Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr. was born on August 17, 1914, at his parents' summer home on Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada. He was the fifth of six children of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who later became the 32nd President of the United States, and Eleanor Roosevelt. His siblings included Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, James Roosevelt II, Elliott Roosevelt, and John Aspinwall Roosevelt II. His familial background connected him to prominent American political and social figures.

Roosevelt Jr. completed his early education at the Groton School, graduating in 1933. He attended Harvard College, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1937, and later graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law with a Bachelor of Laws degree in June 1940. His physical resemblance and behavioral traits led family members to believe he was the most like his father.

In 1936, Roosevelt contracted a streptococcal throat infection that developed into life-threatening complications. His treatment with Prontosil, a pioneering sulfonamide drug, was successful and marked the beginning of the antibacterial therapy era in the United States.

Roosevelt Jr. joined the United States Navy Reserve as an ensign on June 11, 1940. During World War II, he served as a junior naval officer and was decorated for bravery in the Naval Battle of Casablanca. He participated in significant wartime conferences, including the Atlantic Charter summit in Argentia in August 1941 and the Casablanca Conference in January 1943, at the behest of his father. Roosevelt served on a destroyer that was bombed during the Sicilian invasion and was awarded the Silver Star Medal for his actions in that engagement. He was promoted to lieutenant commander on March 1, 1944, and later commanded the destroyer escort USS Ulvert M. Moore (DE-442), which served in the Pacific Theater and was present in Tokyo Bay during Japan's surrender in September 1945.

Following his military service, Roosevelt practiced law in New York. He was a senior partner at Roosevelt and Frieden, later known as Poletti, Diamond, Freidin & Mackay. His legal work included representing Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo, a role which drew controversy.

Politically, Roosevelt Jr. was active in civil rights efforts, serving on President Harry S. Truman's President's Committee on Civil Rights in 1946. In 1948, he and his brothers supported the draft of Dwight D. Eisenhower for president. Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in a special election in 1949, Roosevelt served as a representative for New York’s 20th congressional district from May 17, 1949, to January 3, 1955. He was re-elected in 1950 and 1952 as a Democrat. His congressional record was noted for poor attendance, which affected his prospects for higher leadership positions.

Roosevelt sought the Democratic nomination for governor of New York in 1954 but withdrew in favor of running for State Attorney General, a campaign in which he was unsuccessful. He made another bid for governor in 1966 on the Liberal Party ticket but was defeated by incumbent Nelson A. Rockefeller.

In the 1960 presidential election, Roosevelt campaigned for John F. Kennedy, at the suggestion of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., and accused Kennedy's opponent, Hubert Humphrey, of draft dodging. Kennedy appointed Roosevelt as Under Secretary of Commerce and chairman of the President's Appalachian Regional Commission. He later served as the first chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from 1965 to 1966 under President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Beyond politics, Roosevelt was involved in business ventures, including distributing FIAT and Jaguar automobiles in the United States until selling his distributorship in 1970. He had interests in cattle farming and thoroughbred horse racing, breeding the colt Brothers N Law in 1983.

Roosevelt married Ethel du Pont on June 30, 1937; they had two children, Franklin D. Roosevelt III and Christopher du Pont Roosevelt. The marriage ended in divorce in 1949. He remarried Suzanne Perrin on August 31, 1949; they had two daughters before divorcing in 1970. Roosevelt Jr. passed away on August 17, 1988, his 74th birthday.