Franklin D. Roosevelt had a meteoric rise on the political scene during the
teens of the 20th century. He had stood up to Tammany Hall, served
in New York’s state legislature, served as the assistant secretary of the navy
in the Wilson administration, and ran for the U.S. Senate and Vice-President of
the U.S. However, his political career nearly ended as a result of a vacation
he took to Campobello Island, Canada in the summer of 1921.
Franklin went swimming one afternoon, hiked home, and went
to bed as he was unusually tired. He woke up with a fever and numbness in his
legs. The next day he had partial paralysis from his belly down. He was
diagnosed with poliomyelitis which is a viral inflammation of the spinal column
which is incurable.
Eleanor and his personal assistant, Louis Howe, were
determined that he would make a recovery and return to politics. Franklin was
determined to be active in politics and rose above his fear and believed that
he could recover. Howe kept Franklin informed of what was going on in the
democrat party. Eleanor also became active in New York politics so she could be
a presence while Franklin was absent. She also began to work in progressive causes
of her own. The Miller Center
In 1922 Franklin helped Alfred Smith make a successful
run for governor in the state of New York. Two years later, Franklin campaigned
for Smith in a run for the democrat nomination for the presidency. So he was
never out of politics for very long.
Other friends were concerned for Franklin’s physical
well-being. George Peabody sent Franklin a letter which told him about a place
in Warm
Springs, Georgia where a young man with polio had made some progress toward
recovery. Franklin, who was never discouraged by his affliction, immediately
left for Georgia in the fall of 1924.
The resort was called Meriwether Inn. Over a course of 41
trips to the mineral springs of this resort, Roosevelt was able to recover
strength in his leg and hips. He was able to stand again. News of his recovery
spread like wildfire across the nation, and polio victims began to descend upon
Warm Springs. The resort had to turn people away because they were interfering
with their paying customers. In response, Franklin purchased the resort and
turned it into the Georgia Warm Springs Foundation. The Roosevelt Warm Springs
Institute survives to this day and provides a number of services to people
who need physical rehabilitation.
On the surface this makes for a wonderful story. However, as
Franklin’s eyes were opened to the plight of the disabled without financial
means, he began to think what government could do to help these people rather
than private individuals and charities. He became a subscriber to the Social
Gospel movement where it was a Christian’s responsibility to solve the ills
and injustice in society. He began to believe that the entire nation was responsible
for these people rather than their immediate families and communities.
