Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Woodville Rockhill
Subject(s): Dalai lamas, Diplomats--Influence, Gifts
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President Roosevelt congratulates diplomat William Woodville Rockville on “one of the most interesting and extraordinary experiences that any man of our generation has had,” presumably referring to the fact Rockville was the first Westerner to befriend and advise a Dalai Lama of Tibet. Roosevelt wonders what gift he should send the “Talé Lama” in return for the Buddha and silk Katag he received. He mentions he sent the Pope a copy of his books and is not sure this would be appropriate for the Dalai Lama.
Collection
Creation Date
1908-08-01
Creator(s)
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Recipient
Rockhill, William Woodville, 1854-1914
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)
Repository
Harvard College Library
Page Count
2
Production Method
Record Type
Multi-image
Resource Type
Rights
Electronic copy sponsored by the Theodore Roosevelt Center at Dickinson State University. For reproduction or publication permission, contact the Theodore Roosevelt Collection, Houghton Library. See the Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library Terms of Use for further copyright information.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Woodville Rockhill. [August 1, 1908]. Harvard College Library.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o283257. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Woodville Rockhill. [1 Aug. 1908]. Multi-image.
Harvard College Library. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 15, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o283257.
APA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919., [1908, August 1]. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Woodville Rockhill.
Harvard College Library. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o283257.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Harvard College Library. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/harvard-college-library. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Harvard College Library. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 15, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/harvard-college-library.
APA:
Harvard College Library. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/harvard-college-library.
