Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. Her husband, Franklin Roosevelt, served four terms as president. Today, presidents can only serve two terms, so Mrs. Roosevelt holds the record as the longest-serving First Lady.In 1945, she made a trip to Greensboro, North Carolina, and stayed with Night Buddies author Sand Hetherington’s grandmother. Today, we revisit young Sand’s recollections of that very special visit.

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Eleanor Roosevelt and my grandmother in my grandmother’s library. Miss Laura (my grandmother) was a natural speed reader. She had over 3,000 great books, read them all, and gave away at least 5,000 more when she was done. Some of them are in my personal library today, for which I’m very grateful.

I was very nearly six when Eleanor Roosevelt came and stayed the night with us at my grandmother’s, where my mother and I lived. Our house was right next to a big army camp in Greensboro, NC. My grandmother was an education honcho, a hands-on trustee at two colleges at least, and director of the city USO. One of the colleges was Bennett, a school across town. Bennett is a private, four-year, historically black liberal arts college for women. Mrs. Roosevelt was giving a speech there, and it was only proper that she stay at my grandmother’s.

My memories of it all are fairly sketchy because I was a shy little kid, and there was a terrible lot of bustle and fuss. I pretty much stayed away.

I remember silent men in suits standing along the edges of the front yard. I played outside a lot to avoid the goings-on in the house, but I really avoided those guys!

I only saw her once. She came along our driveway in a big car to tour the local black colleges, and I was out there in the yard. Before I could run and hide, the car slid alongside, and Mrs. Roosevelt rolled her window down, gave me the nicest wave, and smiled big with those wonderful teeth of hers. I really wish I had waved back, but I’m sure I just stood there.

That night, she told the grownups she’d like to meet the little boy of the house. She was really nice, just like you hear. Gracious to me, even. Part of our family lore has my mother finding me and saying, “Mrs. Roosevelt wants to meet you!” That scared me good and proper, and I shot back, “I’ve done seen her.” Which was true. I can’t believe I snubbed Eleanor Roosevelt. But I’m sure she understood.

The Roosevelts were very wealthy and very accomplished. But Eleanor was a Democrat to the bone, with no airs or affectations. After she left, my grandmother’s maid announced proudly to my grandmother, “You got better stockins than she does!”

She had three weeks remaining to be First Lady.