Transcript of Video Interview
April 1, 2014
April 1, 2014
As you know, Roosevelt was the president during the 1930s and 40s, and it was the time of the Great Depression. Could you tell us a little bit about what your life was like during the Great Depression? Where you were? What you were doing at the time?
Well I was born December 1928 and nine months later came the Depression in October 1929. And of course I was very young when it first started, but I lived through the early days. And I was one of twelve children and jobs were very scarce. And President Roosevelt saved this country during the Great Depression. He found jobs, as many as he could. I know my brother – he was a little older than I was – and he went clear from New Jersey where we lived clear to Utah to have a job. But he had a job. And Roosevelt got over the banks and he made control of them and he laid everything out and America got through that Depression mostly because of his knowledge and his actions. And he just made sure that everybody was trying to get feeded fair and square. And that’s how we lived. And I was one of twelve children and my father had a job, but it was hard and things were hard to get and jobs were hard to get. Like I said, Roosevelt organized this country so well and then when I was in the third grade, I got to see him driving down the streets of New Jersey. I was in about the third grade. And it was just such a pleasure to see the president come through our little town. But it was very hard. And through the President Roosevelt and his cooperation with Congress and laying out good plans to get around things like jobs and things, we came through it. Very well considering. And eventually things got better. But the depression was bad. We used to save tires, like sugar was hard to get and shortening and different types of food. And Roosevelt’s leadership just helped everybody get by that – everybody that needed help at that time.
What did you think of Roosevelt as a leader during the Great Depression?
In addition to the CCC, there was something called the Works Progress Administration. And that was where my brother took part when he went to Utah because jobs were just hard to find. And in a family with twelve children my dad had a hard time raising the family of twelve – six boys and six girls, we were equal there. And like I said, Roosevelt closed the banks, he just sat everybody down, and everybody just got in line and a lot of people found jobs that they never thought they would ever find because of the Depression. And you know what caused the Great Depression? The Stock Market Crash. And I often wonder how come a little thing like that could do so much in effect. But it can. And it’s happened in modern times. But President Roosevelt, like I said, and with the people involved who set up the WPA and CCC helped the country get through.
Did you ever hear any criticism about Roosevelt or have any reason for thinking he was a bad leader or didn’t do as well as he could have?
Only the Republicans, I think. No, I imagine, when he did that like on the banks, kind of stepped on their toes. But you see, the banks weren’t functioning properly with a huge majority of the people didn’t have any money or jobs or anything. But Roosevelt organized it so they did. And I was too young when it actually started – I was only one year old – but I found the effects of it from my older brother and sisters’ stories. I would say big business, probably, wasn’t satisfied with what he was doing because he was stepping on their toes. But they needed stepping on at that time to get us out of the Depression.
Did you know that he was paralyzed and had polio? And they covered it up so a lot of people didn’t know he couldn’t walk. But he functioned anyways. And his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, I think, was just a huge help to him – she protected him, worked with him. He was ill and she was there. She was a great help to him.
When did you find out Roosevelt had polio and was paralyzed?
I think many years later. I don’t know if he was alive at the time, but it might possibly have been when he was very ill or dead. Because, like I said, they covered it up. It wasn’t like the press today, my gosh they’re everyone – you can’t hide anything.
Roosevelt is widely known as the first president to have used the radio to communicate with the people through his weekly fireside chats. Do you remember them? Did you ever listen to them?
I heard some of them, mostly post-Depression because I was just a year old. But through the war I used to hear when he came on and like when Pearl Harbor was bombed and would come on and inform the public of what was going on. And I still remember that phrase: “a period of worst infamy,” about Japan because they had two representatives from Japan in the White House saying everything was so sweet and everything and here they were – the Japanese Navy was on their way to bomb Pearl Harbor.
A lot of people consider him to be one of America’s favorite presidents. Do you consider him to be one of your favorite presidents?
He was one of my favorite presidents because he did so much and he was able to control Congress a lot more than presidents can today.
Well I was born December 1928 and nine months later came the Depression in October 1929. And of course I was very young when it first started, but I lived through the early days. And I was one of twelve children and jobs were very scarce. And President Roosevelt saved this country during the Great Depression. He found jobs, as many as he could. I know my brother – he was a little older than I was – and he went clear from New Jersey where we lived clear to Utah to have a job. But he had a job. And Roosevelt got over the banks and he made control of them and he laid everything out and America got through that Depression mostly because of his knowledge and his actions. And he just made sure that everybody was trying to get feeded fair and square. And that’s how we lived. And I was one of twelve children and my father had a job, but it was hard and things were hard to get and jobs were hard to get. Like I said, Roosevelt organized this country so well and then when I was in the third grade, I got to see him driving down the streets of New Jersey. I was in about the third grade. And it was just such a pleasure to see the president come through our little town. But it was very hard. And through the President Roosevelt and his cooperation with Congress and laying out good plans to get around things like jobs and things, we came through it. Very well considering. And eventually things got better. But the depression was bad. We used to save tires, like sugar was hard to get and shortening and different types of food. And Roosevelt’s leadership just helped everybody get by that – everybody that needed help at that time.
What did you think of Roosevelt as a leader during the Great Depression?
In addition to the CCC, there was something called the Works Progress Administration. And that was where my brother took part when he went to Utah because jobs were just hard to find. And in a family with twelve children my dad had a hard time raising the family of twelve – six boys and six girls, we were equal there. And like I said, Roosevelt closed the banks, he just sat everybody down, and everybody just got in line and a lot of people found jobs that they never thought they would ever find because of the Depression. And you know what caused the Great Depression? The Stock Market Crash. And I often wonder how come a little thing like that could do so much in effect. But it can. And it’s happened in modern times. But President Roosevelt, like I said, and with the people involved who set up the WPA and CCC helped the country get through.
Did you ever hear any criticism about Roosevelt or have any reason for thinking he was a bad leader or didn’t do as well as he could have?
Only the Republicans, I think. No, I imagine, when he did that like on the banks, kind of stepped on their toes. But you see, the banks weren’t functioning properly with a huge majority of the people didn’t have any money or jobs or anything. But Roosevelt organized it so they did. And I was too young when it actually started – I was only one year old – but I found the effects of it from my older brother and sisters’ stories. I would say big business, probably, wasn’t satisfied with what he was doing because he was stepping on their toes. But they needed stepping on at that time to get us out of the Depression.
Did you know that he was paralyzed and had polio? And they covered it up so a lot of people didn’t know he couldn’t walk. But he functioned anyways. And his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, I think, was just a huge help to him – she protected him, worked with him. He was ill and she was there. She was a great help to him.
When did you find out Roosevelt had polio and was paralyzed?
I think many years later. I don’t know if he was alive at the time, but it might possibly have been when he was very ill or dead. Because, like I said, they covered it up. It wasn’t like the press today, my gosh they’re everyone – you can’t hide anything.
Roosevelt is widely known as the first president to have used the radio to communicate with the people through his weekly fireside chats. Do you remember them? Did you ever listen to them?
I heard some of them, mostly post-Depression because I was just a year old. But through the war I used to hear when he came on and like when Pearl Harbor was bombed and would come on and inform the public of what was going on. And I still remember that phrase: “a period of worst infamy,” about Japan because they had two representatives from Japan in the White House saying everything was so sweet and everything and here they were – the Japanese Navy was on their way to bomb Pearl Harbor.
A lot of people consider him to be one of America’s favorite presidents. Do you consider him to be one of your favorite presidents?
He was one of my favorite presidents because he did so much and he was able to control Congress a lot more than presidents can today.