Hey, history lovers. I'm Mike Rosenwald with Retropod, a show about the past, rediscovered.

These days, when a new president takes on his presidential responsibilities, the First Lady takes on her own initiatives.

Laura Bush promoted education and HIV-AIDS awareness. Michelle Obama promoted exercise and healthy eating.

In the summer of 2018, First Lady Melania Trump announced her initiative on combating issues that children face,

like opioid addiction and internet bullying. But First Ladies used to just be symbolic public

figures. The woman who changed all that was Eleanor Roosevelt.

And it all started with her relationship with the press.

Back in the 1930s, male reporters were the only ones allowed to attend presidential news conferences.

Eleanor Roosevelt decided before she even officially became first lady that she would start

having her own press briefings, just like her husband Franklin did. But hers would only be with

female journalists. So three days before the president would host his first press briefing,

Eleanor nervously walked to the White House red room where 35 female journalists were gathered.

She didn't know many of them. The reporters sat on chairs and on the floor.

They were dressed as if they were attending afternoon tea.

Eleanor Roosevelt passed around candied oranges to break the ice.

A group of male White House reporters watched resentfully from the doorway,

unhappy about the event and at being excluded.

They made fun of the female reporters.

The manager of the Associated Press predicted that the First Lady's press briefings wouldn't last more than six months.

He was wrong.

The First Lady ultimately held 348 news conferences.

Roosevelt originally said she wouldn't use her news conferences to discuss politics.

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