Schlesinger married Marian Cannon , and they had twins , Stephen and Katharine , as well as two other children , Christina and Andrew . Following their divorce , Schlesinger married Alexandra Emmett with whom he had a son , Robert . Schlesinger also became stepfather to Peter Allan , Emmett ’ s son from a previous marriage .
Schlesinger was one of the few historians embraced by academia and the public with equal fervor . He was a dapper presence on the American social scene , from the salons of Georgetown during the Kennedy administration to chic and brainy circles in New York and Cambridge , always ready with a pithy observation — much quoted , admired , and esteemed . His friendships included those with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis , Alice Roosevelt Longworth , Henry Kissinger , Kurt Vonnegut , Norman Mailer , Marlene Dietrich , Al Gore , and President Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton . He was known for his erudition , wit , and trademark bow ties .
“ The bow tie inscribed on Arthur ’ s monument was not planned before his death ,” says Peter Allan , of New York , Schlesinger ’ s stepson .“ Arthur was not a religious man , so putting a cross or other religious symbol on his stone would not have reflected his beliefs . However , our family did not want the stone to be completely unadorned , and since Arthur wore bow ties ‘ religiously ,’ we thought it would be a nice touch to include one with his inscription . Arthur also had a wonderful sense of style and humor , and I think the bow tie reflects that .”
“ As a historian and a man raised in Cambridge , he liked the idea of being buried in the Emmett family lot , which is more than 150 years old ,” says Schlesinger ’ s son , Andrew Schlesinger , of Cambridge , Mass .“ He obviously knew the distinguished history of Mount Auburn , and , having grown up on nearby Grey Gardens East , not far from the Cemetery , perhaps he thought he was ‘ coming home .’”
FDR ’ s Right Hand : Marguerite “ Missy ” LeHand ( 1896-1944 ), Presidential Secretary
Lot # 7136 , Central Ave
4 | Sweet Auburn
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , Missy , and Eleanor Roosevelt in 1929 , Courtesy of the FDR Library
Marguerite Alice LeHand grew up in Somerville , Mass . Daniel LeHand , her father , made his living as a gardener while her mother , a seamstress , boarded Harvard students to earn extra money . In 1920 , LeHand began what became a lengthy association with Franklin Delano Roosevelt , working for his campaign for the vice presidency . Although Roosevelt was defeated , she was given a permanent place on his staff ; indeed , she was treated like a member of the family and nicknamed “ Missy ” by Roosevelt ’ s fifteen-yearold daughter , Anna . LeHand ’ s encouragement helped bolster Roosevelt ’ s morale in the wake of the polio that left him confined to a wheelchair .
When Roosevelt became President in 1932 , LeHand moved into the White House , charged with handling his personal correspondence . She knew him so well that she was able to write using Roosevelt ’ s “ voice ” when doing this . LeHand always critiqued Roosevelt ’ s fireside chats before he broadcasted them to the nation . Though career-oriented and bound to FDR by unswerving loyalty , her personal life suffered because of her devotion ; in fact , she refused a number of marriage proposals .
A June 1941 stroke left LeHand paralyzed and unable to speak . She died in Somerville of a second stroke in 1944 at age 48 . Her grave is marked with a pink quartz boulder and plaque quoting Roosevelt :“ She was utterly selfless in her devotion to duty .”
Mary E . Walker and Clement G . Morgan fought against racial bias in the U . S . during different centuries .
In Search of a Liberated Life : Mary E . Walker ( 1818-1872 ), Freedom-seeker
Lot # 4312 , Kalmia Path
Mary Walker was born on what became one of the largest plantations in the antebellum South , the Cameron plantation , which grew to 30,000 acres worked by 1,000 slaves by the time of the Battle of Fort Sumter in 1861 . Walker and her mother waited on the Cameron women . In 1848 , she fled the Camerons ’ boarding house on a trip the family made to Philadelphia , beginning a long odyssey — geographical , legal , and psychological — to retain her freedom .
Walker escaped to Massachusetts to elude capture after Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Law in 1850 . She lived
This 1851 poster warned African Americans to be on the lookout for slave catchers .