Informal Remarks of President Roosevelt
after Luncheon with Patients at the
Georgia Warm Springs Foundation
December 15, 1940

[Roosevelt made a brief stop in Warm Springs for a belated Thanksgiving luncheon. He was introduced by Basil O'Connor, chairman of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, who commented that this was actually a third Thanksgiving meal for patients at the Foundation. Roosevelt was obviously cognizant of the world situation -- World War II was well underway in Europe -- thus his comment near the end of his remarks - -"if the world survives."]

As a matter of fact, I think you appreciate that the other doctor connected with Warm Springs, Dr. O'Connor, did such a good job on Thanksgiving day that I wondered if it was necessary for me to ever come back.

That idea about a third Thanksgiving is excellent. There has been so much criticism about Thanksgiving -- having to have two -- and I believe in compromise, so this is the third. If we hadn't had turkey -- I told Doc O'Connor I was going to put him in the middle of the table and carve him up.

I wish I could stay longer. As you know, that seems to be impossible at the present time. I have seen a great deal today and I told Dr. Irwin when I saw him this morning that there was one operation I was very much interested in -- the first thing I was going to do after I got off the train was to see the timber operations up the road toward the Cascades (referring to the cutting of trees for timber on Pine Mountain). So, we are performing still another operation at Warm Springs.

I hope to be down here, without any question, if the world survives, next March for my usual two weeks in the spring.

While quite a number of you I have seen before -- much to my delight -- quite a number I haven't seen before so I am going to stand over by the door, according to Thanksgiving custom, and see you all as I go out. It is fine to be here.
 

Source: National Archives
 

© Carl Vinson Institute of Government, The University of Georgia

Go to FDR's Speeches in Georgia Page

Go to Narrative of FDR's Visits to Georgia Page

Go to FDR's Ties to Georgia Home Page