John F. Kennedy photo

Statement by the President on the Death of Mrs Eleanor Roosevelt.

November 07, 1962

ONE of the great ladies in the history of this country has passed from the scene. Her loss will be deeply felt by all those who admired her tireless idealism or benefited from her good works and wise counsel.

Since the day I entered this office, she has been both an inspiration and a friend, and my wife and I always looked forward to her visits to the White House, to which she always lent such grace and vitality.

Our condolences go to all the members of her family, whose grief at the death of this extraordinary woman can be tempered by the knowledge that her memory and spirit will long endure among those who labor for great causes around the world.

Note: In addition to the foregoing statement, the President issued Executive Order 11061 (27 F.R. 10927), which provided that as a mark of respect to the memory of Mrs. Roosevelt, the flag of the United States should be flown at half-staff on all Government buildings, military facilities, and naval vessels and stations until interment.

On November 14 the President announced that, at the request of the family of Mrs. Roosevelt, he had appointed a committee to study methods of perpetuating the major interests to which she had dedicated her life, particularly the securing and protection of human rights and the improvement of living conditions among the underprivileged. Ambassador Adlai Stevenson was appointed chairman of the committee.

The President also announced on November 14 that no replacement would be made for Mrs. Roosevelt as chairman of the President's Commission on the Status of Women. "Under her far-sighted leadership," he stated, "the framework, policies, and the direction of the Commission has been established. What remains to be done is to complete the task which she has so well begun." The President added that he had asked Dr. Richard Lester, Vice Chairman of the Commission, and Mrs. Esther Peterson, Executive Vice Chairman, to guide the Commission along the course charted by Mrs. Roosevelt.

John F. Kennedy, Statement by the President on the Death of Mrs Eleanor Roosevelt. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/236496

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