The Roosevelts and Their Descendants

Few families have influenced America like the Roosevelts—two presidents from different parties, including our longest-serving chief executive, and the “First Lady of the World.” Born into aristocratic society, Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor (née) Roosevelt shared a commitment to progress and the common good over class. Their lives have been the focus of numerous books but their legacy and the extended family they left behind warrant a closer look. This book chronicles “the Roosevelts” and “those other Roosevelts”—a family of individuals always striving to measure up but united by an illustrious past.

A veteran journalist of 45 years, F. Martin Harmon worked as public relations director at Georgia’s Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation, an historic facility founded by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1927. He has published five books as a freelance author and lives in Senoia, Georgia.

F. Martin Harmon

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 232
Bibliographic Info: 45 photos, appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2017
pISBN: 978-1-4766-6843-7
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2805-9
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments ix
Preface 1
Introduction 3
Prologue: Setting the Stage—America’s Dynamic Duo and Their Remote Outposts of Destiny 5

Part One—Reunion Recap
1. Roots, Rivalry, Renewal 11
2. The Reunion Roster 21

Part Two—Eleanor’s Place
3. The Common Denominator 27
4. The ­Val-Kill Cousins 35
5. Life Lessons 47

Part Three—Reunion Realizations
6. Must Be the Genes 51
7. Family Preservationists 57
8. Generational Genetics 65
9. Generational ­Go-Between 70

Part Four—Descendant Dictates
10. In the Line of Fire 75
11. Too Close 81
12. Like Father, Like Son? 87
13. External Family 92
14. Unfulfilled Offspring 109
15. Stretching Limits 114

Part Five—Extended Family
16. True Heirs 119
17. Embracing Influence 129
18. Secretly Significant 135
19. The Unknown Brother 141
20. Overcoming Class 145
21. French Born 150
22. Intriguing ­In-Laws 154
23. Northwest Branch 164
24. Writer’s Roots 170
25. Inclusive Legacy 176

Epilogue: Roosevelt Reminders 180
Appendix: Eleanor’s “My Day” Observations 187
Chapter Notes 193
Selected Bibliography 207
Index 211

“At long last, the untold story of the larger Roosevelt family has been brought to life. In blending colorful prose with unearthed family anecdotes, F. Martin Harmon reaches beyond the standard stories of Teddy, Eleanor and Franklin and introduces us to the sons, daughters, cousins, and grandchildren of America’s greatest political dynasty. The Roosevelts and Their Descendants is America’s family scrapbook and a tremendous addition to the Roosevelt literary legacy.”—Jonathan W. Jordan, New York Times bestselling author of Brothers Rivals Victors.