The Roosevelts had a lovely country home on the bluffs overlooking the Hudson River. Just down the road a mile or so were the Vanderbilts, with whom you are acquainted. There is no documentation of Frank Wright’s involvement in the design of the home, even though it is a detached single family residence, like those Frank likes to draw.
A young boy named Franklin Delano Roosevelt grew up at the home in Hyde Park.It was an idyllic boyhood, filled with every wish fabulously wealthy parents could fulfill, which was all of them.
He developed an intense interest in ornithology, culminating in his crowning achievement of killing at least one of every bird species native to the estate. Then his mother commissioned a taxidermist to preserve them, so the family could adorn their dwelling with the little carcasses.
Franklin also developed an interest in sailing ships. He acquired a vast collection of paintings, etchings, line drawings, and engravings of naval vessels both large and small.
As a young adult, Franklin attended (and graduated from) Harvard, a school in Boston. After graduation, he attended Columbia Law School (but did not graduate). Despite this inconsistent academic performance, he made significant contributions in two primary areas.
In psychology, Franklin demolished the conventional paradigm concerning phobias. At that time, psychologists were under the impression that people could develop fears of practically anything. Much to the consternation of the field, Franklin demonstrated conclusively that there is only one thing to fear.
Franklin also experienced a degree of success in politics. He is frequently credited with being instrumental in the fundamental restructuring of the American economy (and therefore the world economy, because they are the same thing), jurisprudence and governance. Additionally, his name often comes up when discussing the mid-twentieth century efforts to vanquish fascism. In fact, so thoroughly was fascism vanquished that it did not re-surface for nearly 80 years!
Leave a Reply