"A second-class intellect. But a first-class temperament." (Source)

This quote by Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. summarizes precisely why President Roosevelt was the best hope America had to survive the trials facing the country in 1932.

Holmes was a judicial legend who spent 30 years on the Supreme Court, so it's safe to say he had a pearl or two of wisdom to dispense. And like any other 92-year-old, by the time he met with Roosevelt, he didn't feel like beating around the bush.

Being an intelligent man with the best education money could buy certainly helped FDR throughout his presidency. But a president isn't elected because he's the smartest man in the country; many other factors come into play. Roosevelt's first-class temperament was essential especially in the dramatic first 100 days of his first term in office.

What America needed most was someone to lead. And as would be demonstrated time and time again, his decisive action was just the ticket to lead America out from its long national nightmare.