1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,000 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class. It's a production of I 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: Heart Radio, Hello and Welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:13,080 Speaker 1: a show that shines the spotlight on the big and 4 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:18,560 Speaker 1: small moments of history. I'm Gabe Louizier, and this episode 5 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:21,479 Speaker 1: is about the loyalty we owe the furry friends we 6 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:25,319 Speaker 1: share our homes with, even when that home happens to 7 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:38,360 Speaker 1: be the White House. The day was September. During a 8 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:43,479 Speaker 1: campaign dinner, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt defended the reputation of 9 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:46,479 Speaker 1: his dog, who had recently been the subject of a 10 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 1: political attack. The dinner was hosted by Roosevelt's longtime supporters 11 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:57,639 Speaker 1: from the labor movement, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. At 12 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 1: the time, Roosevelt was campaigning for a fourth term. This 13 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 1: was three years before the twenty second Amendment would impose 14 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:09,679 Speaker 1: a two term limit on US presidents. The speech to 15 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 1: the Teamsters union was broadcast nationwide. It addressed labor issues 16 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:18,720 Speaker 1: and gave an update on America's status in World War Two, 17 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: but Roosevelt also used it as a chance to debunk 18 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:26,320 Speaker 1: an offensive story that had been circulating about his dog, 19 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:32,080 Speaker 1: a small black Scottish terrier named Foula. A year earlier, 20 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 1: Faula had accompanied the President on a c trip to 21 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:39,680 Speaker 1: the Illusian Islands in Alaska, which had recently been recaptured 22 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:44,560 Speaker 1: from Japanese forces. Soon after the trip, someone started a 23 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:48,520 Speaker 1: rumor that Faula had been accidentally left behind on one 24 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 1: of the islands, and that Roosevelt had ordered a Navy 25 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 1: destroyer to go back and rescue the dog. This alleged 26 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 1: fetch quest would have reportedly cost taxpayer as much as 27 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:03,880 Speaker 1: twenty million dollars on top of the risk it would 28 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 1: have posed to the lives of the sailors. So, as 29 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 1: you might expect, Roosevelt's GOP rivals quickly seized on the story. 30 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 1: The Republican candidate New York Governor Thomas Dewey claimed it 31 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:20,079 Speaker 1: was further proof of the corruption and incompetence of the 32 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:25,359 Speaker 1: Roosevelt administration. This despite the fact that the incident never happened. 33 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: The President pushed back in his speech, half jokingly, saying, quote, 34 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 1: these Republican leaders have not been content with attacks on 35 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: me or my wife or on my son's No, not 36 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:43,240 Speaker 1: content with that they now include my little dog, Faula. 37 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:48,400 Speaker 1: I am accustomed to hearing malicious falsehoods about myself, but 38 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:51,399 Speaker 1: I think I have a right to resent and object 39 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:56,640 Speaker 1: to libelous statements about my dog. Roosevelt went on to 40 00:02:56,720 --> 00:03:00,880 Speaker 1: suggest that his Republican opponents must be very, very desperate 41 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 1: if they would stoop to attacking the character of a 42 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 1: defenseless dog just to smear his campaign. But here's where 43 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 1: things get even weirder, because, according to Paul Sparrow, the 44 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:17,079 Speaker 1: director of the FDR Library, we actually have filmmaker Orson 45 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 1: Welles to thank for the Faullus speech. Apparently he's the 46 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 1: one who suggested making the attacks on Foula into a 47 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 1: campaign issue, which turned out to be a great idea 48 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: because the speech was a hit with the public and 49 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: the press. Time magazine bizarrely described Roosevelt's performance in boxing terms, saying, quote, 50 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 1: the champ had swung a full roundhouse blow, and it 51 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 1: was plain to the newsman on the Dewey special that 52 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 1: the challenger had been hit hard, as plain as when 53 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:54,560 Speaker 1: a boxer drops his gloves and his eyes glaze. The 54 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 1: fallas speech had done wonders for FDRs press coverage, and 55 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:02,120 Speaker 1: he would ultimately in a fourth term with four hundred 56 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 1: and thirty two electoral votes to Dewey's nine. But to 57 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: be clear, the President's outrage wasn't all for show. Roosevelt 58 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 1: did indeed have a soft spot for his dog. His cousin, 59 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 1: Margaret Daisy Suckley, had given Faula to him in when 60 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:23,359 Speaker 1: the dog was still a puppy. Faula lived in the 61 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:26,359 Speaker 1: White House from then on, much to the dismay of 62 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 1: Eleanor Roosevelt, and he followed the President just about everywhere, 63 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:36,120 Speaker 1: including on state visits and overseas trips. At home, Fallis 64 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: slept in a special chair at the foot of FDR's bed, 65 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 1: and in the morning, the kitchen staff would send up 66 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:45,440 Speaker 1: a fresh bone for him with the President's breakfast tray. 67 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:48,720 Speaker 1: It's reported that the dog was so cute the staff 68 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:51,839 Speaker 1: started feeding him treats whenever he begged for them, which 69 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:55,680 Speaker 1: was often so often in fact, that Fallis started getting 70 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 1: stomach aches and the President had to order his staff 71 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 1: to cut it out with a snack. Roosevelt's fondness for 72 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 1: his dog is well documented. The terrier appeared numerous times 73 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 1: in Life magazine and seemed to relish the attention. According 74 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 1: to one Life reporter quote, when cameraman visit the White House, 75 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 1: to photograph the President or visiting dignitaries. Falla often insinuates 76 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:26,320 Speaker 1: himself into the foreground and poses like any publicity seeking ham. 77 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 1: That trick apparently worked well for Faullah, because he became 78 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:34,040 Speaker 1: a national celebrity. He started in an MGM short film 79 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:37,159 Speaker 1: about life at the White House and was so popular 80 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 1: that he received thousands of letters from across the country. 81 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 1: In fact, Falla got so many letters from various people 82 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:48,880 Speaker 1: and animals that a secretary was appointed to help answer 83 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 1: all of his fan mail. It was either the best 84 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 1: or worst job in the White House. In April of nine, 85 00:05:57,520 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 1: less than three months into his fourth term, President Roosevelt 86 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:06,360 Speaker 1: died at age sixty three. Faulla attended the funeral and 87 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 1: then went to live with Eleanor Roosevelt in Hyde Park, 88 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 1: New York. He spent his retirement there chasing squirrels and 89 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:18,200 Speaker 1: cats and getting into trouble with Thomas mcfalla, his grandson. 90 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 1: On April five, fifty two, Fala passed away, just shy 91 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:27,359 Speaker 1: of his twelfth birthday. He was buried in the family 92 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:30,920 Speaker 1: rose garden beside the sun Dial, not far away from 93 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 1: the graves of President and Mrs Roosevelt. Despite what his 94 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 1: naysayers would have us believe, Falla was a very good dog. 95 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:45,039 Speaker 1: I'm Gabe Louzier and hopefully you now know a little 96 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:49,000 Speaker 1: more about history today than you did yesterday. If you 97 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:52,440 Speaker 1: enjoyed the show, consider following us on Twitter, Facebook, and 98 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 1: Instagram at t d I HC Show. And if you 99 00:06:57,120 --> 00:06:59,320 Speaker 1: have any comments or if you'd like to tell me 100 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 1: who you think the best presidential pet was, you can 101 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:07,360 Speaker 1: reach me at this day at I heart media dot com. 102 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 1: For the record, though the answer is Calvin Coolidge's pet raccoon, Rebecca. 103 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:16,559 Speaker 1: Thanks to Chandler Mays for producing the show, and thank 104 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:19,480 Speaker 1: you for listening. I'll see you back here again tomorrow 105 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 1: for another Day in History class. For more podcasts from 106 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 107 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:36,160 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.