First Lady — Author — Activist — Humanitarian

About the Scholar/Presenter

Eleanor Roosevelt is the third of six Living History personae developed by scholar/presenter, Susan Marie Frontczak. To date, Susan Marie has given over 190 living history presentations as Eleanor Roosevelt across 20 of the United States, reaching over 27,000 people. 

Susan Marie’s motto is, “Give me a place to stand, and I will take you somewhere else.” Calling herself the Storysmith®, she heats up, hammers, and crafts her stories with strong forces, before letting them cool into a tale worth sharing. She also works with both adults and youth to develop their own Living History presentations, including working with youth through the Young Chautauqua program, and authorship of the Young Chautauqua handbook for Colorado Humanities. 

Because Mrs. Roosevelt touched on so many issues over so many decades, Susan Marie has developed numerous programs to explore different aspects of Roosevelt’s life and times. Susan Marie finds Eleanor Roosevelt’s life almost too big to hold, and yet is convinced this first lady’s story has a great deal to offer the world today. She says, “In times of strife, we must look to our heroes and heroines. Not only did they pave the way for where we are today, but their forgotten wisdom can guide us as we move forward.”