Lecture to present an historical account of Eleanor Roosevelt’s rallying the troops and bolstering American morale in World War II
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. — OCT. 9, 2023 — Eleanor Roosevelt’s courageous and unconventional support for U.S. troops during the Second World War included a rigorous five-week journey to the front lines of the Pacific theatre in 1943.
Author and journalist Shannon McKenna Schmidt will deliver a lecture titled “Eleanor Roosevelt: The First Lady of World War II” on Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. in the James and Betty Hall Theatre on Dutchess Community College’s Poughkeepsie campus. The lecture is part of the Handel Foundation Endowed Chair to Perpetuate the Legacy of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt series, supported by the generosity of Bernard and Shirley Handel and administered by the DCC Foundation.
Shannon McKenna Schmidt is the author of “The First Lady of World War II: Eleanor Roosevelt’s Daring Journey to the Frontlines and Back” and co-author of two books – “Novel Destinations: A Travel Guide to Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen’s Bath to Ernest Hemingway’s Key West” and “Writers Between the Covers: The Scandalous Romantic Lives of Legendary Literary Casanovas, Coquettes, and Cads.”
In addition, she has written for National Geographic Traveler, NPR.org and other publications and websites. From 2010 through 2017, Shannon traveled full time, first in the United States by RV and then backpacking around the globe. She now lives in Hoboken, New Jersey.
The lecture is facilitated by Shalon Hallager, DCC instructor of history and recipient of the Handel Foundation Endowed Faculty Chair to Perpetuate the Legacy of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt.
This is a free community event. For more information, call the DCC Foundation at (845) 431-8400. Please request sign language interpreting services or other special accommodations at least two weeks prior to the event by contacting Linda Bertolozzi at (845) 431-8058 or bertoloz@sunydutchess.edu.
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