Eleanor Roosevelt and Bernard Baruch shared a close friendship that spanned nearly fifty years. The two corresponded frequently, discussing politics and the New Deal as well as projects dear to Eleanor’s heart. They shared similar beliefs, and Eleanor trusted Baruch. She worked to get him appointed to various presidential advisory committees, believing he would support her progressive goals. Bernard admired and respected Eleanor and donated generously to her favorite causes. When she died in 1962, Bernard wrote:
“Mrs. Roosevelt’s death is a blow to me; we were friends almost fifty years. I will miss her greatly as will all her friends and the millions of men and women in every country to whom she was First Lady of the World. She was a rare combination of wisdom and goodness.”
Dr. Blanche Wiesen Cook, professor and author of a three volume biography on Eleanor Roosevelt, discusses the relationship between ER and Bernard Baruch:
