The Gatekeeper

May 23, 2016
Journalist Smith (A Necessary War) grants readers an unusual insider’s view of F.D.R.’s political career by profiling his longtime private secretary. Marguerite “Missy” LeHand, a young woman with a modest background, an agile intellect, a pleasant personality, and remarkable stenographer’s skills, began working for F.D.R. in 1920, when he ran for vice president. Smith writes particularly well about F.D.R.’s struggle to bounce back from being struck with polio in 1921, explaining the disease and the origins of the Warm Springs, Ga., health spa that he frequented. LeHand was F.D.R.’s most constant companion during the 1920s, sparking rumors—convincingly dismissed by Smith—that they were lovers. The real core of the story is the White House years from 1933 until 1942, when LeHand helped create the vast New Deal bureaucracy. She decided who would see the president and when; today her title would be chief of staff. LeHand worked long hours but took time to enjoy the perks of the job, including a barrage of social invitations and fawning press coverage. Though Smith overstates her claim about LeHand’s importance to F.D.R. and his work as president, she delivers a fascinating account of one woman’s involvement in an important administration. Illus.

July 1, 2016

Smith (A Necessary War) has written the first full biography of Marguerite "Missy" LeHand (1898-1944), Franklin D. Roosevelt's longtime secretary and close adviser. During World War I, she accepted a job with the U.S. Navy in Washington, DC, which led to a position with Roosevelt during his campaign for vice president in 1920. As a trusted confidant and sometimes nursemaid for Roosevelt while he battled polio, LeHand began living with the Roosevelts to be able to serve the politican around the clock. Although the evidence is scant, Roosevelt's son Elliott claimed his father and LeHand had an affair. When Roosevelt was elected president, he chose LeHand to be his head secretary, and she became the first woman to serve in this position. Living at the White House, she often filled in as hostess while the first lady was traveling and became widely known in the press for her political savvy, humor, and glamorous fashion. Although Smith is an engaging writer, this feels like another biography of Roosevelt himself and underscores the difficulties of discussing a figure who orbited such a famous leader. VERDICT Recommended for readers interested in the Roosevelt family.--Kate Stewart, American Folklife Ctr., Washington, DC

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.