FDR Stricken with Polio
In the 1920 elections, FDR campaigned for the vice-presidency. The Democratic ticket was defeated and Roosevelt took charge, as a vice-president, of the New York office of the Fidelity and Deposit Company of Maryland. By August 1921, he was looking forward to a good rest at his beloved Campobello Island.
During this first extended summer at Campobello in more than a decade, he ran a high fever and his legs suddenly grew weak. "My left leg lagged," he recalled. "Presently it refused to work, and then the other ... . " At the age of 39, he had contracted infantile paralysis. Eleanor and the five children continued to visit the island during the summers, but convalescence and his involvement in active politics prevented FDR's return. Nearly twelve years passed before he came back to Campobello.
His Return as President
After four years as Governor of New York (1929-1933), FDR was elected President of the United States. The first 100 days of his Administration were trying for him, and by June 1933, he felt the need for a good vacation. Recalling his happy experiences at Campobello, the President planned a sailing trip to the island.
The schooner Amberjack II sailed from Marion, Massachusetts on June 18, with the President at the helm much of the time. His visit was too brief for his satisfaction, as were his subsequent visits on July 29-30, 1936 and August 14-15, 1939. While his visits after the polio attack were few and brief, his love of the island and his long associations with its people left a lasting impression.
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