Roosevelt, Quentin, 1897-1918

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Quentin Roosevelt

Flora Whitney, Quentin Roosevelt’s fiance, visited for dinner, and Theodore Roosevelt found her to be the “dearest girl.” Quentin is very fortunate. Roosevelt has been disappointed that he could not join the war effort but these feelings have been swept away by “immense pride” in his sons. He hopes to continue working until his sons come home so that he can start Archibald Roosevelt and Quentin out all right. Then he will retire because an “elderly male Cassandra” can do little work and is more of a nuisance. Roosevelt’s new book, The Foes Of Our Own Household, will soon be published and dedicated to his children and their spouses. Flora will receive her own copy with a special inscription.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-09-01

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Quentin Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt has been receiving letters from all his sons, except Quentin Roosevelt. However, Quentin’s movement have been tracked through the use of outside sources and information from Flora Whitney. Roosevelt is pleased that Quentin will be near Tommy Hitchcock and he dined with Hitchcock’s parents yesterday. Ethel Roosevelt Derby and Richard Derby will be returning at the end of the week. Richard is fretting at his inability to get overseas and Roosevelt is going to speak with Surgeon General Gorgas to see if anything can be done. Roosevelt has been kept busy with speeches and articles but feels that now is a time when only action counts.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-09-10

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Quentin Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt encourages Quentin Roosevelt to stick with the “uncongenial work” even though he would rather be flying. If Quentin truly decides that he is being mistreated, Roosevelt can try and help as long as he knows exactly what Quentin wants. Roosevelt visited the Mineola aviation ground and was taken up on a plane with a new engine design. He thought it was better but is unsure how it compares to planes at the front. Richard Derby is at Yaphank, New York, where the new draftees are arriving. Roosevelt is sending a copy of his new book. A copy was also sent to Flora Whitney.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-09-17

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Quentin Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt believes that it will be a valuable experience for Quentin Roosevelt to help prepare the aviation camp, even though the work is unpleasant. He sends his regards to Cord Meyer and is sure that they will both get into the “regular flying game.” Roosevelt and Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt have been on a trip, originally so he could meet with with people of the Kansas City Star. Roosevelt will be making a few speeches but he loathes speech making and the “professional orator class.” He only talks because he cannot take any action. He cautions Quentin to look after his back so he can get back to flying.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-09-28

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Quentin Roosevelt

Grace Stackpole Lockwood Roosevelt visited, and Flora Whitney came to see her. Flora wrote a nice note in response to the book she received from Theodore Roosevelt and is “just as good as she’s pretty.” Roosevelt’s trip through the northwest ended in fine style with large, enthusiastic crowds. He is opposing Germany in the war as they are an “abhorrent foe.” However, he also believes that Great Britain preferred an American policy of feebleness rather then strength. Roosevelt wants the United States to “prepare her own strength.” He has also been speaking in New York about the war and campaigning for Mayor Mitchel.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-10-08

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Quentin Roosevelt

At Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt’s suggestion, Theodore Roosevelt has traveled to Stamford, Connecticut, for two weeks of exercise. The camp is run by Jack Cooper, a former boxer, who is one of the professional athletes that keep one hand in the underworld and one in the wealthy sporting world. Roosevelt received a nice letter from General Duncan regarding Ted Roosevelt and Archie Roosevelt. War preparation continues slowly and Roosevelt is bitter that “ordinary foresight and patriotism” in the country’s leaders could have already ended the war.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-10-15

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Quentin Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt encloses one of Flora Whitney’s kind letters so that Quentin Roosevelt can see her kindness towards his parents. Five of the grandchildren are staying at Sagamore Hill. Roosevelt takes the older children to visit the “fascinating pigs” and is often driven to distraction by the babies because he just wants to play with them. Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt is well and Roosevelt will continue to hold down his “second rate job” until his children return from overseas. He is still trying to help the war effort and make things unpleasant for “Hearst and La Follette and the other Huns within our gates.”

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-10-30

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Quentin Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt understands Quentin Roosevelt’s exasperation at losing his “truck job” but is glad that Quentin is flying again. It is the 32nd anniversary of Roosevelt’s engagement to Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt and they are still in love. They have just returned from Princeton where most people had sound views on national politics. Roosevelt reviewed and addressed the undergraduate battalion and the men of the aviation training camp. He sat with Frances Folsom Cleveland, Grover Cleveland’s widow, at dinner and then delivered a speech to the students and townspeople. The senior and junior classes at colleges are “skeleton,” and Roosevelt is glad that Quentin was able to join the military when he did.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-11-17

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Quentin Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt enjoyed Quentin Roosevelt’s letter describing his experience unloading the touring cars and taking them through the countryside to Paris, France. It sounded like a great experience and Roosevelt is proud of his son. He was also interested to hear that Quentin might be taking charge of the company. Roosevelt, Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt, Ethel Roosevelt Derby, and Flora Whitney have just returned from a trip to Toronto, Canada. He had been reluctant to speak in Canada before the United States entered the war but he thought he could be helpful now as there is “an ugly fight over the draft” in Canada.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-11-28

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Quentin Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt received a complimentary letter from a New York policeman whose son is in the squad that Quentin Roosevelt reorganized. Roosevelt attended an Allied bazaar as Corinne Roosevelt Robinson had a booth for the Fatherless Children of France. He is generally opposed to bazaars as they have a “vapid country-fair” atmosphere and tend to waste money in order to make a little. Grace Stackpole Lockwood Roosevelt is visiting and brought some of Archibald Roosevelt’s letters. The letters offer a glimpse into the trenches but are full of “violent truthtelling” that Roosevelt has warned Archie not to put in writing. He continues to make occasional speeches but feels very useless during wartime.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-12-07

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Quentin Roosevelt

A letter from Banner Shull, who had served in the motor company commanded by Quentin Roosevelt, was printed in an Ohio newspaper and was very complimentary of Quentin’s leadership. The family is “proud as peacocks” of the various tributes Quentin has received. Grace Stackpole Lockwood Roosevelt, Ethel Roosevelt Derby, and the two Derby children are staying at Sagamore Hill. Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt is “not very strong” but is “just as pretty as possible.” On Saturday, Roosevelt attended a dinner for Ambassador Jusserand. He then spent the night at Corinne Roosevelt Robinson’s home and was able to see Senator Lodge and General Wood.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-12-10

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Quentin Roosevelt

A letter from Banner Shull, who had served in the motor company commanded by Quentin Roosevelt, was printed in an Indiana newspaper and was very complimentary of Quentin’s leadership. A copy was sent to Flora Whitney. Theodore Roosevelt has been working to have Tommy Hitchcock transferred to the American aviation service. Roosevelt has been on a three day speaking trip to Cincinnati, Ohio and the army camp at Chillicothe, Ohio. He was once again impressed by the officers and enlisted men but noticed an obvious lack of equipment.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-12-18

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Quentin Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt encourages Quentin Roosevelt to write more often to his family and fiance, Flora Whitney. He cautions that as an “infrequent correspondent,” Quentin could lose Flora. Quentin should write interesting letters and love letters at least three times per week under all circumstances. There should be enough letters to allow for half of them to be lost.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-12-24

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Quentin Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt was sorry to hear that Quentin Roosevelt contracted pneumonia and had a melancholy Christmas. At Sagamore Hill, the holiday was enlightened by Richard Derby, Jr., and Edith Roosevelt Derby. Roosevelt is indignant that Ted Roosevelt and Archie Roosevelt have suggested that Quentin is an embusque, a person seeking to avoid military service. He doubts that they were being serious and notes several positive statements that have appeared in print from men that had served with Quentin. Roosevelt encourages Quentin to write steadily to his mother and Flora Whitney. He continues to do nothing; occasionally writing or speaking as poor substitutes for action. Roosevelt hopes that his work will help remedy some of the army’s shortcomings and speed up the war.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1918-01-18

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Quentin Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt and Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt spent four days in Washington, D.C., with Alice Roosevelt Longworth and Representative Nicholas Longworth. Roosevelt was very busy meeting with politicians, journalists, and military officers. It was difficult for Edith as many of her old friends had grown old or died. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hitchcock visited and are very proud of their son, Tommy. Hitchcock had written his parents that he has been practicing shooting all the time, and Roosevelt asks if Quentin has been able to practice. Quentin’s recent letters have been interesting, and Roosevelt encourages Quentin to write regularly to his mother and to Flora Whitney.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1918-01-27

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Quentin Roosevelt

A “regular winter” is upon Sagamore Hill. Theodore Roosevelt exercises a little, speaks once or twice a week regarding the war, and writes for the Kansas City Star. He hopes he is doing a little good. The Republicans appear willing to accept Roosevelt’s leadership for the fall campaign to the extent of speeding up the war and only accepting the “peace of complete victory.” Alice Roosevelt Longworth is visiting and is “as amusing and interesting as ever.” Representative Longworth has delivered a strong speech on the military situation. Quentin should be pleased that he is overseas and not being delayed in some camp. Roosevelt wishes that President Wilson had been patriotic, just, and generous enough to accept Roosevelt’s service. However, the essential matter is that his sons have grasped the chance to “prove your truth.”

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1918-02-03

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Quentin Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt is “getting on splendidly” but will be in the hospital for another week. Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt is spending some time with Ethel Roosevelt Derby and her children. Roosevelt has been pleased with what he hears about Quentin Roosevelt and is proud of his sons. He thinks that Tommy Hitchcock has “turned out cracker-jack.”

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1918-02-28

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Quentin Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt has left the hospital but the damage in his inner ear continues to make him lose his equilibrium. He should be better in a few months. Frederick Trubee Davison, who now walks with a cane, visited Roosevelt in the hospital and inquired about Quentin Roosevelt. Captain Adolph Wiedebach, Archibald Roosevelt’s former captain, brought them news about Quentin. In a postscript, Roosevelt wishes that Flora Whitney could travel overseas to marry Quentin.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1918-03-05

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Quentin Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt was depressed to hear that Tommy Hitchcock was captured by the Germans. Various information has been received regarding Archibald Roosevelt. It appears that he has been wounded and received the Croix de guerre from the French. Roosevelt encourages Quentin Roosevelt to write to Flora Whitney and her family to ask if Flora could go overseas to marry him. Roosevelt approves of them getting married, even with the potential for death and serious injury. He is confident that Flora wants to marry Quentin under any conditions. William Beebe has returned from France where he was allowed to do some “flying and bombing.”

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1918-03-17

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Quentin Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt was pleased to hear that Quentin Roosevelt is learning how to shoot at the French school. He understands the aviation service’s frustration over the service stripe regulation. Roosevelt encourages Quentin Roosevelt to write to Flora Whitney and her family to ask if Flora could go overseas to marry him. He is confident that Flora wants to marry Quentin under any conditions. General Wood visited and had nice things to say about Quentin. Roosevelt closes by expressing his pride in Quentin.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1918-03-24