Lou Gehrig Wife: Who Was Eleanor Gehrig?

Eleanor Gehrig was an American philanthropist, socialist, and memoirist, known as the wife of American baseball player, Lou Gehrig.

After Gehrig’s death she continued to promote his legacy and contributed to Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis research. She also took control of Gehrig’s estate after his death. During World War II, she raised money for the cause by auctioning off some of her husband’s memorabilia, raising six million dollars.

Eleanor also served as National Campaign Chair on the board of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Gehrig petitioned congress to provide funding for research on the disease and the creation and funding for a national institute in multiple sclerosis.