VIRTUAL LECTURE - FDR AND THE SEA

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a born collector. America’s 32nd president spent a lifetime collecting everything from stamps and coins to Hudson River art and rare books and manuscripts.

One of FDR’s greatest passions was his enormous naval and maritime collection. Begun during his youth and patiently developed over decades, this rich collection—considered one of nation’s finest—reflects the President’s deep, lifelong love of the sea. An expert sailor, Roosevelt was America’s greatest seafaring president. Whether piloting a sailboat along the New England coast, racing his ice yacht on the Hudson River, fishing aboard pleasure craft, or crossing oceans on naval vessels, he relished time on the water. 

This lecture, presented by Herman Eberhardt, Supervisory Museum Curator at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, will explore Franklin Roosevelt’s engagement with the sea and reveal treasures from his naval and maritime collection that provide insights into this vital aspect of his life. FDR’s special relationship with the U.S. Navy will also be highlighted, including his affection for the U.S. Naval Academy (which he had once hoped to attend).