Tea with Mrs. Roosevelt, 1943

Former Teacher Has Tea with Mrs. Roosevelt

Bainbridge News & Republican, March 24, 1943

 

Miss Janice Pratt, local faculty member, has just received a most interesting letter from Miss Ruth Goodman, former Homemaking teacher of Bainbridge High School [Chenango Co., NY], who is now engaged in Red Cross Work.  The letter follows in part:

 

"I had the biggest thrill of my life today, and I'm still thrilled.  I had tea with Mrs. Roosevelt and Mrs. Hopkins at the White House, not with a whole mob of people in the receiving line, but just Mrs. R. and Mrs. H.  I had asked her if three of my friends in Red Cross might come, too, and so there were the four of us. the Colonel in charge of the British Women's Army, and a journalist from England, and Diana Hopkins.  We were ushered into the White House by a butler, and then a secret service man took our cards.  He took us up in the elevator to Mrs. R.'s private sitting room, and she and Mrs. H. greeted us.  We all sat around while Mrs. Roosevelt poured the tea from a stunning tea service and then the butler passed very simple cookies.  We sat and talked for over an hour about everything and I almost hated to leave.  While we were there the President came home with his dog, but they closed the curtains until he'd gone by.  Mrs. R. read us a poem Jan Struther had written for publication in a large magazine.  The President will read it in his next broadcast, I think.

 

The sitting room is lovely and old-fashioned and what we saw of the other rooms was much the same.  It was  a lovely afternoon and Mrs. R. was most charming.  I hadn't meant to burden you with all the details, but I thought you'd like to hear about it...."