INSPIRATION

Shy, awkward Eleanor felt lost in a world where success for wealthy women depended on beauty and social ability. Her grandmother, determined to make up for the mistakes she felt she had made with her own children, had become a strict guardian. She dressed Eleanor in childish, old-fashioned clothing, and kept a tight schedule. Eleanor spent a good deal of time reading, and described herself as existing in another world, where nothing could "bring me out of the world between the pages."

An inspirational teacher named Marie Souvestre saved Eleanor from her ghostly existence. In 1899, Grandmother Hall sent fifteen year old Eleanor to Allenswood, Mme. Souvestre's boarding school, located near London, England. Mme. Souvestre, a strong and independent woman, encouraged her students to think for themselves.In addition, she imbued the young women with a sense of "noblesse oblige." Eleanor wholeheartedly adopted this sense of social conscience, supported by her early philanthropic experiences with her father's relatives.

Mme. Souvestre recognized Eleanor's potential and took her under her wing. Eleanor built confidence as Mme. Souvestre gave her new responsibilities, taught her to form her own opinions and express them effectively. Eleanor returned to the United States in 1902, a stylish, self-assured, young woman with a sense of purpose. Mme. Souvestre would always hold a special place in Eleanor's heart.