Euclid High School Online Directory

Where Were You ...

April 12, 1945 

When you first learned of the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt?

Carol Barber (C '48)  I was at home with my parents.

Russ Borger (S '36)  I was in a tent in an Army camp somewhere in the desert near Calcutta, India when I heard the news. Republican or Democrat, it made no difference, it was a sad day for everyone.  After all, FDR was pretty well liked, as he was the only president that was elected to a third term.

Phil Bremser (E '50)  I was sitting outside my neighbor's house on their front stoop or lawn with Don Loomis '50, Alan Just '49, John Okeekey (sp) '50 now deceased, Bill Biefus (sp) '54?.  We had been playing ball, and just taken a rest when we heard the news.

Joanne Buchar (E '58)  I was 4 ½ years old and at the time living at 6026 St. Clair Avenue.  I remember talk of his death and how sad everyone was.

Mike Gordon (E '53)  My sister and I had just come out of the Shore theater, after a movie.  We went across the street to catch the bus and people were crying.  We asked why and they told us the president was dead.  I was 10 and my sister was 8 at the time and it terrified us because we didn't know you could have another president.  It was a long way home to 200th street.  Would anyone dare to let children that age go across town by themselves today?

Walton Howes (C '44)  I sat with classmates on the curb of the fraternity quadrangle at the University of Rochester that evening discussing what little was known about Harry Truman, who would now be President.  Roosevelt had been in poor health, so his death was not overly surprising.  The inertia of the conduct of the War was so great that it seemed unlikely that Truman would have much effect on it.

Roberta Minicucci (E '55)   I had just turned 7.  Our link to the outside world was a tall console radio in the living room.  We sat on the floor and listened to the news.  I remember listening to his funeral and imagining what it must have looked like.  I didn't understand the sadness of adults.

Bobbi Monroe (E '58)  I was not quite five years old.  We were living in Cleveland in a big apartment building on 93rd Street.  My mom was sitting next to the radio with a pad and pencil and writing down what was going on.  I recall recognizing something BIG had occurred but didn't know what really.

Dave Newman (S '45)  I was sitting in the sun and studying just outside the freshman dormitory at the University of Kentucky.  A radio in a nearby open window announced the news.

Nancy Piper (C '47)  I was working as a clerk at the Sears Roebuck off of Euclid Avenue.  When it was announced over the loud speaker that President Roosevelt had died, everyone stood in a daze and then people (me too) started to cry.  We were all afraid of what would happen to the war and to the country.

Tom Porter (E '51)  My best friend and I were at his house, sitting on the front porch steps.  His mother came out of the house and told us she had just heard it on the radio.

Donald Reed (S '48)  I was a sophomore at Shore High and the war looked good to us at home.  Who knew Truman from any of the other Vice Presidents FDR had during his his 4 terms?

Don Samuel (S '49)  I was walking through the intersection of Kennison Avenue and E. 216th Street.  I had just left Chuck Ament's home on Roberts Avenue (where he was trying to teach me how to pole vault in his back yard).  A stranger yelled to me, "Hey, who is our President?" to which I replied, "President Roosevelt."  He said, "wrong - it's Harry Truman - President Roosevelt just died."  I always thought it was a very sad way to inform a 9th grader about such an important happening - but that is how I learned the news.

Don Whiteside (E '53)  I was walking home from my 4th grade class at Shore School when I heard that FDR died.  When I reached home my mother, (a rabid Republican I found out later), was crying and commented what a great man FDR was.

Barbara Wilson (S '49)  I was in the middle of a clarinet lesson at the Hruby Studio ... I think near the corner of Euclid Ave and Superior Ave.  My teacher, Frank Hruby's brother, Bill, interrupted the lesson with the news.

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Last Revised: October 11, 2007