Attempting to unite his splintering Democratic Party and create legislative harmony, President Roosevelt invited Representatives, Senators, and Cabinet members to an all-male weekend picnic in 1937. Female Members of Congress were not invited, but wives met beforehand for a planning luncheon. Their hats and coats, covering the President’s bed, would vanish along with their wearers before the weekend of swimming, eating, drinking, and poker playing enjoyed by Members of Congress and the Cabinet.
