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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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Part:         Session:         Page of 731

You said, “Yes, it's a fine, beautiful party.”

He said, “Elizabeth Marbury helped us out.” It was a nice party and he was glad to give her credit for it. Elizabeth Marbury was pleased to death to do it. She was letting everyone know, too, that she had done it. It was interesting to me because it was so different from the time I went to see him in Oliver Street. Yet, it showed again that capacity of the American people to rise to the demands of high office and to do the social end of it well enough to please everybody. Al had carried still the integrity of his own personality with him. Although he was throwing a magnificent party he put on no airs himself. He was simple and jolly. That's why everybody had a good time. The integrity of his personality wasn't being violated by this magnificent party. He didn't stuff his shirt just because he was putting on a show, and neither did Mrs. Smith. She was nice, simple and herself.

It was altogether a perfectly delightful thing and sort of an illustration of this strange capacity of the American people to rise to the occasion and do it as well as anybody. Everybody had a wonderful time.

The Roosevelts when they came in to be Governor and Governess were much more thrifty. They didn't throw any such parties as that. Just as here in Washington, when they were here, people always turned up their noses and said, “Did





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