Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) and Eleanor Roosevelt visited Syracuse at various times in the 20th century for presidential campaign visits, community outreach, Democratic conventions, and family visits.
Scope of Collection
The collection includes black and white photographs and related documents, including invitations and admission tickets. The images include: a campaign visit by FDR in approximately June of 1932 while he was governor, but running for the presidency of the United States. Another group of photographs document the laying of the cornerstone of the Basic Sciences Building for the Syracuse University College of Medicine, now Upstate Medical University. The laying of the cornerstone took place on September 29, 1936. These ceremonial images include FDR posing with trowel in hand, laying the cornerstone, FDR at the podium giving a speech and a picture of the motorcade making its way through Syracuse. Another photo shows Eleanor later that evening and the next day at the state Democratic convention which took place at the Hotel Onondaga. Finally, there is a group of photographs from 1956 of Eleanor Roosevelt giving speeches, speaking to a WSYR radio audience and attending the graduation of her grandson at Jamesville DeWitt High School. Additional non-photographic items include invitations and text materials from the above historical visits.