Thelma and Lowell's Diary: Jan. 30, 1943

Lowell washes the windows; FDR celebrates his birthday on a plane

It was a warm Saturday. Thelma made some purchases, including a mop, stamps and cards, and shampoo. The ironed and Lowell finished washing the windows. They spent the evening listening to the radio. It’s likely they tuned into the radio coverage of the President’s Birthday Ball Celebrations being broadcast coast-to-coast.

While FDR celebrated on a plane over Haiti, the rest of the country attended thousands of President’s Birthday Balls to raise money for the March of Dimes to fight polio. You must be a paid subscriber to read of this often forgotten aspect of Roosevelt’s life. It costs just a dime (and six cents) a day to subscrbe! Thanks for reading.