throughout the country, one of which, he proudly announced,“cost him12 pounds.” As a reader, I was made aware of the many late


night heroics that took place in support of FDR—a necessity for his speech writers if they wanted to stay one step ahead of the president by having the first draft of his next speech ready for himat breakfast the followingmorning. For extended periods Rosenman lived at theWhite House, including nine days during the 1940 Democratic Convention when no one knew for sure if FDR would seek or accept a third term in the midst of the war in Europe and America’s evolv- ing debate over staying out of the overseas conflict. In fact, when Roosevelt thought he would be stepping aside after two terms, he took the Rosenmans to see some property near his home in Hyde Park, N.Y., hoping theymight relocate there to allowthe judge to help with his autobiography, which he was already planning. Written in the first person, the book was indeed a


Pictured inhis judge’s robes onFDR’s bed- roomwall at the LittleWhiteHouse, Sam Rosenman, a New York Supreme Court Justice,was obviously amore trusted and influential confidant of President Roo- sevelt than people have realized. Photo courtesy Georgia Department of Natural Resources.


and eventual nomination, and his work on the acceptance speech, which continued even as he became the first nominee to actually fly and give an on-site acceptance speech, reminded that as his prin- cipal speech writer, he was the one who coined the phrase, “I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a new deal for the American people.” Obviously, that phrase, “new deal,” although never intended as such, became the focus of the national press and a lasting piece of American History. With his influence in the coming administration,


which had already included one visit to Warm Springs, thus established, I plunged ahead into the


detailed, eye-witness account of the Roosevelt years in power from a behind-the-scenes perspective of someone who wasmuch closer to the president than even his own granddaughter ever imagined. While one of literally hundreds (if not thousands) of Roosevelt books and certainly not themost objective, it is hard to imagine one more accurate on the inti- mate details of FDR’s policies,processes, and person- ality. A check of other, prominent Roosevelt books


Rosenman book, where re-printed correspondence spoke often and conclusively to their lasting friend- ship. It also became rather obvious that the author was a constant presidential visitor, having stayed in virtually every guest bedroom at “The”White House inWashington; that he was constantly called upon to help with such things as party platforms and radio addresses in addition to official speeches; and that he and his wife were regulars on campaign trips


offered further proof of its worth and its author’s lasting impact. Nathan Miller’s 1983 book F.D.R. includes over 30 references to Rosenman. Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Pulitzer Prize winning No Ordinary Time has 43 and alongwith JonathanAlter’s The Defining Moment, H. W. Brand’s Traitor To His Class, and even Hugh Gallagher’s FDR’s Splendid Deception,which dealsmostlywithRoosevelt’s ability to overcome and conceal his disability, the Rosenman book was a primary source. Georgians and other visitors are thus encouraged


to pay closer attention on their next visit to FDR’s LittleWhiteHouse to the lone individual photo on his bedroom wall. That’s Sam Rosenman, a man for whom the longest serving president in U.S. history obviously had enormous faith and respect—a pic- ture that really is worth a thousand words.


FDR’s LittleWhite House The still impressive LittleWhite House State Historic Site, which includes a modern museum and movie narrated by the late,


great Walter Cronkite, and the inspiring Historic Outdoor Pools remain open seven days a week from 9 a.m. until 4:45 p.m. Creekbaum’s popular guided tours at neighboring Roosevelt Warm Springs, a National Historic Landmark District, are also available at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. weekdays. For more information, visit GeorgiaStateParks.org/LittleWhiteHouse or rooseveltre- hab.org. Telephone numbers for each are 706-655-5870 and 706-655-5000, respectively.

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