The 17 women delegates and advisers to the first United Nations General Assembly looked to Roosevelt for leadership and she delivered, quickly becoming the foremost advocate for human rights the world over. Named as the first chairman of the UN Human Rights Commission, Roosevelt oversaw the two-year process of drafting and securing passage of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Mrs. Roosevelt is unique in her capacity to create an understanding of our position in the minds of the delegates of other countries. Her performance is so superlative that it is rather unexpected to be asked to evaluate her in ordinary terms. As she traveled around the cities and slums of that country she often spoke with young women about the challenges they faced.
Women have to run on par with men.
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt never ran on par, she set the pace. Even at 77 she was still going strong, appointed again to the UN by President Kennedy in 1961, and host of her own panel discussion television show, Prospects of Mankind . Please join LIFE magazine as we honor the power and humanity of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt by inducting her into the Hall of Heroes. To learn more about Eleanor Roosevelt, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum is the best source on the Web. Eleanor Roosevelt's Timeline LIFE Heroes Hall of Fame .