Photograph inscribed to his personal secretary Grace Tully, further inscribed by Cardinal Mundelein.

c.1930s. Presented to his long-term secretary Inscribed by Roosevelt to Grace Tully, "To Grace from FDR". The photograph shows Roosevelt talking cheerfully with Cardinal George Mundelein, Archbishop of Chicago from 1915 until his death. Mundelein has additionally inscribed the photograph "To Miss Grace Tully with best Christmas wishes and my blessing for herself and those close to her. George Cardinal Mundelein". Grace Tully along with Marguerite LeHand was Roosevelt's principal secretary during his years as president. The use of female secretaries broke with tradition, with all prior presidential secretaries men. But LeHand's connection with FDR went back to 1920, before his polio attack, and she was a consistent and loyal companion through the gruelling early years of his recovery. Tully's tenure dated from his 1928 campaign for governor of New York. When he won the presidency in 1932, Roosevelt had no hesitation about bringing these two loyal, trusted and discreet assistants - both Irish Catholics from humble, working-class origins - into his inner circle at the White House. Mundelein was a major supporter of Roosevelt within the Catholic hierarchy, a constituency Roosevelt took pains to cultivate. "Mundelein's pro-Roosevelt speeches and activities certified for Catholic voters that Roosevelt was a safe, noncommunist political leader. In return for Mundelein's support, Roosevelt had put the unofficial American seal of approval on Catholicism. The alliance established by Mundelein marked an important watershed in the history of American Catholicism" (Klejment and Roberts, p. 70). Tully was Catholic, and had previously worked as secretary to Patrick Hayes, bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. Tully "occupied a front row seat at momentous events as secretary and friend to the man she called 'the Boss'. To her, he had dictated letters to kings and to generals, manuscripts for his radio fireside chats and such historical speeches as the one he delivered to Congress on Dec. 8, 1941, asking for a declaration of war against Japan" (New York Times obituary, 16 June 1984). Tully recorded in her memoir "Franklin Delano Roosevelt was my boss for nearly seventeen years. In that span of time - final years for him - I watched him emerge from the twilight zone of poliomyelitis convalescence to move from one political stage to another one, until he reached the summit of authority as President of the United States... I watched him pull the country out of our great depression and I watched him lead us to the threshold of victory in our greatest war... I long ago knew that it was my good fortune to work for a man of straightforward simplicity, courage, passion and honest - one of the great souls of history" (Tully, pp. 1-2). 186 x 239 mm, mounted, framed, and glazed. A little cockled. In very good condition. Anne Klejment and Nancy L. Roberts (eds.), American Catholic Pacifism, 1996; Grace G. Tully, F.D.R., My Boss, 1949.