The Gatekeeper

Missy LeHand, FDR, and the Untold Story of the Partnership That Defined a Presidency

Kathryn Smith

• Publisher: Atria Books
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN: 9781501114977
• eBook ISBN: 9781501114984
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Political Biographies
• Index: Politics & International Relations

The "fine biography" and "compelling personal story" ( The Wall Street Journal ) of arguably the most influential member of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's administration, Marguerite "Missy" LeHand, FDR's de facto chief of staff, who has been misrepresented, mischaracterized, and overlooked throughout history…until now. Widely considered the first—and only—female presidential chief of staff, Marguerite "Missy" LeHand was the right-hand woman to Franklin Delano Roosevelt—both personally and professionally—for more than twenty years. Although her official title as personal secretary was relatively humble, her power and influence were unparalleled. Everyone in the White House knew one truth: If you wanted access to Franklin, you had to get through Missy. She was one of his most trusted advisors, affording her a unique perspective on the president that no one else could claim, and she was deeply admired and respected by Eleanor Roosevelt.With unprecedented access to Missy's family and original source materials, journalist Kathryn Smith tells the "fascinating" ( Publishers Weekly ) and forgotten story of the intelligent, loyal, and clever woman who had a front-row seat to history in the making. The Gatekeeper is a thoughtful, revealing unsung-hero story about a woman ahead of her time, the true weight of her responsibility, and the tumultuous era in which she lived—and a long overdue tribute to one of the most important female figures in American history.

Index

A note about the index: The pages referenced in this index refer to the page numbers in the print edition. Clicking on a page number will take you to the ebook location that corresponds to the beginning of that page in the print edition. For a comprehensive list of locations of any word or phrase, use your reading system’s search function.

Alsop, Joseph, 166, 248

Army, U.S., 110, 214

Asbell, Bernard, 15, 59–60, 61, 74, 77, 255, 256, 266

Associated Press, 38, 45, 111, 115, 137, 197

Astor, Vincent, 121, 257

Atlanta Constitution, 62, 72, 115

Bachelder, Antoinette “Toi,” 128, 148, 173

Baldwin, Faith, 139, 141, 295n, 298n

Bankhead, Tallulah, 16, 234

Bankhead, William B., 16, 228, 234, 239

Barrows, Roberta, 128, 233, 294n

Biddle, Anthony, 213, 214, 214

Black, Hugo, 199

Black, Van Lear, 40

Boettiger, Anna Roosevelt

see Roosevelt, Anna (FDR’s daughter)

Boettiger, John, 111, 158, 262

Bonner, Daisy, 180, 182

Boy Scouts, 41, 46, 105, 118, 181

Brain Trust, 4, 105, 106, 107, 120, 168, 187, 188, 201, 293n

Bryant, Louise, 142–43, 145

Bullitt, Anne, 143, 193, 223

Bullitt, William Christian “Bill”

as ambassador to France, 188, 190, 194, 203, 207, 213–14, 214, 216, 217, 223, 229, 310n

as amba...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Dedication
• Prologue: The Daring Flight to Chicago
• One: When Missy Was Marguerite
• Two: Scion of the Hudson Valley Roosevelts
• Three: The Cuff Links Gang
• Four: Adrift
• Five: Warm Springs
• Six: Don’t You Dare
• Seven: The Governor’s Girl Friday
• Eight: Running for President
• Nine: Nothing to Fear
• Ten: Queen of the White House Staff
• Eleven: The Ambassador to Russia
• Twelve: Woman of Influence
• Thirteen: Mixing Work and Play
• Fourteen: Polio Redux
• Fifteen: Hubris and Hell
• Sixteen: Missy Knows
• Seventeen: War
• Eighteen: Bitter Victory
• Nineteen: Disaster
• Twenty: The Exiled Queen
• Twenty-One: Going Home
• Epilogue: Missy’s Legacy
• Afterword and Acknowledgments
• Reading Group Guide
• About Kathryn Smith
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Photography Credits
• Index
• Copyright