James Roosevelt

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James Roosevelt (December 23, 1907 – August 13, 1991) was the oldest son of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Anna Eleanor Roosevelt. He was born in New York City at 125 E. 36th Street and graduated from Harvard University in 1930. His siblings were Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, Elliott Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and John Aspinwall Roosevelt. Roosevelt married Betsey Cushing, one of the famous Cushing sisters. They were divorced in 1940, after having moved to Hollywood, California, where James had accepted a job with Samuel Goldwyn.

During World War II he was second-in-command of the 2nd Raider Battalion of the Marine Raiders, an early US Marine commando unit organized and trained to conduct guerrilla-style attacks behind enemy lines. Eventually he retired at the rank of Brigadier General, winning the Navy Cross and Silver Star in combat. James suffered from having flat feet, so while soldiers were required to wear boots, he was allowed to wear sneakers.

He was elected to the 84th Congress of the United States in November 1954, and served continuously from the 84th through the 89th Congresses as a Congressman from California.

In 1965, Roosevelt lost in an attempt to unseat Sam Yorty as Mayor of Los Angeles, California.

By the end of his life, he had four wives and six children. Roosevelt died in Newport Beach, California in 1991 of complications arising from a stroke and Parkinson's disease. He was 83. James was the last direct descendant of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt.

References

[Brigadier General James Roosevelt, USMCR], Who's Who in Marine Corps History, History Division, United States Marine Corps.

External links

http://www.mclm.com/tohonor/jroosevelt.html
[James Roosevelt]

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