She contributed to many areas during her 12 years as a first lady

Eleanor became almost as divisive a figure as her husband during the 12 years she served as the first lady due to the unparalleled range of her activities and her support for liberal causes. Forcing wire agencies that had not previously employed women to do so to have a representative present in case critical news broke, she established regular White House press conferences for female correspondents. She undertook extensive tours of the country and reported to the president on situations, initiatives, and public sentiment in consideration of the president's illness. Her opponents criticized her for these odd outings and made "Eleanor jokes," but many others were moved by her genuine concern for their well-being.

She started writing "My Day", a daily syndicated newspaper column, in 1936. From December 1935 until her passing in 1962, Eleanor authored a syndicated piece called "My Day" six days a week. She kept a public diary in the column. She utilized it to teach her audience, as a political instrument, and as a means of spreading liberal morality. She was a popular speaker at political gatherings and numerous institutions, and she had a passion for issues like equal rights for women and racial minorities, housing reform, and child welfare.