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Disability, Illness, and the Presidency: The Case of Franklin D. Roosevelt

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 May 2016

Robert E. Gilbert
Robert E. Gilbert*
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science Northeastern University Boston, Massachusetts 02115
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Extract

Only one man in American history has been elected four times to the Office of President. Despite the image of vigor and hearty good cheer that he projected, Franklin D. Roosevelt was afflicted by both disability and serious illness while in the White House. He had never recovered fully from his 1921 bout with polio, a fact concealed from the public for many years out of fear that it might be detrimental to his political career. The methods of concealment, involving both image control and media management, produced a veil of secrecy that only time has penetrated. Also, after several years in office, Roosevelt suffered from cardiovascular disease that eventually ended his life. The belief of some critics that his physical deterioration impacted negatively on his performance as president, most notably at the Yalta Conference in early 1945, is worthy of examination, with the perspective that more than forty years can provide.

Type
Articles
Information
Politics and the Life Sciences , Volume 7 , Issue 1: Special Issue: Medicine and Political Behavior , August 1988 , pp. 33 - 49
Copyright
Copyright © Association for Politics and the Life Sciences 

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