Eleanor Roosevelt, Putney School and Integration (1956)
In June, 1956 Eleanor Roosevelt traveled from Hyde Park, New York to Putney, Vermont in order to give the commencement address for the Putney School. Mrs. Roosevelt wrote in her daily newspaper column that the road to Putney “goes through the mountainous countryside-not very high mountains, but friendly, small ones-heavily wooded, with many streams rushing down beside the road, and every now and then a beautiful lake.” Forty nine students graduated from Putney School that year. They came from ten different states, the District of Columbia and three foreign countries. Mrs. Roosevelt had agreed to give the commencement speech because, over the years, many people in her circle of friends had sent their children to Putney. In her speech she asked graduates to reflect on the experiences they had at the Putney School. She said the modern world left little time for going through life without a purpose and she explained that young people should […]