Elliott Roosevelt
Encyclopedia
Elliott Roosevelt was a United States Army Air Forces
officer and an author. Roosevelt was a son of U.S. President
Franklin D. Roosevelt
(FDR) and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt
.
After World War II
, Roosevelt was called in front of a Senate
subcommittee to testify about financial irregularities in which he had taken part regarding a military contract for the experimental Hughes XF-11 reconnaissance aircraft. Subsequently, he had a varied career in communications, politics and business.
was the fourth of Franklin and Eleanor's six children, their third child having died in infancy about a year before Elliott's birth. Roosevelt was named after his maternal grandfather, Elliott Roosevelt
. His siblings who reached adulthood were:
Roosevelt attended the Hun School of Princeton
and went to Groton School
, as did his brothers, but did not continue on to Harvard University
. Instead, he worked a series of jobs, finally settling in communications in the 1930s, including a management position in the Hearst
radio chain.
in 1940. He served as a pilot and unit commander in the United States Army Air Forces
(USAAF) during World War II
.
In January 1943, Roosevelt accompanied FDR as a military attaché
to the Casablanca meeting
and the subsequent Cairo
and Tehran Conference
s. At the Tehran Conference, Elliott Roosevelt, apparently under the influence of alcohol, sided with his father in approving of large-scale executions of German POWs by the Soviets.
Roosevelt commanded the following units:
Roosevelt flew 300 combat missions. His decorations included the Distinguished Flying Cross
. As a chase pilot for the Operation Aphrodite
flights in 1944, he witnessed the death of Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.
over Blythburgh
, England.
to select among several potential photo reconnaissance aircraft under development to determine a successor to the high-flying and fast camera carriers then in use, though the reason for Arnold's choice of Roosevelt was not made public. Roosevelt assembled a group of five air officers including veteran RAF
reconnaissance pilot Flight Lieutenant D. W. Stevenson. Upon their arrival in Los Angeles
Roosevelt and his group were met by eight limousines arranged by John W. Meyer, a publicist and former nightclub owner who was employed by Hughes Aircraft
. On his first day in town, Roosevelt was taken by Meyer to the Hollywood film studio of Warner Bros.
and introduced to Faye Emerson
, an actress with whom Roosevelt was soon linked romantically. Over the next three days, Roosevelt and his group were seen with Meyer in Hollywood nightclubs and at parties in luxurious mansions in the company of aspiring actresses paid $100–400 per night by Meyer, the higher figure equivalent to $ in current value. On August 11, Howard Hughes
showed the group his Culver City
operation, then personally flew them to see the Hughes D-2
, an experimental twin-engine, wooden reconnaissance aircraft being assembled at a Hughes facility in the Mojave Desert. The aircraft had already been turned down ten months earlier by Chief of Army Air Forces Material Division, Oliver P. Echols
, for being inadequate to military service; it was not judged powerful enough for the increased weight it would have after being constructed out of metal per AAF requirements. Roosevelt and the group of aviators, however, expressed appreciation for the D-2. When Roosevelt returned to the East Coast
, Meyer hosted another round of parties and nightclub outings in Manhattan
, and arranged for Faye Emerson to accompany Roosevelt. Meyer gave Emerson $132 worth of nylon stockings, a rare treat during wartime rationing.
On August 20, Roosevelt sent a report to General Arnold recommending immediate purchase of the D-2. On September 1, Arnold ordered Echols to contract with Hughes for an all-metal reconnaissance aircraft "against my better judgment and the advice of my staff." Major General Charles E. Bradshaw wrote to Arnold to suggest that the Lockheed XP-58 Chain Lightning
was much farther along in development and could outperform the D-2 in every important aspect, but was unsuccessful in halting the Hughes contract. Implicating Roosevelt and United States Secretary of Commerce
Jesse H. Jones, Assistant Secretary of War Robert A. Lovett
noted to Major General Bennett E. Meyers that "Hughes has got powerful friends here in Washington" and that, if the background of the contract were uncovered, "there's going to be an awful smell." Nonetheless, Hughes was given $43 million (worth $ million today) to build 100 all-metal aircraft, to be designated the Hughes XF-11.
In 1947, Roosevelt telephoned Hughes to warn him that a Senate
subcommittee intended to call them both to account for financial irregularities regarding the XF-11 as well as for Hughes's H-4 Hercules
, also known as the "Spruce Goose". As part of the ongoing "Investigation of the National Defense Program", on August 4, 1947 the subcommittee called Roosevelt and Meyer to testify about the Hollywood and Manhattan parties and women that Meyer had arranged and paid for. Meyer's financial records during such parties showed him paying $200 for "presents for four girls" and $50 for "girls at hotel (late)." At one point, Roosevelt asked Meyer whether "any of those girls who were paid, were they procured for my entertainment?" Meyer responded "I don't like the word 'procured,' because a girl who attends a party and is given a present is not necessarily 'procured.' " The committee found that Meyer had spent at least $1,000 in picking up Roosevelt's hotel bills as well as his nightclub and party checks, and Faye Emerson's bets at Agua Caliente Racetrack
, and that Meyer had arranged for weekends in Palm Springs
and Washington, D.C. for Roosevelt and Emerson, who eventually married in December 1944 after Roosevelt divorced his second wife in March 1944. All told, Meyer reported to the committee that he had spent $5,083.79 ($ in today's dollars) on entertainment for Roosevelt. In his own defense, Roosevelt testified that he had never heard of the XF-11 until "Hap" Arnold let him know about it, and that several of the parties appeared to have taken place on days when he was out of the country on active duty. Roosevelt said "If it is true that for the price of entertainment I made recommendations which would have in any way endangered the lives of the men under me . . . that fact should be made known to the public."
to be near his mother, who considered Roosevelt her favorite child. She gave him financial assistance throughout her life. In 1947 she bought from the FDR estate Val-Kill farms, the home she lived in after FDR's death, and deeded the property to Roosevelt. In 1952, Roosevelt's brother John bought the tract. Later, the property became Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site
.
Roosevelt pursued many different careers during his life, including owning a radio station in Texas and living as a rancher. He raised Arabian horses in Portugal, then served from 1964 to 1969 as the mayor of Miami Beach, Florida
. As Roosevelt approached his eightieth year of age, his final ambition was to "outlive James." However, Roosevelt died at age 80 of congestive heart failure
. His brother James Roosevelt
survived Roosevelt by one year.
, is the detective. However, there are reports that these mysteries were ghostwritten.
Roosevelt described his experiences with his father during five important war conferences in his best-selling book As He Saw It.
Together with James Brough, Roosevelt wrote a highly personal book about his parents called The Roosevelts of Hyde Park: An Untold Story, in which he revealed details about the sexual lives of his parents, including his father's unique relationships with mistress Lucy Mercer
and secretary Marguerite ("Missy") LeHand as well as graphic details surrounding the illness that crippled his father. Published in 1973, the biography also contains valuable insights into FDR's run for vice-president, his rise to the governorship of New York, and his capture of the presidency in 1932, particularly with the help of Louis Howe
. A sequel to "An Untold Story" with James Brough, published in 1975 and titled A Rendezvous With Destiny, carried the Roosevelt saga to the end of World War II.
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
officer and an author. Roosevelt was a son of U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
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...
(FDR) and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt
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...
.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Roosevelt was called in front of a Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
subcommittee to testify about financial irregularities in which he had taken part regarding a military contract for the experimental Hughes XF-11 reconnaissance aircraft. Subsequently, he had a varied career in communications, politics and business.
Early life
Elliott RooseveltRoosevelt family
In heraldry, canting arms are a visual or pictorial play on a surname, and were and still are a popular practice. It would be common to find roses, then, in arms of many Roosevelt families, even unrelated ones...
was the fourth of Franklin and Eleanor's six children, their third child having died in infancy about a year before Elliott's birth. Roosevelt was named after his maternal grandfather, Elliott Roosevelt
Elliott Roosevelt I
Elliott Bulloch Roosevelt was the father of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt and the brother of US President Theodore Roosevelt. Elliott and Theodore were of the Oyster Bay Roosevelts. Eleanor later married their Hyde Park cousin and future US President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt.Elliott was the third of...
. His siblings who reached adulthood were:
- Anna Eleanor RooseveltAnna E. RooseveltAnna Roosevelt Dall Boettiger Halsted was the daughter of the 32nd President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt, as well as, the granddaughter of Elliott Roosevelt.-Biography:...
(later Dall, Boettiger, Halsted) - James RooseveltJames RooseveltJames Roosevelt was the oldest son of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was a United States Congressman, an officer in the United States Marine Corps, an aide to his father, the official Secretary to the President, a Democratic Party activist, and a businessman.-Early life:Roosevelt was...
- Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr.
- John Aspinwall RooseveltJohn Aspinwall RooseveltJohn Aspinwall Roosevelt was the sixth and last child of the 32nd President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, and the only Roosevelt son who never sought political office....
Roosevelt attended the Hun School of Princeton
Hun School of Princeton
The Hun School of Princeton is a private, coeducational, secondary boarding school located in Princeton Township, New Jersey, United States. The school has a Princeton, New Jersey mailing address. The school serves students from grades 6 through high school. Currently, the headmaster is Jonathan...
and went to Groton School
Groton School
Groton School is a private, Episcopal, college preparatory boarding school located in Groton, Massachusetts, U.S. It enrolls approximately 375 boys and girls, from the eighth through twelfth grades...
, as did his brothers, but did not continue on to Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. Instead, he worked a series of jobs, finally settling in communications in the 1930s, including a management position in the Hearst
Hearst Corporation
The Hearst Corporation is an American media conglomerate based in the Hearst Tower, Manhattan in New York City, New York, United States. Founded by William Randolph Hearst as an owner of newspapers, the company's holdings now include a wide variety of media...
radio chain.
Military service
Roosevelt enlisted in the United States Army Air CorpsUnited States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
in 1940. He served as a pilot and unit commander in the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
(USAAF) during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
In January 1943, Roosevelt accompanied FDR as a military attaché
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
to the Casablanca meeting
Casablanca Conference (1943)
The Casablanca Conference was held at the Anfa Hotel in Casablanca, Morocco, then a French protectorate, from January 14 to 24, 1943, to plan the European strategy of the Allies during World War II. Present were Franklin D...
and the subsequent Cairo
Cairo Conference
The Cairo Conference of November 22–26, 1943, held in Cairo, Egypt, addressed the Allied position against Japan during World War II and made decisions about postwar Asia...
and Tehran Conference
Tehran Conference
The Tehran Conference was the meeting of Joseph Stalin, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill between November 28 and December 1, 1943, most of which was held at the Soviet Embassy in Tehran, Iran. It was the first World War II conference amongst the Big Three in which Stalin was present...
s. At the Tehran Conference, Elliott Roosevelt, apparently under the influence of alcohol, sided with his father in approving of large-scale executions of German POWs by the Soviets.
Roosevelt commanded the following units:
- 3d Reconnaissance Group3d Reconnaissance GroupThe 3d Reconnaissance Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Twelfth Air Force, based at Pomigliano, Italy. It was inactivated on 12 September 1945-History:...
, 11 July–13 August 1942 at the rank of major; 30 September 1942–1 March 1943 ending at the rank of colonel
- Assigned to Twelfth Air Force and flew P-38 LightningP-38 LightningThe Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
(F-5) photographic reconnaissance missions during the North Africa campaign in AlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
and TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
- 90th Reconnaissance Wing90th Air DivisionThe 90th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with First Air Force, based at Niagara Falls Airport, New York...
, 22 November 1943–25 January 1944 at the rank of colonel
- Assigned to Twelfth Air Force, command and control organization that provided photographic reconnaissance to both Twelfth and Fifteenth Air ForceFifteenth Air ForceThe Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
s. Operationally controlled both 3d and 5th Reconnaissance Groups in TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
. The 90th's subordinate units reconnoitered airdromes, roads, marshaling yards, and harbors in ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
after the Allied landings at SalernoSalernoSalerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
.
- 325th Reconnaissance Wing325th Air DivisionThe 325th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Fourth Air Force, based at Hamilton Air Force Base, California...
, 9 August 1944–17 January 1945 at the rank of colonel; 22 January–13 April 1945 ending at the rank of brigadier general
- Assigned to Eighth Air ForceEighth Air ForceThe Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
, command and control organization that through subordinate units, flew reconnaissance over the waters adjacent to the British IslesBritish IslesThe British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
and the European continent to obtain meteorological data. Wing aircraft collected weather information needed in planning operations; flew night photographic missions to detect enemy activity; and provided daylight photographic and mapping missions. The wing also flew photographic missions over the NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
in support of Operation Market GardenOperation Market GardenOperation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....
in September 1944 and operated closely with tactical units in the Battle of the BulgeBattle of the BulgeThe Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
(December 1944–February 1945).
Roosevelt flew 300 combat missions. His decorations included the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
. As a chase pilot for the Operation Aphrodite
Operation Aphrodite
Aphrodite and Anvil were the World War II code names of United States Army Air Forces and United States Navy operations to use B-17 and PB4Y bombers as precision-guided munitions against bunkers such as those of Operation Crossbow....
flights in 1944, he witnessed the death of Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.
Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.
Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kennedy, Jr. was an American bomber pilot during World War II. He was the eldest of nine children born to Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Sr., and Rose Elizabeth Kennedy....
over Blythburgh
Blythburgh
Blythburgh is a small English village in an area known as the Sandlings, part of the Suffolk heritage coast. Located close to an area of flooded marshland and mud-flats, in 2007 its population was estimated to be 300. Blythburgh is best known for its church, Holy Trinity, internationally known as...
, England.
Warplanes purchasing scandal
In August 1943, Colonel Roosevelt was asked by General of the Army Air Forces Henry H. "Hap" ArnoldHenry H. Arnold
Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold was an American general officer holding the grades of General of the Army and later General of the Air Force. Arnold was an aviation pioneer, Chief of the Air Corps , Commanding General of the U.S...
to select among several potential photo reconnaissance aircraft under development to determine a successor to the high-flying and fast camera carriers then in use, though the reason for Arnold's choice of Roosevelt was not made public. Roosevelt assembled a group of five air officers including veteran RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
reconnaissance pilot Flight Lieutenant D. W. Stevenson. Upon their arrival in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
Roosevelt and his group were met by eight limousines arranged by John W. Meyer, a publicist and former nightclub owner who was employed by Hughes Aircraft
Hughes Aircraft
Hughes Aircraft Company was a major American aerospace and defense contractor founded in 1932 by Howard Hughes in Culver City, California as a division of Hughes Tool Company...
. On his first day in town, Roosevelt was taken by Meyer to the Hollywood film studio of Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
and introduced to Faye Emerson
Faye Emerson
Faye Margaret Emerson was an American film actress and television interviewer, known as "The First Lady of Television". She acted in many Warner Brothers films beginning in 1941...
, an actress with whom Roosevelt was soon linked romantically. Over the next three days, Roosevelt and his group were seen with Meyer in Hollywood nightclubs and at parties in luxurious mansions in the company of aspiring actresses paid $100–400 per night by Meyer, the higher figure equivalent to $ in current value. On August 11, Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
showed the group his Culver City
Culver City, California
Culver City is a city in western Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 38,883, up from 38,816 at the 2000 census. It is mostly surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, but also shares a border with unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Culver...
operation, then personally flew them to see the Hughes D-2
Hughes D-2
-Bibliography:* Barton, Charles. "Howard Hughes and the 10,000 ft. Split-S." Air Classics, Vol. 18, no. 8, August 1982.* Francillon, René J. McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920: Volume II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1990. ISBN 1-55750-550-0.* Winchester, Jim. "Hughes XF-11."...
, an experimental twin-engine, wooden reconnaissance aircraft being assembled at a Hughes facility in the Mojave Desert. The aircraft had already been turned down ten months earlier by Chief of Army Air Forces Material Division, Oliver P. Echols
Oliver P. Echols
Oliver Patton Echols was an American military officer who brought success in World War II to the United States Army Air Forces by expanding the inventory of America's air arm to meet the needs of the coming war. More than any other man under Chief of the Army Air Forces, General Henry H...
, for being inadequate to military service; it was not judged powerful enough for the increased weight it would have after being constructed out of metal per AAF requirements. Roosevelt and the group of aviators, however, expressed appreciation for the D-2. When Roosevelt returned to the East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
, Meyer hosted another round of parties and nightclub outings in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, and arranged for Faye Emerson to accompany Roosevelt. Meyer gave Emerson $132 worth of nylon stockings, a rare treat during wartime rationing.
On August 20, Roosevelt sent a report to General Arnold recommending immediate purchase of the D-2. On September 1, Arnold ordered Echols to contract with Hughes for an all-metal reconnaissance aircraft "against my better judgment and the advice of my staff." Major General Charles E. Bradshaw wrote to Arnold to suggest that the Lockheed XP-58 Chain Lightning
XP-58 Chain Lightning
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Francillon, René J. Lockheed Aircraft since 1913. London: Putnam, 1982. ISBN 0-370-30329-6.* Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War, Volume Four: Fighters. London: MacDonald & Co. Ltd., 1961 . ISBN 0-356-01448-7.* Green, William and Gordon Swanborough...
was much farther along in development and could outperform the D-2 in every important aspect, but was unsuccessful in halting the Hughes contract. Implicating Roosevelt and United States Secretary of Commerce
United States Secretary of Commerce
The United States Secretary of Commerce is the head of the United States Department of Commerce concerned with business and industry; the Department states its mission to be "to foster, promote, and develop the foreign and domestic commerce"...
Jesse H. Jones, Assistant Secretary of War Robert A. Lovett
Robert A. Lovett
Robert Abercrombie Lovett was the fourth United States Secretary of Defense, serving in the cabinet of President Harry S. Truman from 1951 to 1953 and in this capacity, directed the Korean War. Promoted to the position from deputy secretary of defense Domhoff described Lovett as a "Cold War...
noted to Major General Bennett E. Meyers that "Hughes has got powerful friends here in Washington" and that, if the background of the contract were uncovered, "there's going to be an awful smell." Nonetheless, Hughes was given $43 million (worth $ million today) to build 100 all-metal aircraft, to be designated the Hughes XF-11.
In 1947, Roosevelt telephoned Hughes to warn him that a Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
subcommittee intended to call them both to account for financial irregularities regarding the XF-11 as well as for Hughes's H-4 Hercules
Hughes H-4 Hercules
The Hughes H-4 Hercules is a prototype heavy transport aircraft designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft company. The aircraft made its only flight on November 2, 1947 and the project was never advanced beyond the single example produced...
, also known as the "Spruce Goose". As part of the ongoing "Investigation of the National Defense Program", on August 4, 1947 the subcommittee called Roosevelt and Meyer to testify about the Hollywood and Manhattan parties and women that Meyer had arranged and paid for. Meyer's financial records during such parties showed him paying $200 for "presents for four girls" and $50 for "girls at hotel (late)." At one point, Roosevelt asked Meyer whether "any of those girls who were paid, were they procured for my entertainment?" Meyer responded "I don't like the word 'procured,' because a girl who attends a party and is given a present is not necessarily 'procured.' " The committee found that Meyer had spent at least $1,000 in picking up Roosevelt's hotel bills as well as his nightclub and party checks, and Faye Emerson's bets at Agua Caliente Racetrack
Agua Caliente Racetrack
The Agua Caliente Racetrack is a greyhound racing and former horse racing track in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. It opened in December 1929 at a cost of $2.5 million.One year before, the Agua Caliente Casino and Hotel opened in June 1928....
, and that Meyer had arranged for weekends in Palm Springs
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
and Washington, D.C. for Roosevelt and Emerson, who eventually married in December 1944 after Roosevelt divorced his second wife in March 1944. All told, Meyer reported to the committee that he had spent $5,083.79 ($ in today's dollars) on entertainment for Roosevelt. In his own defense, Roosevelt testified that he had never heard of the XF-11 until "Hap" Arnold let him know about it, and that several of the parties appeared to have taken place on days when he was out of the country on active duty. Roosevelt said "If it is true that for the price of entertainment I made recommendations which would have in any way endangered the lives of the men under me . . . that fact should be made known to the public."
Later life
After FDR's death in 1945, Roosevelt and his family moved to Top CottageTop Cottage
Top Cottage, also known as Hill-Top Cottage, in Hyde Park, New York was a private retreat designed by and for Franklin D. Roosevelt. Built in 1938 to 1939, during Roosevelt's second term as President of the United States, it was designed to accommodate his need for wheelchair accessibility...
to be near his mother, who considered Roosevelt her favorite child. She gave him financial assistance throughout her life. In 1947 she bought from the FDR estate Val-Kill farms, the home she lived in after FDR's death, and deeded the property to Roosevelt. In 1952, Roosevelt's brother John bought the tract. Later, the property became Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site
Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site
Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site consists of approximately two miles east of Springwood, the Hyde Park Roosevelt family home.-History:...
.
Roosevelt pursued many different careers during his life, including owning a radio station in Texas and living as a rancher. He raised Arabian horses in Portugal, then served from 1964 to 1969 as the mayor of Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
. As Roosevelt approached his eightieth year of age, his final ambition was to "outlive James." However, Roosevelt died at age 80 of congestive heart failure
Congestive heart failure
Heart failure often called congestive heart failure is generally defined as the inability of the heart to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the needs of the body. Heart failure can cause a number of symptoms including shortness of breath, leg swelling, and exercise intolerance. The condition...
. His brother James Roosevelt
James Roosevelt
James Roosevelt was the oldest son of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was a United States Congressman, an officer in the United States Marine Corps, an aide to his father, the official Secretary to the President, a Democratic Party activist, and a businessman.-Early life:Roosevelt was...
survived Roosevelt by one year.
Author and biographer
He was also supposedly the author of numerous books, including a mystery series in which his mother, Eleanor RooseveltEleanor 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...
, is the detective. However, there are reports that these mysteries were ghostwritten.
Roosevelt described his experiences with his father during five important war conferences in his best-selling book As He Saw It.
Together with James Brough, Roosevelt wrote a highly personal book about his parents called The Roosevelts of Hyde Park: An Untold Story, in which he revealed details about the sexual lives of his parents, including his father's unique relationships with mistress Lucy Mercer
Lucy Page Mercer Rutherfurd
Lucy Page Mercer Rutherfurd was a mistress and long time friend of United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She was with Roosevelt on the day he died in 1945.-Background:...
and secretary Marguerite ("Missy") LeHand as well as graphic details surrounding the illness that crippled his father. Published in 1973, the biography also contains valuable insights into FDR's run for vice-president, his rise to the governorship of New York, and his capture of the presidency in 1932, particularly with the help of Louis Howe
Louis McHenry Howe
Louis McHenry Howe was an intimate friend and close political advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He, along with Eleanor Roosevelt and Margurite "Missy" LeHand, was one of the few close associates who supported FDR throughout the most difficult stages of his personal and political...
. A sequel to "An Untold Story" with James Brough, published in 1975 and titled A Rendezvous With Destiny, carried the Roosevelt saga to the end of World War II.
Marriages and children
Roosevelt was married five times:- On January 16, 1932 he married Elizabeth Browning Donner, daughter of William Henry DonnerWilliam DonnerWilliam H. Donner was an American businessman, born in Columbus, Indiana.-Business career:Early in adulthood, Donner managed the family-owned grain mill, and in his twenties, he invested in Indiana natural gas and real estate...
. They had one son, William Donner RooseveltWilliam Donner RooseveltWilliam Donner Roosevelt , a grandson of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt and the son of Elliott Roosevelt, was a prominent investment banker and philanthropist. His maternal grandfather was William Donner, a wealthy American businessman...
, in 1932. The marriage ended in divorce in 1933. She died in 1980. Their son died in 2003. - On July 22, 1933, in Burlington, IowaBurlington, IowaBurlington is a city in, and the county seat of Des Moines County, Iowa, United States. The population was 25,663 in the 2010 census, a decline from the 26,839 population in the 2000 census. Burlington is the center of a micropolitan area including West Burlington, Iowa and Middletown, Iowa and...
, he married Ruth Josephine Googins (Ruth G. Eidson). They had three children: Ruth Chandler Roosevelt (Lindsley) (b. 1934), Elliott "Tony" Roosevelt Jr. (b. 1936), and David Boynton Roosevelt (b. 1942). Roosevelt and Ruth were divorced in March 1944. Ruth Googins Roosevelt Eidson died in 1974. - On December 3, 1944, at the Grand CanyonGrand CanyonThe Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
in ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, he married actress Faye EmersonFaye EmersonFaye Margaret Emerson was an American film actress and television interviewer, known as "The First Lady of Television". She acted in many Warner Brothers films beginning in 1941...
. They were divorced on January 17, 1950. She died of stomach cancerStomach cancerGastric cancer, commonly referred to as stomach cancer, can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus, lungs, lymph nodes, and the liver...
in 1983 in SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. - On March 15, 1951, at Miami Beach, FloridaMiami Beach, FloridaMiami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
, he married Minnewa Bell (Gray Burnside Ross). They were divorced in 1960. Minnewa died in 1983. - On November 3, 1960, at Qualicum Beach, British ColumbiaQualicum Beach, British ColumbiaQualicum Beach is a town in the Regional District of Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. As of the 2006 census, the town had 8,502 people.On the Strait of Georgia on the north-eastern coast of Vancouver Island in the shadow of Mount Arrowsmith, the community has been a popular tourist destination,...
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, he married Patricia Peabody Whitehead. Her four children, James M. Whitehead, Ford Whitehead, Gretchen Whitehead and David Macauley Whitehead, all adopted Roosevelt as their surname. The couple's only child together, Livingston Delano Roosevelt, died in 1962 as an infant.