No Franklin the First
AssociationAssociated with
Wendell Lewis Willkie
(1892 Elwood, Indiana - 1944 New York, New York)
Date1940
Mediummetal
Dimensions1/4 × 1 1/2 in. (0.6 × 3.8 cm)
ClassificationsDocumentary Artifact
Credit LineAlbuquerque Museum, gift of Edward T. Peeples
Object numberPC1997.5.64
DescriptionThis campaign button was produced for Wendell Willkie, who challenged Franklin D. Roosevelt's bid for a third presidential term. Before entering politics, Willkie was the president of the Commonwealth & Southern Corporation, a utilities company. During his time there, he fought against the federally funded Tennessee Valley Authority, which provided power that competed with C&S. Willkie eventually decided to run for president as the Republican nominee in a divided party, advocating for a more interventionist foreign policy. Despite his efforts, Willkie lost the 1940 election to Roosevelt, who went on to make history as the only U.S. president to serve more than two terms. The button is all white with blue text. The text reads "NO / FRANKLIN / THE / FIRST.""On View
Not on view
