Anna Hall Roosevelt

Anna Rebecca Hall Roosevelt was born on March 17, 1863, in New York City. She was the eldest of seven children born to Valentine Gill Hall Jr. and Mary Livingston Ludlow, members of prominent New York families. Her paternal lineage connected her to a successful mercantile family, and her maternal lineage linked her to the Livingston family of the Hudson River gentry. Her grandfather was Edward Hunter Ludlow. Anna's siblings included brothers Valentine III and Edward, both of whom were tennis champions and later struggled with alcoholism and financial difficulties, and sisters Elizabeth, Mary, Edith, and Maude.

Following her father's death at age 17, Anna assumed control of the family finances and responsibilities. She was a leading debutante in the 1881 social season and was recognized as a notable beauty and skilled horsewoman. Around 1883, she reportedly became engaged to Elliott Roosevelt, the brother of future U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. The engagement was believed to have taken place during a house party at Algonac, the Delano estate on the Hudson River.

On December 1, 1883, Anna married Elliott Roosevelt at Calvary Church in Gramercy Park, New York City. The couple resided in an East Thirties brownstone and had three children: Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962), Elliott Roosevelt Jr. (1889–1893), and Gracie Hall Roosevelt (1891–1941). Anna participated actively in social events and charity functions, though her marriage faced challenges due to Elliott's heavy drinking and opiate addiction, which contributed to periods of depression and mood swings.

In 1887, the Roosevelt family traveled to Europe aboard the SS Britannic, which was subsequently rammed by the SS Celtic, resulting in casualties and injuries. Upon returning to the United States, they built the estate Half Way Nirvana on Long Island, hosting polo matches and riding events. After the birth of their second child in 1889, the family's concerns about Elliott's alcohol dependence led them to Austria and later Paris for treatment. During their time in Europe, Anna and Elliott's marriage deteriorated, eventually leading to their separation.

Anna Roosevelt's health declined during these years; she contracted diphtheria and died on December 7, 1892, at age 29, at her residence at 52 East 61st Street in Manhattan. Her husband, Elliott Roosevelt, died later, on August 14, 1894, at his home at 313 West 102nd Street, from a seizure resulting from a suicide attempt and the effects of alcoholism. Both Anna and Elliott are buried in the Hall family vault at St. Paul's Episcopal Church cemetery in Tivoli.

Anna Roosevelt was the mother of Eleanor Roosevelt, who later became the First Lady of the United States. Her husband's distant relative, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, became President of the United States in March 1933.