The Michael Reeves Deland Internship Program
Background information: This program, named in honor of Michael Reeves Deland, a noted American public servant, was established in January 2022 by his college roommates Charlton Ames and William “Nick” Bancroft who wish to honor his memory.
Mike left behind contributions to America ranging from his environmental stewardship to his disability rights advocacy. He served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy, as New England Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, as Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and as Chairman and President of the National Organization on Disability. Mike was a noted competitive sailor, attorney, husband, father of three, and a wheelchair user.
Mike became progressively disabled throughout his lifetime, and as noted by his friends, never wavered in his tenacity, vitality, or character. He was known for his dedication to the environment, particularly cleaning up Boston Harbor, protecting sensitive New England wetlands from development, and being among the earliest government officials to warn about global warming. After his service in the White House, Mike worked on disability rights and led the fight for disability representation at the FDR Memorial in Washington DC in the 1990s which culminated in the addition of the FDR wheelchair statue. The statue, according to Mike, was his “most enduring accomplishment.”
This program is named in honor of Mike and is administered by the FDR Memorial Legacy Committee (FDR Committee) as an ongoing tribute to him and his spirit of optimism, courage, indefatigable determination, and commitment to promoting opportunity, equality, and inclusion.
Interns handle a range of responsibilities and receive ongoing opportunities for professional development and training.
Education and Leadership Development
- Partner with educators and others to develop original educational content and create professional development opportunities on all aspects of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt’s legacy.
- Initial focus on FDR’s leadership qualities gained through his disability experience, the campaign led by people with disabilities to depict FDR in a wheelchair at the Memorial, and the role FDR and the Memorial play in the Disability Rights Movement.
- Future focus on lessons learned from FDR and Eleanor’s relationships with notable African Americans leaders of their time, and the impact on the Civil Rights Movement
As part of LDA’s 60th Annual International Conference, members of our FDR Committee, Rosalie Boone, Ed.D., Mary E. Dolan, M.A., M.A., and Arlene King-Berry, J.D., presented Advocacy Strategies from Lived Experiences of Disabled Leaders: Preparing LD Students for Transition. The presentation can be found below.
Documentation and Research
- Document the history of the campaign led by people with disabilities to add a depiction of FDR in a wheelchair at the Memorial.
- Conduct oral histories with interviews with people involved in the development of the FDR Memorial, and the fight for the statue.
- Currently, we have a grant from Humanities DC for an oral history project. (Link to press release to come)
- Encourage original research about FDR and Eleanor.
- Conduct oral histories with interviews with people involved in the development of the FDR Memorial, and the fight for the statue.
Protecting the Memorial
- Press the National Park Service and its partner agencies for accountability in repairing and restoring the FDR Memorial and to safeguard it for the future.
- Presently, the water features at the Memorial are fully out of service, along with some of the lighting fixtures.
- Overall refurbishing is needed throughout the Memorial due to deferred maintenance.
- Ensure that the FDR Memorial is updated for accessibility and inclusive design for all visitors and users.
- There is no Braille signage or other assistive technology available at the Memorial.
- The FDR Memorial is routinely flooded by the Tidal Basin on which it sits causing inaccessible pathways and danger to Memorial structures.