Tablescraps: Mementos of the Washington-Roosevelt Dinner
Subject(s): Campaign buttons, Campaign insignia, Dinners and dining, Dooley, Mr. (Fictitious character), Dunne, Finley Peter, 1867-1936, McKinley, William, 1843-1901, Parker, Alton B. (Alton Brooks), 1852-1926, Political cartoons, Presidents--Caricatures and cartoons, Presidents--Relations with African Americans, Racism, Racism in cartoons, Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919, Washington, Booker T., 1856-1915
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Michael Kelly describes the fallout from the dinner meeting between Booker T. Washington and President Theodore Roosevelt at the White House on October 16, 1901. Kelly quotes from newspaper accounts of the time, and examines eight examples of political memorabilia that emerged from the meeting such as political cartoons and buttons. The items, which are shown in the article, mostly criticize Roosevelt and portray African Americans in a racist manner, although two items, a picture and a button, emphasize the word “equality” and were originally intended to praise the meeting. Kelly notes that the meeting was widely and fervently criticized in the South but met with a warm reception in the African American community and the items produced reflect those differing opinions.
John A. Gable provides a short introduction to the article and says that historians and historical journals need to preserve and study the past “however unpleasant or distasteful such records may be.” Eight illustrations of political cartoons, buttons, and campaign memorabilia supplement the text.
Collection
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal
Creation Date
1988
Creator(s)
Kelly, Michael; Gable, John A.
Language
English
Period
Theodore Roosevelt and Public Memory (1919-present)
Page Count
5
Production Method
Record Type
Image
Resource Type
Rights
“No permission is required from the Theodore Roosevelt Association to use items in the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal collection for educational purposes. For permissions, contact William Tilchin at (516) 921-6319 or by email at wnt@bu.edu.”
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
Tablescraps: Mementos of the Washington-Roosevelt Dinner. [1988]. Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o307775. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Kelly, Michael; Gable, John A.. Tablescraps: Mementos of the Washington-Roosevelt Dinner. [1988]. Image.
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. August 3, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o307775.
APA:
Kelly, Michael; Gable, John A.., [1988]. Tablescraps: Mementos of the Washington-Roosevelt Dinner.
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o307775.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. August 3, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal.
APA:
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal.
