The Death of a President: April 12, 1945
President Franklin D. Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945, at his retreat in Warm Springs, Georgia. The nation was thrust into a period of mourning and transition during the final months of World War II.
The Final Moments
At the time of his death, Roosevelt was sitting for a watercolor portrait painted by artist Elizabeth Shoumatoff. According to Shoumatoff, the president stated, "I have a terrific headache," before losing consciousness. The cause of death was a cerebral hemorrhage.
Shoumatoff did not complete the portrait during that session. She later painted a finished version from memory. Both the unfinished and completed portraits are displayed at the Warm Springs retreat.
Roosevelt stated, "I have a terrific headache," before losing consciousness.
Background and Roosevelt's Health
Roosevelt's health had been in decline, though the extent was not widely known to the public. He used a wheelchair, having contracted what was believed to be polio decades earlier. Reports indicate very few Americans were aware of his use of a wheelchair.
Some reports state his health had worsened in the year prior to his death, leading to private concerns about his ability to continue in office. Despite his health, Roosevelt ran for and won a fourth term as president in the 1944 election.
For that election, he replaced Vice President Henry Wallace with Harry S. Truman. Multiple sources report that Roosevelt and Truman met only twice during Truman's brief tenure as vice president.
The Transition to President Truman
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt informed Vice President Harry S. Truman of the president's death. Upon being informed, Truman asked Eleanor Roosevelt if there was anything he could do for her. According to several reports, she responded, "Is there anything we can do for you? For you are the one in trouble now!"
"Is there anything we can do for you? For you are the one in trouble now!" — Eleanor Roosevelt to Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was sworn in as president later on the evening of April 12, 1945. Truman stated he had not been informed about the state of Roosevelt's health prior to the president's death. He also stated he learned about the development of the atomic bomb on the day of Roosevelt's death.