The 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s march on Washington seems like a good time to think about great American leaders of the 20th century. There are so many outstanding leaders who might qualify. We each have our own list.
Three people on my list who have changed our country in significant ways are Albert Einstein, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Einstein is on the list because his theory of relativity is one of the greatest intellectual feats of all time. Without Einstein’s theories, we would not have space exploration, atomic energy or much of modern science. Although he did not have political power, his theories had intellectual power. He came to America from Germany in 1933 and became a professor of theoretical physics at Princeton University. If he had stayed in Germany at the time, he probably would have had a yellow star sewed on his clothes and perished in a concentration camp.
Roosevelt was elected to an unprecedented four terms as president of the United States, but died early on in his fourth term. He will be the only president ever to serve so long in the oval office, because a constitutional amendment now limits presidents to two terms in office.
Roosevelt was elected in the depth of the Great Depression. President Roosevelt was an extraordinary leader who gave hope and change to the American people, at a time of great despair. Some people hated him, referring to him as “that man.” Most loved him, and when he ran for his second term, he won the electoral votes of all but two states.
He was stricken with polio when he was 39 years old. It paralyzed both his legs, yet he went on to become governor of New York and then president of the United States. Few people realized that he was really paralyzed, as his sons and aides supported his body when he stood in public, and media was not so intrusive, in the days before television.
During his first term, he established the New Deal programs and created jobs for the unemployed. He enacted the Fair Labor Standards Act, and founded the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and our nation’s Social Security program.
President Roosevelt led America through most of World War II. Under his leadership, the United States led the war effort. Roosevelt created a sense of optimism in the public, about both domestic and international events, reassuring Americans through his fireside chats, saying, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
King was a great leader because he taught our nation about non-violent protests on behalf of just causes. He was a leader on civil rights issues and won the Nobel Peace Prize. He inspired us all to be better than we were.
His personal courage was on display constantly. Just think about him saying, “I may not get there with you.” He did not get there because of his assassination when he was only 39 years old, but the successes of so many things he fought for have changed America. On the march in Washington, 50 years ago, Dr. King delivered his famous “I have a Dream” speech. It has become his legacy.
King was inspired by a wonderful international leader, Mahatma Gandhi of India, who pioneered the concept of peaceful, non-violent, civil disobedience acts for change in governments. Nelson Mandela of South Africa was another disciple of Ghandi. After spending 27 years in prison because of his opposition to apartheid, Mandela became president of South Africa. Instead of trying to take revenge on those who had imprisoned him, he worked to defuse tensions between racial groups and seek reconciliation among the people.
One other great international leader was Winston Churchill, who served as prime minister of England, during much of World War II. Churchill’s courage and fortitude, along with aid from Roosevelt, helped show the world that the British would not be beaten.
These three American and three international extraordinary leaders helped change our nations. They helped to set us on a better path. We should be inspired by them to find new ways to solve our current day problems.
We need more leaders like them for this new century.
— Bernard Featherman is a business columnist for the Journal Tribune and former president of the Biddeford-Saco Chamber of Commerce.
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