Kathryn Smith (5) (1956–)
Author of The Gatekeeper: Missy LeHand, FDR, and the Untold Story of the Partnership that Defined a Presidency
For other authors named Kathryn Smith, see the disambiguation page.
About the Author
Image credit: photo by John Fowler
Works by Kathryn Smith
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1956
- Gender
- female
- Education
- University of Georgia (BA, Journalism)
- Occupations
- reporter
editor
newspaper columnist - Organizations
- Rotary International
- Short biography
- [from Simon & Schuster website]
Kathryn Smith is a journalist and writer with a life-long interest in FDR and his circle. She has lived all her life in Georgia and South Carolina, and earned a bachelor's degree in journalism at the University of Georgia. She worked as a daily newspaper reporter and editor, and has been the book columnist for the Anderson Independent Mail for twenty years. She has been involved through Rotary International in the worldwide effort to eradicate polio, called PolioPlus, and she has lectured and spoken on FDR's leadership in that arena. Smith is the author of an oral history of World War II told by living veterans and civilians called “A Necessary War.” - Places of residence
- Georgia, USA
South Carolina, USA - Associated Place (for map)
- USA
Members
Reviews
The Gatekeeper: Missy LeHand, FDR, and the Untold Story of the Partnership That Defined a Presidency by Kathryn Smith
From the book jacket: Marguerite “Missy” LeHand was the private secretary and right-hand woman of Franklin Delano Roosevelt for more than twenty years, serving as de facto chief of staff in the White House – a position never held by a woman before or since. From her perch at Roosevelt’s side, she offered him counsel on Supreme Court and cabinet appointments – and on events as momentous as the unfolding war in Europe (and as minor as whom to invite for dinner).
My reactions
I had show more never heard of Miss LeHand, and yet she was written about during her tenure as Roosevelt’s private secretary, with a Time magazine cover in 1934 that featured the four people who formed FDR’s secretariat, and several profile articles in Life and Look magazines, as well as regular mention in newspapers. So how is it that she has slipped out of our collective memories?
Perhaps the answer is that, until this work, there has never been a biography of this extraordinary woman. Smith did extensive research and she includes detailed notes and a bibliography at the end of the main biography. Her interest in Missy and her access to letters, journals and records, helped Smith craft a book that is interesting, balanced and fascinating. There is controversy, to be sure, about LeHand’s actual role in FDR’s life, with some people claiming that she was the President’s mistress, while others refute that. Smith’s research leads her to the conclusion that Missy was not a love interest but a close and reliable confidant, a person the Roosevelts (both Franklin and Eleanor) trusted and depended upon. The high regard in which Missy LeHand was held is evidenced by the fact that the Roosevelts paid for all her medical expenses after her major stroke, and the family continues to pay for the maintenance of her gravesite.
I found the Afterword and Acknowledgements section almost as fascinating as the main biography. In it Smith relates how she came across a reference to Missy LeHand which piqued her interest. When she began searching for a biography to read, she discovered the lack of one. The rest, as they say, is history. show less
My reactions
I had show more never heard of Miss LeHand, and yet she was written about during her tenure as Roosevelt’s private secretary, with a Time magazine cover in 1934 that featured the four people who formed FDR’s secretariat, and several profile articles in Life and Look magazines, as well as regular mention in newspapers. So how is it that she has slipped out of our collective memories?
Perhaps the answer is that, until this work, there has never been a biography of this extraordinary woman. Smith did extensive research and she includes detailed notes and a bibliography at the end of the main biography. Her interest in Missy and her access to letters, journals and records, helped Smith craft a book that is interesting, balanced and fascinating. There is controversy, to be sure, about LeHand’s actual role in FDR’s life, with some people claiming that she was the President’s mistress, while others refute that. Smith’s research leads her to the conclusion that Missy was not a love interest but a close and reliable confidant, a person the Roosevelts (both Franklin and Eleanor) trusted and depended upon. The high regard in which Missy LeHand was held is evidenced by the fact that the Roosevelts paid for all her medical expenses after her major stroke, and the family continues to pay for the maintenance of her gravesite.
I found the Afterword and Acknowledgements section almost as fascinating as the main biography. In it Smith relates how she came across a reference to Missy LeHand which piqued her interest. When she began searching for a biography to read, she discovered the lack of one. The rest, as they say, is history. show less
Statistics
- Works
- 2
- Members
- 113
- Popularity
- #173,160
- Rating
- 4.0
- Reviews
- 1
- ISBNs
- 268
- Languages
- 10