About the Roosevelt Family

Roosevelt Academy was named after the famous Roosevelt family, who is said to have hailed originally from the island of Tholen in the Province of Zeeland. The Roosevelt family brought forth many famous political figures, including two American presidents: Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) and Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945), and Franklin D. Roosevelt's wife, Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) who was a strong advocate of human and women's rights.

Now that two institutions proudly bear the name Roosevelt, the city of Middelburg has truly become the center for the Roosevelt family in the Netherlands. The Roosevelt Study Center was founded in 1986 and has since become a leading research institute in Europe, specialized in Dutch-American relations and in American political and cultural history.

Since 1982 Middelburg has also been the venue for the Four Freedoms Award ceremony -- a prestigious and world-famous event that has honored such dignitaries as the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, Reverend Desmond Tutu, and many others. In recognition of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's vision of a free world the FFA is awarded to international persons (in even years) and to American (in odd years) who have dedicated their life and work to preserving the Four Freedoms:

• Freedom of speech and expression
• Freedom of worship
• Freedom from want
• Freedom from fear

Last year the FFA took place on Saturday, May 13, in the Nieuwe Kerk in Middelburg. The ceremony was attended by Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands, the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima, and Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende. Please see Four Freedoms Awards for more information.

Links

Below you can find some useful links to Roosevelt websites:

• Theodore Roosevelt biography
• Franklin D. Roosevelt biography
• Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum
• Eleanor Roosevelt biography
• Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute
• Theodore Roosevelt Association
• Roosevelt Study Center