FDR and Eleanor

History

President Franklin Roosevelt and Mrs. Roosevelt

1935

President Franklin Roosevelt visited The Del for the first time in 1914, when he was Assistant Secretary of the Navy and made the trip to assess San Diego’s harbor and nearby North Island. He also attended San Diego’s 1915 exposition. President Roosevelt returned again in 1935 with Mrs. Roosevelt for San Diego’s historic California-Pacific International Exposition, where he gave a speech to 50,000 people in Balboa Park. During his stay, Roosevelt flew the presidential flag from The Del’s turret, making the hotel the official White House during his stay.

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