United States in the election of 1920....
against Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
, Roosevelt's office manager, Charles McCarthy, hired LeHand to work in the campaign's Washington office. It was her work on the campaign and her clear personal devotion to Roosevelt that caught the eye of the Roosevelts, who asked her to help with FDR's personal correspondence after the campaign. This in turn led to two more decades of employment.
Relationship with Roosevelt
LeHand had a room at Hyde Park and at Roosevelt's house in Manhattan, lived in a private apartment in the White House and accompanied Roosevelt on many trips to Florida and Warm Springs, GeorgiaWarm Springs, Georgia
Warm Springs is a city in Meriwether County, Georgia, United States. The population was 478 at the 2010 census.-History:Warm Springs first came to prominence in the 19th century as a spa town, due to its mineral springs which flow constantly at nearly 32 °C...
, leading many to believe that LeHand was Roosevelt's mistress. As Doug Wead wrote in his work on the parents of presidents, The Raising of a President,
Some Roosevelt historians insist that their relationship was never consummated. Eleanor and the children accepted the relationship, which speaks for its innocence. SaraSara RooseveltSara Ann Delano Roosevelt was the 2nd wife of James Roosevelt, Sr. , and the mother of President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt, her only child.-Childhood:...
spoke favorably of Missy's family and upbringing. Years later, only Elliott, of all the children, would declare that it had not been as benign as historians like to believe.
In 1973, FDR's son Elliott published An Untold Story: The Roosevelts of Hyde Park, in which he stated that LeHand and his father "shared a completely familial existence."
Regardless of whether FDR and Missy LeHand had a sexual relationship, she was a constant presence in Roosevelt's life, fulfilling the First Lady's traditional role as hostess at White House functions when Eleanor was away. In many ways, the Roosevelts made her feel part of the family as well. Eleanor attended her mother Mary LeHand's funeral in Potsdam in 1932; FDR said he wished to attend, and most likely would have been able to, had the funeral been in Boston instead of New York
Roosevelt rewrote his will to leave half of the income from his estate (which was eventually probated at more than $3 million) for Missy's care after she suffered a stroke, and half to Eleanor
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
. This was in recognition of her years of service as his secretary. According to author Doris Kearns Goodwin in her book No Ordinary Time," Roosevelt said it was the least he could do. The will stated that upon Missy's death the income would go to Eleanor, with the principal eventually divided equally among his children. As Missy died before FDR, her half reverted to Eleanor.
Health Issues
In June 1941 LeHand, who had suffered rheumatic feverRheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that occurs following a Streptococcus pyogenes infection, such as strep throat or scarlet fever. Believed to be caused by antibody cross-reactivity that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain, the illness typically develops two to three weeks after...
as a child and was somewhat frail, collapsed at a White House dinner party and two weeks later suffered a major stroke that left her partially paralyzed with little speech function. A factor that may have led to her illness was stress stemming from fears that the exiled Princess Martha of Norway, a Washington-area resident during World War II, had replaced her as FDR's favorite companion, occupying the seat next to him that had long been hers in automobile rides. After treatment at Warm Springs
Warm Springs, Georgia
Warm Springs is a city in Meriwether County, Georgia, United States. The population was 478 at the 2010 census.-History:Warm Springs first came to prominence in the 19th century as a spa town, due to its mineral springs which flow constantly at nearly 32 °C...
, LeHand, who remained an invalid, was taken to the home of her sister, where she died. FDR paid her medical bills and made provisions in his will for her care. Eleanor attended her funeral, but FDR, off on a wartime trip, did not.
Grace Tully
Grace Tully
Grace Tully was private secretary to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt .Grace Tully was born on 9 August 1900 in Bayonne, New Jersey. Her father was a businessman and a loyalist to the Democratic Party. He died when she was young, and Tully and her two sisters and brother were raised by their...
took over as Roosevelt's secretary, but she was never a companion for Roosevelt in the same way as LeHand had been.
When LeHand died on July 31, 1944, the president issued a statement:
Memories of more than a score of years of devoted service enhance the sense of personal loss which Miss LeHand's passing brings. Faithful and painstaking, with charm of manner inspired by tact and kindness of heart, she was utterly selfless in her devotion to duty. Hers was a quiet efficiency, which made her a real genius in getting things done. Her memory will ever be held in affectionate remembrance and appreciation, not only by all the members of our family but by the wide circle of those whose duties brought them into contact with her.
Eleanor Roosevelt attended LeHand's funeral in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, over which Bishop (later Cardinal) Richard Cushing presided. Other mourners included Associate Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter
Felix Frankfurter
Felix Frankfurter was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.-Early life:Frankfurter was born into a Jewish family on November 15, 1882, in Vienna, Austria, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in Europe. He was the third of six children of Leopold and Emma Frankfurter...
and former ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy. In her will, LeHand repaid some of the Roosevelts' generosity by leaving the furniture in her White House apartment to Grace Tully and the First Couple.
Posthumous Honors
In March 1945, the United States Maritime CommissionUnited States Maritime Commission
The United States Maritime Commission was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and replaced the U.S. Shipping Board which had existed since World War I...
christened an 18,000 ton C3
Type C3 ship
Type C3 ships were the third type of cargo ship designed by the United States Maritime Commission in the late 1930s. As it had done with the Type C1 ships and Type C2 ships, MARCOM circulated preliminary plans for comment...
cargo vessel, the S.S. Marguerite LeHand, in Pascagoula, Mississippi
Pascagoula, Mississippi
Pascagoula is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, as a part of the Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. The population was 26,200 at the 2000 census...
. As LeHand was leaving Mobile Bay on her maiden voyage, she struck the U.S. Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
lighthouse tender
Lighthouse tender
A lighthouse tender is a ship specifically designed to maintain, support, or tend to lighthouses, or lightvessels, providing supplies, fuel, mail and transportation....
, which sank in two minutes, killing one Coastguardsman.
Dramatization
LeHand was a character in the 1958 BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
play Sunrise at Campobello
Sunrise at Campobello (play)
Sunrise at Campobello is a 1958 play by American producer and writer Dore Schary based on U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's struggle with polio. The film version was released in 1960.-Background:...
(also a 1960 film
Sunrise at Campobello
Sunrise at Campobello is a 1960 American biographical film made by Dore Schary Productions and Warner Bros. It tells the story of the initial struggle by future President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his family when he was stricken with paralysis at the age of 39 in August...
), and also in the HBO production Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years (1977).