FDR’s Harvard digs
The Crimson has a fun profile of FDR’s luxuriant Harvard dorm, now being preserved. It gives some insight into the wealthy young man who would become the populist president, and of the severe social stratification that once was at Harvard:
Well-heeled freshmen, including Roosevelt, enjoyed the luxury of Gold Coast dormitories—ornate, privately owned residence halls that often included swimming pools and squash courts. These newly constructed buildings had recently replaced the antiquated Yard dormitories as the epicenter of student life.
Roosevelt’s deluxe trio of high-ceilinged rooms—now B-17 of Adams House—features an oak fireplace and modern amenities such as central heating and electricity. While many of his peers weathered New England winters by purchasing coal to heat their rooms manually, Roosevelt was able to hire a maid service and porter to perform these duties.
