

Discover the story behind Franklin D. Roosevelt’s wheelchair at the New York State Executive Mansion.
Roosevelt’s wheelchair in the memorabilia room at the Executive Mansion.
Franklin D. Roosevelt and his family at Christmas.
Roosevelt’s wheelchair in the pool house.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt takes the governor’s oath of office on January 1, 1929.
Roosevelt at the Executive Mansion.
When did Franklin D. Roosevelt become Governor of New York State and how long did he serve?
Frankin D. Roosevelt was the 44th Governor of New York State and served two terms from 1929 to 1932 before being elected as President of the United States.
How many New York State Governors went on to become President of the United States?
Four NYS Governors went on to become President of the United States: Martin Van Buren (1899), Grover Cleveland (1883-1885), Theodore Roosevelt (1899-1900), and Franklin D. Roosevelt (1929-1932).
When did Franklin D. Roosevelt contract Polio?
In 1921, at the age of 39, Roosevelt was diagnosed with infantile paralysis known as polio.
Is it true he made his own wheelchairs from everyday chairs?
Roosevelt found the standard wheelchair of the 1920s to be too bulky and difficult to get around in so he designed his own wheelchairs by replacing the legs of modern dining chairs with bicycle-like wheels.
What is the FDR Memorial Pool?
In 1929, a greenhouse at the NYS Executive Mansion was transformed into a heated therapy pool for Roosevelt that replicated the heated swimming therapy he received prior to his term as governor in Warm Springs, Georgia.
Is the FDR Memorial Pool at the Executive Mansion still active today?
In 1988, Governor Mario M. Cuomo oversaw the pool’s restoration and rededication to Franklin D. Roosevelt. While the pool is functional today, it is used as a historical memorial and symbolic artifact of Roosevelt’s connection to Albany.