The Love of Eleanor and Hick (PART ONE)

Welcome to Part One of our special Pride episode! Next week, Part Two will delve deeper into spicy love letters.

In this episode, we're taking a journey back in time to explore the formative years of our two remarkable leading ladies, Elenore and Hick. You'll discover the childhood tragedies that ultimately led them both to New York City at the same moment. While their loving lesbian relationship is a central part of their story – and a key element of our Pride celebration – that beautiful chapter awaits you in Part Two. For now, prepare to explore the tragic beginnings that shaped these two women. Spoiler alert, the men in this story suck.

References:

1. National Park Service. (n.d.). First friend: The love affair of Lorena Hickok and Eleanor Roosevelt. U.S. Department of the Interior. https://www.nps.gov/rori/learn/news/first-friend-the-love-affair-of-lorena-hickok-and-eleanor-roosevelt.htm

2. Romano, A. (2022, October 3). Was Eleanor Roosevelt a lesbian? Slate. https://slate.com/culture/2022/10/eleanor-roosevelt-lesbian-bros-movie-lorena-hickok.html

3. Wikipedia contributors. (2025, June 16). Eleanor Roosevelt. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_Roosevelt

4. Wikipedia contributors. (2025, June 16). Lorena Hickok. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorena_Hickok

5. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (n.d.). CPI inflation calculator. https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm

6. WAF Editorial Staff. (2018, June 1). The love affair between Eleanor Roosevelt and journalist Lorena “Hick” Hickok. Women’s Advancement Forum. https://wafmag.org/2018/06/the-love-affair-between-eleanor-roosevelt-and-journalist-lorena-hick-hickok/

7. Popova, M. (2012, October 11). Eleanor Roosevelt’s love letters to Lorena Hickok. The Marginalian. https://www.themarginalian.org/2012/10/11/eleanor-roosevelt-lorena-hickok-love-letters/

8. Riese. (2016, June 30). 24 very gay excerpts from Eleanor Roosevelt’s love letters with Lorena Hickok. Autostraddle. https://www.autostraddle.com/24-very-gay-excerpts-from-eleanor-roosevelts-love-letters-with-lorena-hickok-346115/

9. National Park Service. (n.d.). Lorena Hickok. U.S. Department of the Interior. https://www.nps.gov/people/lorena-hickok.htm

10. Waxman, O. B. (2016, March 31). The woman who changed Eleanor Roosevelt’s life. TIME. https://time.com/4276317/lorena-hickok/

11. NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project. (n.d.). Lorena Hickok residence. https://www.nyclgbtsites.org/site/lorena-hickok-residence/

12. Peoples World. (2020, October 9). Bringing Eleanor Roosevelt’s lover, Lorena Hickok, out of the shadows. https://peoplesworld.org/article/bringing-eleanor-roosevelt-s-lover-lorena-hickok-out-of-the-shadows/