Blog
Music and Adventure at the Symposium
September 29, 2010
In my first review of the Symposium, I covered the lectures and panels. Now, I’d like to let you know what happened once the lectures were done. Friday night, Dr. Tim Justus, chair of the Dickinson State University Music department, and a musical ensemble, presented a program, “Music in the White House: 1901-1909.” The musical selections were pieces that would have been heard regularly in the Roosevelt White House during social occasions. The program included three John Philip Sousa marches, “Le Coin Des Enfants” by Claude Debussy and several ragtime pieces. Alice Roosevelt was the first to request a rag piece at the White House in 1906. The United States Marine Corps Band responded with Scot Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag,” which was also played during this concert. Dr. Bruce Southard, Director of Choral Activities at DSU, joined the ensemble to perform popular vocal pieces of the time including “Shine On Harvest Moon” and “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” I thought this was a fitting ending to a day where we had discussed so often how Theodore Roosevelt was a man of his time and context. Listening to this music put me right back into the Victorian state of mind.
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Reviewing the Symposium
September 27, 2010
Last week, over 625 people attended the events included in this year’s Theodore Roosevelt Symposium. Our theme this year was Roosevelt as president.
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A Letter from Lady Gregory
September 20, 2010
One of our interns shares a favorite letter from Irish author Lady Gregory to Theodore Roosevelt in 1903.
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The Symposium Starts this Evening!
September 16, 2010
The 2010 Theodore Roosevelt Symposium kicks off this evening, Thursday, September 16, 2010 at Stickney Auditorium in May Hall here at Dickinson State University.
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The Quiet Inauguration of Theodore Roosevelt
September 14, 2010
On September 6, 1901, President William McKinley was shot while shaking hands with attendees at the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. Eight days later, on September 14, 1901, in a quiet ceremony inside Ansley Wilcox’s home, Theodore Roosevelt took the oath of office and officially became the 26th president of the United States.
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The Evolution of Theodore Roosevelt Island
September 10, 2010
One of our summer interns shares her attachment to Theodore Roosevelt Island after cataloging its digital items during her time with the TR Center.
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Partners in Digitization
September 08, 2010
Our early presidents have no official presidential libraries. The first such library was established in 1939 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt donated his papers to the federal government.
Because of the late establishment of presidential libraries, no definitive repository exists for Theodore Roosevelt’s archival materials. While the Library of Congress and Harvard University hold large collections, many more of Roosevelt’s papers are scattered in libraries and archives throughout the country.
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Celebrating Citizenship on Labor Day
September 06, 2010
On Labor Day, September, 7, 1903, Theodore Roosevelt gave an address to New York Lieutenant Governor Frank W. Higgins and attendants at the New York State Fair.
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A White House Renovation
September 02, 2010
The White House yesterday released pictures of the remodeled Oval Office. Calm, soothing colors permeate the room with reupholstered sofas and a new rug. Upon the rug are quotes from some of the nation’s most respected leaders: Martin Luther King Jr. (though his quote is disputed), Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy and, lastly, Theodore Roosevelt. It is fitting, then, that we take a moment to look at the first major restoration and renovation project at the White House, undertaken by the Roosevelts in 1902. The Rooseveltian renovation aimed to turn the damp and dark mansion into a symbol of the presidency itself.
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The Symposium is Upon Us!
September 01, 2010
The fifth annual Theodore Roosevelt Symposium will be held at Dickinson State University from September 16-18, 2010. Our focus this year is Roosevelt’s presidency from September 14, 1901 to March 4, 1909.
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