We hear a great deal about nominations these days as we are assaulted via the airwaves and in print media with half-truths and outright lies about each party’s “nominee.” One hopes that nominees would aspire to exhibit strength, knowledge, and grace under pressure. After all, if someone is nominated for an office or award, it usually takes on a special significance and heightened expectations.
In this election cycle we’ve witnessed a number of groundbreaking accomplishments for women, with unprecedented attention focused on female voters and the most visible women in the U.S. political spotlight — first, presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton and now vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin. But long before these women gained acclaim, another woman set the standard and blazed the trail for women’s political participation — Eleanor Roosevelt.
From the PBS series American Experience, we learn that “For more than thirty years, she was the most powerful woman in America. Niece of one president and wife of another, Eleanor Roosevelt was at the center of much of the century’s history — a charismatic woman of charm and of contradictions. Aristocratic in voice and manner, she was also ‘tough as nails,’ says historian Geoffrey Ward. In fact, she was one of the best politicians of the twentieth century.”
Eleanor was the first president’s wife to testify before a Congressional committee, the first to hold press conferences, to speak before a national party convention, to write a syndicated column, to be a radio commentator, to earn money as a lecturer. After FDR’s death, Eleanor remained a powerful figure in national politics and as United States representative to the United Nations. She was recognized eleven consecutive times in Gallup polls as the most admired woman in the world. Eleanor Roosevelt will be remembered as one of the notable figures of the twentieth century. “She was always in the process of discovering things about herself,” says Vernon Jarrett, “and she kept growing.”
Like Eleanor, we should all aspire to “keep growing.” Here’s your chance to nominate a deserving individual or program that allows us to do just that — for the 2009 AAUW Eleanor Roosevelt Fund Award, which honors an individual, project, organization, or institution for outstanding contributions to equity and education for women and girls. Please visit our website for details and send your nomination today! The deadline for nominations is Nov. 1, 2008.
