A White House reception as Mr. Cochran of Missouri would have it
Subject(s): Cigarette habit, Cockran, William Bourke, 1854-1923, Entertainment events, Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919, Smoking, White House (Washington, D.C.)
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President Roosevelt, pictured with a cigar in his hand, greets guests at the White House. Many other guests appear in the background, dancing, smoking, and visiting.
Comments and Context
Representative William Bourke Cockran (both Bourke and Cockran were spelled different ways during his lifetime) was a Democratic congressman, known as a great orator, who bolted his party in 1896 to support William McKinley, but returned shortly thereafter to the Democratic Party. In 1903, Cockran was one of several congressmen who criticized President Roosevelt for spending too much money on the White House refurbishment and on White House entertainments. Hence this cartoon, which shows a keg of beer instead of fine wines, a fiddler instead of an orchestra, men in hobnail shoes instead of dress boots, and guests with their feet on the table.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1903-02-16
Creator(s)
Rogers, W. A. (William Allen), 1854-1931
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 1st Term (September 1901-February 1905)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
1
Production Method
Record Type
Image
Resource Type
Rights
These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
A White House reception as Mr. Cochran of Missouri would have it. [February 16, 1903]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o274733. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Rogers, W. A. (William Allen), 1854-1931. A White House reception as Mr. Cochran of Missouri would have it. [16 Feb. 1903]. Image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 5, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o274733.
APA:
Rogers, W. A. (William Allen), 1854-1931., [1903, February 16]. A White House reception as Mr. Cochran of Missouri would have it.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o274733.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 5, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
APA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
