en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Hopkins

Harry Hopkins

Harry Hopkins ( 1890-1946) gained most of his fame as an advisor and personal friend to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt during the New Deal age and during WWII.

--Early Life--

    Harry Lloyd Hopkins was born on August 17, 1890 to David Aldona and Anna Hopkins in Sioux City, Iowa. He moved to New York City in 1912, after graduating from Grenell College in Iowa, to work in a social settlement.  He began to really advocate the important of such social issues and the widespread problems. His support of social programs led him to support New York Governor Alfred Smith, then as well as the next Governor, and soon to be president Franklin Roosevelt.    In 1913, he began working for the New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor (AICP). He was appointed to the executive secretary of the Bureau of Child Welfare by the New York City Mayor John Purroy Mitchel in 1915.

    Roosevelt appointed Hopkins to be the chairman of New York State's emergency relief administration. His effective control of the brand new agency was impressive enough for Roosevelt that Roosevelt appointed him to his staff, specifically to the Civil Works Administration.

--Working for Roosevelt--

    In May of 1935, Roosevelt appointed Hopkins to head both the Works Progress Administration, and the Federal Emergency Relief Administration. His work with the WPA was the work he had the most pride in.  During the WPA existence from 1932-1942, the WPA had distributed over 8.5 billion dollars to unemployed American workers during The Great Depression. The philosophy of the WPA was to provide jobs to unemployed workers in order to keep the economy, in some shape and form, running. The workers, who would unemployed men and boys, would build farms, roads, building, create parks and there was even a section of the WPA designated for creating and running plays, or other works of art.  At its apex, the WPA provided over three million Americans with jobs, and dispersed over 8.5 billion dollars.

    Hopkins was criticized by critics of the new being for being the epitome oNew Deal spending and ideals. It was believed that Hopkins

had once said "Spend-Spend-Spend, Tax-Tax-Tax, Elect-Elect-Elect", though he denied the claim.

     The WPA went out of existence during WWII, since there were far fewer unemployed people once the war industry started booming, Hopkins became a major player in international relations as an advisor for Roosevelt. He in crucial in the development of the Lend-Lease act which helped supply the allies with war equipment and other supplies before the US had officially entered the war.  He acted as an emissary on trips to both Great Britain and the USSR. He was a close friend and was completely trusted by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who gave him the nick name "Lord Root of the Matter".

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Hopkins

--Personal Life--

     Harry was not anywhere near as successful in his personal life as he was in his professional. He was married to Ethel Gross and with this wife had three sons and a daughter : David, Robert, Stephen, and the daughter Barbara. While still married to Ethel, Hopkins fell in love with a secretary from Michigan named Barbara Duncan. He divorced Ethel and married Barbara in 1929, and with her he had another daughter, Diana. In 1937, Barbara died of cancer. He then married Louise Macy on July 30th, 1942.

    Hopkins himself was a chain smoker and died on Junuary 29th, 1946 of lung cancer.

    Hopkins has a dorm named after him at his almar mater,  Grenell University.

 http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/churchill/interactive/_html/_items/wc0153.jpg

Page created by: Andrew J

Avon High School, Avon, Indiana

Date created: April 6th, 2008

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