Who inspired our local leaders?

In the late 1950s, the Levittown League of Women Voters welcomed the great Eleanor Roosevelt, who spoke at Division Avenue on the topic, “Could the Bill of Rights be passed today?”

The former first lady and women’s equality advocate visited the chapter that eventually became the League of Women Voters of East Nassau, according to Barbara Epstein, the current president. Epstein, of Wantagh, said Roosevelt is one of the women she truly admires in making great contributions to the United States and the advancement of civil rights.

March marks Women’s History Month, and many local residents are taking the time to reflect on the leaders who fought for an equal society.

“She tried to strengthen the woman’s role in politics,” Epstein said of Roosevelt. “She was a woman who spoke her mind, who really did things historically. For her time, she was out there talking about what was important.”

Epstein said that many of the issues that were important to Roosevelt are still relevant today. She explained that the former first lady fought for fair housing for minorities. Epstein, in her role with the League of Women Voters, has advocated for more affordable housing on Long Island.

Ellen Cook, of Wantagh, certainly knows her history. She is the Regent of the Jerusalem Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The organization is open to women who, like her, can prove a direct lineage to a patriot of the Revolution.

For Cook, whose family hails from England, there are several, including Anna Smith Strong, who lived in the Setauket area of Long Island and was tied to the Culper Spy Ring, which helped gather intelligence for Gen. George Washington and the Colonial Army.

Cook said that many people don’t realize the role that Long Islanders played in the Revolutionary War, including women. She has been a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and is a co-founder of the Jerusalem Chapter, named for the original settlement in the Wantagh area.