Louis Mc Henry Howe - Roosevelt Presidency

Roosevelt Presidency

During the administration Howe's official title was Secretary to the President, a role equivalent to the current White House Chief of Staff posting. Although he had a wife, son and daughter, Howe lived as much with the Roosevelts as at his own home, and after FDR's inauguration Howe took up residence at the White House Lincoln Bedroom which gave him immeasurable and unaccountable influence on the president.

His advice to Eleanor Roosevelt was also indispensable. He encouraged her to hold women-only press conferences, helped choreograph her media campaigns, and supported her efforts to find a way to address issues and shape policy. Howe especially championed the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Subsistence Homestead programs, and the New Deal's anti-crime initiative.

It is often speculated that Howe gradually lost influence on the president as the administration became more focused on governance, as the number of additional presidential advisers increased, and as his own poor health further deteriorated. Howe entered the Bethesda Naval Hospital on August 21, 1935 and remained there until his death April 18, 1936. Eleanor arranged a state funeral in the East Room of the White House for her friend, whom she would later describe as "one of the seven most important people" in her life. She accompanied his body to Fall River, Massachusetts and attend his burial at Oak Grove Cemetery.