Bill Clinton

“ Whether working for the United Nations, the NAACP, the Girl Scouts, the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women, or the National Conference of Christians and Jews, Eleanor Roosevelt devoted her boundless energy to creating a world defined by respect for and dedication to democratic values. She was a woman ahead of her time, and her achievements transcend her generation. As we seek to chart a steady course for America, democracy, and human rights in this new century, we need only look to her values, character, and accomplishments to provide us with an unfailing moral compass. ”

“ A delegate to the General Assembly of the newly created United Nations from 1945 to 1951, Eleanor Roosevelt was elected Chairperson of the U.N.'s Human Rights Commission in 1946. She played a pivotal role in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and its final language vividly reflects her humanitarian ideals and uncompromising commitment to the inherent worth of every human being. The first article of the Declaration, "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights," set the standard by which all future human rights charters would be judged. ”

“ Eleanor Roosevelt was our longest-serving First Lady, and her dedicated efforts as a political leader, humanitarian, social activist, and journalist have made her an icon to millions. During the 12 years of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Administration, she traveled tirelessly around the country, listening to the American people's problems, concerns, joys, and fears. She saw firsthand the ravages that poverty, greed, ignorance, and bigotry wreaked on the lives of ordinary Americans. ”