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President Roosevelt is looking forward to reading Walter Camp’s book. He wishes Camp could have been there when he received Olympians at Oyster Bay.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-10-08
President Roosevelt regrets that he must recall his invitation to the luncheon scheduled for September 27.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1901-09-14
Civil Service Commissioner Roosevelt believes that all Americans owe a debt to Walter Camp for his championing of athletics and exercise, which Roosevelt believes is necessary as America develops a larger population of sedentary classes. Roosevelt particularly approves of football, and is disdainful of people like Harvard University President Charles William Eliot who wish to ban it because of the injuries it can cause. Roosevelt discusses injuries he has sustained during various sports and exercises, and says that while he approves of altering football’s rules so that it is less dangerous, he would rather have it be dangerous than not have it at all. Many prominent politicians in Washington, D.C., were involved in sports during their college years, and Roosevelt draws a link between having a sound body and a sound mind.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1895-03-11
Theodore Roosevelt thanks Walter Camp for the book.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-11-29
Theodore Roosevelt acknowledges that he heard Walter Camp was going to “sunder his connection” from the Athletic Committee, but notes that he is confident that does not mean Camp will lose interest in athletics. Roosevelt responds to a request from Camp to publish one of his letters. He agrees to the request but specifies names of publications and people that are to be omitted from the published text.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1915-01-08
President Roosevelt thanks Walter Camp for the letter, and says that even apart from his feeling as a Harvard graduate, he thinks it is good that Harvard win occasionally. Roosevelt enjoyed reading Camp’s book, and while he does not wish to be quoted, wanted to let Camp know that he thought it “achieves the double purpose of being interesting and having a first-class tendency.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-10
President Roosevelt thanks Walter Camp for the letter to secretary to the President, William Loeb.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-10-05
President Roosevelt congratulates Walter Camp, an American football player, and shares that his son, Archibald B. Roosevelt’s football team is now playing on the White House grounds.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-10-09
President Roosevelt encloses for Walter Camp a letter that interested him. He believes it is important to free football umpires from the risk of unpleasant confrontations arising from the anger of teams or coaches. Roosevelt believes they should be chosen by agreement between the faculties of different colleges, or in another way that will free them from responsibility to specific plyers or coaches.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-12-11
President Roosevelt tells Walter Camp that his son Ted wrote to both him and his mother that he was not unfairly targeted in the football game against Yale, and that the game was clean. In a postscript, Roosevelt describes his role in organizing a meeting between graduates of Harvard, Yale, and Princeton.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-11-24
President Roosevelt thanks Walter Camp for the letter and enclosures, as well as for his admirable work.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-11-17
President Roosevelt is grateful to Walter Camp for sending the memorandum about the outcome of the meeting about football, and says he approves of it. He admires what Camp and the others in the meeting have done and asks him to tell the others how much he appreciates their actions.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-10-11
President Roosevelt acknowledges he received the memorandum sent by Walter Camp, although he expected its arrival sooner. He is very pleased with how Camp has “taken hold” of the issue and asks him to let him know if he can be of assistance.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-10-11
President Roosevelt asks Walter Camp, a Yale football player, to attend a meeting at the White House to discuss “certain football matters.” He asks Camp to also bring his head coach or the man “nearest to what the head coach will be.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-10-02