FDR's Podium
Summer 2012, Vol. 44, No. 2 | Pieces of History
President Franklin D. Roosevelt's specially made metal podium. (Franklin D. Roosevelt Library)
Franklin Roosevelt’s first term was nearing its end, and the election of 1936 was just around the corner. In the preceding four years, he had instituted a flurry of New Deal work programs and promoted economic reforms and regulations to combat the Great Depression.
Now in October 1936, he set off for the west to shore up support for his reelection. When he reached Kansas City, Missouri, on October 13, he spoke to a crowd assembled at the new Municipal Auditorium for the hall’s dedication. He spoke mainly about American youth and the increased opportunities for them since he took office in March 1933. Looking toward the election in November, he urged his audience to fight to keep the programs that had created those opportunities moving forward.
The President spoke from a metal podium especially designed for him. The rails on either side allowed him to “walk” himself to the front, and the side panels helped stabilize the podium.
A plaque inside the podium notes that the structure was presented to the President by the citizens of Kansas City.
After the speech, the podium was sent to the White House, where it remained until it was transferred to the National Archives and Records Administration a number of years ago. It arrived at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library in 2007.
President Roosevelt speaks at the dedication of the Kansas City Municipal Auditorium on October 13, 1936. (Franklin D. Roosevelt Library)