Audio Materials

The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project is working to transcribe Roosevelt's audio record and make it freely available to the public.

When complete, each date and description will be linked to a transcription of the audio materials available (and when copyright allows, we will also link to the original recording). If you have questions as we continue our work, please contact us. 

For transcripts of radio and television broadcasts, please view the Radio and Television collection.

Browse Audio Recordings by Date

1933-1941

December 9, 1932-March 3, 1933: The Pond's Dance Program. ER appeared as a weekly guest to speak about parenting, family, and the lives of government wives. 

October 24, 1933: A dinner in honor of M. Carey Thomas aired over the radio, in which ER's remarks center on workers' education and the National Recovery Administration. The recording includes remarks by Henry Willits, Thomas, and ER (who is speaking from the White House). 

July 9- September 25, 1934: The Simmons Program. ER hosts a program about current events. 

November 11-December 16, 1934: Americans of Tomorrow. ER hosts a series of radio segments on children and education.

February 15- April 19, 1935: It's a Woman's World. ER hosts a program on women's place in American society and on the role of the First Lady. 

December 3, 1935: At the dedication of "First Houses" in New York City, ER speaks about the importance of low cost housing and the problem of slums. Fiorello LaGuardia and Herbert Lehman also speak. The recording is in two parts. 

April 9, 1937: At the Girl Scout's Silver Jubilee dinner in New York City, ER advises girls to use their knowledge of their communities to expand their leadership and influence. 

April 16, 1937: ER gives a speech from the White House with Admiral Richard Byrd for the Emergency Peace Campaign's "No Foreign Wars Crusade." She emphasizes the importance of staying out of war (forthcoming). 

April 21- July 14, 1937: Talks by Mrs. Roosevelt. ER hosts a program on everything from summer vacations to labor unions and prospects for peace.

August 20, 1937: At a speech to the Young Democrat Clubs of America national convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, ER discusses youth involvement in politics. She is introduced by her son, James Roosevelt. 

October 13, 1939: ER speaks to the Campfire Girls about how youth must prepare for the challenges of tomorrow. After her speech, she receives the Wohelp Award for her work to support America's youth. 

October 23, 1939: Speaking before the 25th national convention of the Girl Scouts of America, ER discusses the importance of girls' futures as homemakers and citizens. 

October 24, 1939: Speaking at the New York Herald Tribune forum, ER promotes humanistic democracy, in which people are taken care of, immigrants are embraced, democracy is strengthened, and life is worthwhile. 

January 28, 1940: ER appears on Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Program to thank those working to fight infantile paralysis (forthcoming). 

February 10, 1940: Speaking from Washington DC, ER addresses the National Youth Administration Symphony Orchestra in New York City.

April 30- July 25, 1940. Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt's Own Program. ER hosts a 26-episode program on an array of topics. 

June 26, 1940: ER encourages women to take volunteer positions to support national defense (forthcoming).

July 18, 1940: ER's speech to the 1940 Democratic National Convention supporting FDR's choice of Henry Wallace for Vice President. 

Unknown date (1940 or 1941): ER discusses universal military service. She argues for the inclusion of women and non-military service in these programs.

September 27, 1940: ER hosts a broadcast for "Democratic Woman's day" in support of FDR's campaign. Speakers include Edna Ferber, Thornton Wilder, Robert Sherwood, and KAtherine Hepburn (forthcoming).

September 28, 1941- April 5, 1942: Over Our Coffee Cups. ER hosts a program on a variety of subjects, though largely united by the theme of defense mobilization and American involvement in World War II. 

December 7, 1941: In a clip pulled from her Over Our Coffee Cups broadcast from this date, ER advises women to rise above their fears and go about their normal lives. The full broadcast on the attack on Pearl Harbor is available on the GW ScholarSpace website.

 

1942-April 12, 1945

September 28, 1941- April 5, 1942: Over Our Coffee Cups. ER hosts a program on a variety of subjects, though largely united by the theme of defense mobilization and American involvement in World War II. 

January 19, 1942: From the White House, ER speaks on the March of Dimes and infantile paralysis. 

February 1942: ER talks about men registering for war service and the need to register women for non-combat roles. 

September 25, 1942: ER and others speak about the contribution of students and schools to the war effort at the "School of War" event outside of the Treasury Department building. 

April 14, 1944: ER describes here recent trip to Central and South America in a speech before the chamber of commerce. Henry Morgenthau, Jr. provides her introduction.

April 22, 1944: ER describes her trip to the Caribbean, Central America, and South America on a broadcast for West Indian Radio Newspaper (forthcoming). 

April 20, 1944: ER's speech to the Inter-American Commission o Women on the postwar role of women in the Americas.  

July 6, 1944: ER interviewed (in Spanish) for Americanos Todos (forthcoming). 

March 27, 1945: ER and Major General Clifford L. Corbin present an award for outstanding war production to the Bourne Workshop of the New York Association for the Blind (forthcoming).

April 4, 1945: In an interview with Eleanor Hoff, ER discusses the importance of the Red Cross and promotes the Red Cross fundraising drive.

April 13, 1945-1948

June 13, 1945: Henry Morgenthau hosts this radio program for the 7th War Loan Drive at US Army Airforce Convalescence Hospital in Pawling, New York. Various soldiers describe work and life at the hospital in order to show some of the ways in which war bond funds help them (two parts; forthcoming). 

1946: In two recordings, ER talks about the stigma around mental health issues. She introduces two plays dealing with mental health, "Aunt Milly and the Family Skeleton," and "PQ Gets Another Chance" (forthcoming).

April 12, 1946: On the first anniversary of FDR's death, ER speaks at the ceremony to dedicate his home in Hyde Park as a "national shrine." 

September 3, 1946: At the New York State Democratic Convention, ER praises the candidates and discusses the history of progressive policies including minimum wage, labor protections, and veterans' programs. 

March 28, 1947: After speaking at the fourth annual conference for the Women's Action Committee for Lasting Peace, ER gives an interview in which she discusses American women's role in the success of the United Nations (forthcoming). 

April 12, 1947: On the second anniversary of FDR's death, ER discusses the plans of the FDR Memorial Foundation. President Truman also speaks briefly. 

June 17, 1947: ER and René Cassin discuss the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (forthcoming). 

February 19, 1948: In recorded remarks, ER urges Australian women to stay up-to-date on world events, and talks about the mission of the United Nations.

October 31, 1948: In a brief radio advertisement recorded in Paris, ER voices her support for Harry Truman's re-election. 

November 8, 1948- August 4, 1949: The Eleanor and Anna Roosevelt Program. ER and Anna Roosevelt co-host a current-events radio program. 

December 4, 1948: The Pilgrim society Dinner in London, after the unveiling of the Franklin D. Roosevelt statue on Grosvenor Square.

December 12, 1948: At La Guardia Airport, on her way home from the Paris meeting at which the UN General Assembly approved the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ER speaks to a reporter about that achievement and about the convention on genocide (forthcoming). 

1948: Dorothy Lewis interviews ER, who speaks about the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 

1949-1952

January 31, 1949: ER speaks about infantile paralysis and FDR on a program for the National Foundation of Infantile Paralysis (forthcoming). 

February 11, 1949: ER, Anna, and Franklin Jr. answer questions from the international community about FDR's life in a special memorial broadcast (forthcoming)

February 26, 1949: ER addresses the Assembly of Allied Arts in Chicago. She discusses the United Nations, collective security, and human rights (forthcoming).

July 10, 1949: Ned Sparks interviews ER at an event where ER welcomed the UN Secretariat to Hyde Park. Their discussion focuses on the Hyde Park estate. Sparks also interviews several members of the Secretariat, as well as the historian for Hyde Park (forthcoming). 

July 10, 1949: At Hyde Park, ER welcomes member of the UN Secretariat, then answers questions (forthcoming).

October 24, 1949: ER appears on Barbara Welles's radio program, where she discusses the need for more women in the United Nations General Assembly (forthcoming). 

November 13, 1949: ER describes the American Friends Service Committee's Penn-Craft project, a subsistence homestead town (forthcoming).

December 11, 1949: ER advocates for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on its first anniversary, and urges all nations uniting to support the value and importance of human rights.

December 23, 1949: Dwight Cooke interviews ER at Lake Success. They discuss the United Nations and its role in international relations. 

February 12, 1950- May 28, 1950. Today With Mrs. Roosevelt. ER hosts a television program in which she and her guests discuss current events. 

March 15, 1950: The opening of the FDR Papers at the library in Hyde Park. In addition to ER, speakers include Wayne Grover, Jess Larson, Waldo Gifford Leland, and a message from Harry Truman.

April 1, 1950: Highlights of the Americans for Democratic Action Conference. Five recordings.

October 1, 1950- July 15, 1951: Mrs. Roosevelt Meets the Public. ER hosts a television program on current events.

October 11, 1950- August 31, 1951: The Eleanor Roosevelt Program. ER and Elliott Roosevelt co-host a radio program. Each program contains an opening segment in which ER answer's a listener's question, and a longer segment where she (and sometimes Elliott) interview a guest. 

October 24, 1950: Pre-recorded message by ER about United Nations Day and women serving as delegates to the United Nations (forthcoming).

November 26, 1950: A roundtable discussion on the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls. Guests include Ernest Cadman Colwell, Carl H. Craming, and Merrill M. Parvis (forthcoming). 

December 10, 1950: Excerpts of ER's part from the "Six Voices" radio program, in which she talks about the second anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (forthcoming).

February 13, 1952: During a meeting of the United Nations in Paris, ER and an unnamed interviewer discuss US relations with the Soviets, her own travels around the French countryside, and attempts to protect international speech and press freedoms during this session . 

April 16, 1952: ER speaks to the India League of America about her recent trip to India. 

July 22, 1952: ER's speech to the 1952 Democratic National Convention.

October 20, 1952: ER's campaign message for Adlai Stevenson, in which she compares Dwight Eisenhower's qualifications versus Stevenson's.

1953-1955

We have no transcribed recordings for these years.

1956-1959

October 1956: ER gives a campaign speech for Adlai Stevenson in Waltham, MA. In the speech, she talks at length about civil rights for African Americans (forthcoming).

October 1956: A series of political advertisements for Adlai Stevenson's campaign. 

October 26, 1956: ER campaigns for Adlai Stevenson. She discusses his commitment to disarmament and his qualifications for the presidency (forthcoming). 

November 11, 1956: ER discusses the Democratic Party platform on civil rights and voting rights (two recordings).

April 28, 1957: ER and Arthur Goldman promote Bonds for Israel in Vineland, New Jersey.

June 21, 1957: Rexford Tugwell interviews ER about Warm Springs, Georgia, and about the time she and FDR spent there (forthcoming). 

July 2, 1957: Arnold Michaelis interviews ER on a variety of topics (two recordings). 

September 27, 1957: With the aid of an interpreter, ER interviews Nikita Khrushchev (forthcoming).

September 29, 1957: In an interview with Daniel Schorr, ER discusses her recent visit to the USSR and her conversation with Nikita Khrushchev (forthcoming). 

October 1957: ER visits Franklin D. Roosevelt High School in Hyde Park, New York to talk about her trip to the Soviet Union (three recordings).

October 10, 1957: ER speaks in an interview about her upcoming seventy-third birthday, and her desire not to have a large celebration (forthcoming). 

November 21, 1957: ER holds a press conference, at which she fields reporters' questions about her recent trip to the USSR (forthcoming). 

November 23, 1957: Mike Wallace interviews ER on the future of the United States and other contemporary political issues (forthcoming). 

December 26, 1957: In a broadcast from ER's living room, ER and Mary Margaret McBride discuss ER's recent trip to the Soviet Union and various other topics (forthcoming).

1958: A documentary on the tenth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Howard Langer interviews ER about the creation and significance of the UDHR near the end of the recording (forthcoming). 

January 8, 1958: On Nightline, Don Ameche interviews guests, including ER (two tracks, forthcoming). 

April 17, 1958: Speaking at Brandeis University, ER discusses her childhood, marriage, education, and time at the United Nations. In a second recording she responds to a panel of students who ask her about the New Deal, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, communism, McCarthyism, Korea, and the USSR. In a third recording, she responds to audience questions (forthcoming).

May 20, 1958: Harry Truman hosts a fundraising broadcast for the Democratic National Committee. ER discusses the economic problems of the United States and critiques the Eisenhower administration and the Republican Party (forthcoming). 

June 14, 1958: At Syracuse University, ER speaks to the New York State Young Democrats about working hard and education (forthcoming).

August 8, 1958: At her grandson's graduation from Colorado State University, ER talks about the role of the individual in shaping America.

August 27, 1958: McCall's magazine reporter interviews ER, in advance of her seventy-forth birthday, and asks her about photographs from her past (forthcoming). 

1959?: ER speaks at the Marie Curie Middle School graduation about the responsibilities Americans have to their communities and their country (forthcoming). 

April 16, 1959: Narration, provided by ER, for a compilation of several of Ambassador Abba Egan's speeches about Israel (forthcoming).

May 25, 1959: ER talks about her trip to Iran. 

September 17, 1959: Sam Jaffe interviews ER about the impending visit of Nikita Khrushchev to Hyde Park (forthcoming). 

October 11, 1959- June 3, 1962: Prospects of Mankind. ER hosts a television program, on which she and her guests discuss current events.

October 22, 1959: At the Albert Lasker Awards Ceremony of the American Health Association, ER speaks on the medical field's contribution to world peace through public health and research (forthcoming). 

October 1959: Recording of the regional meeting of the American Association for the United Nations in Dallas, Texas (forthcoming).

1960-1962

October/November 1960: A series of short political advertisements for John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign.

November 15, 1960: In an address to the Business and Professional Women's Club in Independence, Missouri, ER argues that the US must fight communism by helping other nations and improving its treatment of minorities. 

1960: Jerry London interviews ER during her visit to Palm Springs, California for "The Desert Today". The discuss Adlai Stevenson, President Kennedy, and the United Nations.

1960: ER delivering an audio tour of FDR's home, giving background on the rooms and objects contained therein. She created this recording with the National Park Service, who played it during tours.

December 1960: ER talks about recent election results, the nascent Kennedy cabinet, foreign policy, and Jacqueline Kennedy's future as First Lady (forthcoming). 

February 24, 1961: Recordings of the Women's National Book Association's Constance Lindsay Skinner Award dinner. 

May 23, 1961: ER speaks to Duchess Community College on the importance of literacy and education to democracy. After her speech she takes questions from the audience (forthcoming). 

May 31, 1961: In an interview, ER responds to criticism of the "Tractors for Freedom" program (Forthcoming). 

November 22, 1961: Speaking to students at the Haverford School in New York City, ER answers a variety of questions (forthcoming).

1961: A newscaster's comments frame a recording of ER's statement on the possible admission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations. 

August 1962: ER talks with a group of Uruguayan students from the State University of New York (New Paltz) who have come to visit Hyde Park (forthcoming). 

September 10, 1962: ER discusses her early life and her grandparents (forthcoming).

1962: A series of audio clips describing the impact of ER's life and work. Tributes made after ER's death.

Undated/ Other

Unknown date (post World War II): Newsreel-style narration of carious dignitaries' visits to Israel, including those of Eleanor Roosevelt, Queen Elizabeth of Belgium, and actor Millie Perkins (forthcoming). 

Unknown date (between 1957 and 1961): ER speaking on United Nations Day about collective security, her trip to the Soviet Union, famine in India, and the role of the UN (forthcoming).

Unknown date (circa 1959): ER records a two-part memoir, "My Husband and I" (forthcoming). 

Unknown date: In this three-part recording, ER talks about the rights of women and gender in the language of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (forthcoming). 

Unknown date: ER discusses gender in the language of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.