American Museum of Natural History

Michael Kort opens and closes his book review essay with thoughts on the equestrian statue of Theodore Roosevelt that used to mark the entrance to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Kort cites the statue as emblematic of the argument made in Edward P. Kohn’s Heir to the Empire City: New York and the Making of Theodore Roosevelt that New York City was more important to shaping the man and his policies than the Dakota Badlands. Kort believes that Kohn makes a persuasive case, but he does question the book’s lack of academic citations and Kohn’s use of speculative language. 

The front cover of Kohn’s book, a political cartoon, and a photograph of James Earle Fraser’s equestrian statue of Roosevelt accompany the essay.

Gregory A. Wynn describes the nineteen page book produced by the Roosevelt Memorial Association to promote the construction of a Theodore Roosevelt memorial in Washington, D.C. Wynn also examines other projects undertaken in the nation’s capital by the project’s architect, John Russell Pope.  Wynn discusses why the proposed memorial failed to be built, and he compares its design to the National World War II Memorial. A photograph of Wynn and photographs of the book’s cover and title page appear in the article. 

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2011

Report on the annual natural history research grants awarded by the American Museum of Natural History and funded by the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA). The report notes the growth in the number of grants, their value, and the overall value of the grant fund. It highlights presentations by two Museum research fellows, and it traces the history of the TRA’s funding of the program. The report concludes with a paragraph on the involvement of Theodore Roosevelt and his father with the Museum.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2004

Medals, awards, and grants sponsored by the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) constitute much of the “News & Notes” section. The honors include: the conferring of the Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal to historian Stephen E. Ambrose; the 2002 TRA Police Award for the New Orleans, Louisiana, Police Department; the annual research grants given by the American Museum of Natural History; and the public speaking contests for New York City area schools. The section also highlights the Battle Efficiency Award won by the crew of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt; the issuance of Theodore Roosevelt license plates by the state of New York; and a description of a fundraiser for the TRA’s Teddy Bear Fund, including a list of donors. The section concludes with the preface to Nathan Miller’s biography Theodore Roosevelt: A Life.

Photographs of Ambrose, a dinosaur exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History, and participants in the New York City speaking contest appear in the section.

The varied work and programs of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) are listed under nineteen topic headings, all of which are addressed in brief paragraphs. These include programs like the teddy bears for hospitalized children, police awards in major cities, and the support of historical sites related to the life of Theodore Roosevelt.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2001

The conferring of the annual Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) police awards for New York City, Boston, and Western New York state opens this edition of the “News and Notes” section. The accomplishments of each of the winners are detailed as are the ceremonies marking each award. A report on the TRA’s annual meeting and dinner follows with details of its speakers, field trips, and annual elections. The conferring of the TRA’s Junior Officer Leadership Award for a member of the crew of the USS Theodore Roosevelt is highlighted, and the section reprints an address by Edith Derby Williams given at the annual meeting.

Other news from the section includes the marking of twenty years as Executive Director of the TRA by John A. Gable; the awarding of the annual natural history research grants by the American Museum of Natural History; and the passing of TRA Trustee Oren Root. New York Governor George E. Pataki’s admiration for Theodore Roosevelt is noted as are the accomplishments of Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. and his son, Quentin, on the fiftieth anniversary of the invasion of Normandy in World War II. “News and Notes” also trumpets recent works on Theodore Roosevelt by Caleb Carr, H. Paul Jeffers, and Joseph R. Ornig.

Eleven photographs appear in the section, including eight from the annual meeting, two from the police awards ceremonies, and one of Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. with his son Quentin.

The 76th Annual Meeting of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) took place at Norfolk, Virginia, as well as onboard the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt. The Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal was presented to former Secretary of the Navy John F. Lehman. The TRA also gave several gifts to the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt, and held its meeting of the Board of Trustees. One prominent topic during the Board of Trustees meeting was about the future of Pine Knot–the Virginia cabin of Theodore Roosevelt and Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt.

Other news items include the presentation of a number of Theodore Roosevelt-related awards, such as the TRA’s annual police awards, the appearance of Theodore Roosevelt on several television programs during 1995-1996, reports on several TRA-related activities like the annual teddy bear distribution, and an obituary of Dorothy R. Kidder. At the end of this section is a selection of several Theodore Roosevelt-related facts, including the names of the Secretaries of the Navy during Roosevelt’s presidency, and Roosevelt’s appointments to the Supreme Court.

Five photographs from the annual meeting, two illustrations of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, and a photograph of Secretary of the Interior Bruce E. Babbitt appear in the section.

This edition of “News and Notes” reports on the annual awards supported by the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) conferred by the American Museum of Natural History, the Roosevelt Study Center, and the Navy League of the United States. The section lists all of the winners of the Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Naval History Prize as well as the current judges. “News and Notes” also contains an article about the return of six pieces of china to Bulloch Hall in Roswell, Georgia. The section concludes with two pages of news about the TRA, including its adoption of email, fundraising efforts, and the various programs it supports. Two photographs, one each from the Roosevelt Study Center and Bulloch Hall, supplement the text.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1996

The front cover of this issue of the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal features a political cartoon by Thomas Nast from 1889 depicting Theodore Roosevelt as a cowboy trying to tame a horse branded “spoilsman” in reference to Roosevelt’s work with the Civil Service Commission. The back cover has two photographs of members of the Rio Roosevelt Expedition of 1992. One of the photographs shows expedition members displaying the flags of the organizations that sponsored the journey.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1992

Seventeen topics compete for attention in the ten pages of this edition of the “News and Notes” section. The restoration of Sagamore Hill National Historic Site by the National Park Service and the acquisition of Theodore Roosevelt’s rustic retreat, Pine Knot, by the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) receive extensive coverage. The section also highlights the ninetieth anniversary of the establishment of Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge and the visit by President Bill Clinton to the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt.

“News and Notes” covers the various student awards and contests sponsored by the TRA as well as the natural history research grants given by the American Museum of Natural History. The section also provides information about the Woman’s Roosevelt Memorial Association and defends Roosevelt’s stance on women’s issues. An article by Bill Bleyer about the restoration of Sagamore Hill is reprinted in “News and Notes” along with a letter from a TRA member who complains about the glorification of Roosevelt in the pages of the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal.

Seven photographs of various subjects, including Sagamore Hill, Pine Knot, and the USS Theodore Roosevelt appear in the section.

This edition of “News and Notes” begins with a summary of the events, elections, and speeches at the seventy-first annual meeting of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) which included the selection of Robert D. Dalziel as the twelfth President of the TRA. The report includes a listing of those elected to the Board of Trustees as well as brief biographies of the past presidents. “News and Notes” also details the conferring of annual awards and prizes supported by the TRA including: natural history research grants from the American Museum of Natural History; the Theodore Roosevelt Public Speaking Contest for the New York City public schools; the TRA Police Award for the New York City Police Department; and the Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Naval History Prize. The section also notes the passing of Archibald B. Roosevelt, Junior, changes in command of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, and highlights a lecture by David McCullough at the White House on Theodore Roosevelt.

Two photographs from the TRA annual meeting, a photograph of McCullough with President George Bush, and an illustration of both sides of the TRA medallion appear in the section.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

This edition of the “News and Notes” section opens with the somber news that three aircrew from the USS Theodore Roosevelt were lost in combat during Operation Desert Storm in February 1991. The section encourages members of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) to contribute to an education trust fund for the four children of the lost airmen. “News and Notes” also provides details about the various awards, grants and prizes conferred by the TRA and its associated organizations in the first half of 1991: Lawrence J. Sanders awards for essays in American history at the Roosevelt Study Center in the Netherlands; natural history research grants from the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund at the American Museum of Natural History; Theodore Roosevelt Public Speaking Contest for the New York City public schools; the Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Naval History Prize; and the TRA Police Award for the New York City Police Department. The latter report features a reprint of a story from the New York Times detailing the heroism of Police Officer Yolanda Lugo. The section also conveys the death of a National Park Service staffer at Sagamore Hill National Historic Site who died in a fire, and highlights the meeting of the Rough Riders reenactors group in Tampa, Florida.

“News and Notes” includes photographs of: winners of the essay awards at the Roosevelt Study Center; meeting of the Rough Riders, Inc. in Tampa, Florida; TRA Police Award winner Yolanda Lugo; and a F/A-18 Hornet on the deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Much of this lengthy edition of the “News and Notes” section, eight of fourteen pages, is devoted to the election, dinner, and ceremonies surrounding the 1991 annual meeting of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) in Roswell, Georgia. The meeting news includes the conferring of the Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal to Eugene P. Odum, the complete text of the medal’s citation, and a report on the state of the TRA by its president, Robert D. Dalziel. The section also includes three quotes from Theodore Roosevelt on nature and conservation and an announcement that an expedition will undertake to retrace Roosevelt’s expedition on the River of Doubt in Brazil in 1992. The reopening of Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall at the American Museum of Natural History, after an extensive renovation, the results of the TRA’s annual Teddy Bear Drive, and the conferring of the TRA’s Bertha B. Rose Award to Cornelius Boertien of the Roosevelt Study Center are also detailed. The section closes with a indictment of NBC television’s movie “The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw” for its portrayal of Roosevelt, labeling the program as a “stupid film” and “trash.”

The section includes ten photographs from the annual meeting, two photographs from the Rose Award ceremony, a photograph of Odum, and a photograph of the members of the Brazil expedition team. A text box noting that this issue is dedicated to Oliver R. Grace and an illustration of both sides of the TRA medallion supplement the section.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Three books and an essay are reviewed in the “Books” section. John A. Gable examines Kristie Miller’s biography Ruth Hanna McCormick and finds that it provides not only a look at her pioneering life in Republican politics, but that it also shows the impact of the Progressive Party into the 1920s. Gable notes that McCormick achieved many firsts for women in politics. Dennis Flanagan reviews War Plan Orange, the winner of the 1992 Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Naval History Prize, and reveals that American strategists had been debating about how to conduct a war against Japan decades before the attack on Pearl Harbor.

In “Theodore Roosevelt, Carl Akeley, and the American Museum of Natural History,” Debby Applegate reviews a biography of Akeley and an essay that examines his work at the museum. Applegate highlights Akeley’s relationship with Roosevelt that began with his African safari, and she highlights how the works under review stress that the museum and its Roosevelt Memorial Hall are not “timeless” but represent the thinking of the men and the times in which they were built, and she cautions against casually condemning their work. A separate “Book Notes” section mentions twenty-five books on Roosevelt related topics or from Roosevelt historians, ranging from children’s books to biographies to a cookbook. The work of David G. McCullough, Douglas Brinkley, and Sylvia Jukes Morris are highlighted.

Photographs of Miller, Akeley, and the Barosaurus exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History illustrate the sections.

This edition of the “News and Notes” section begins with media coverage of the Rio Roosevelt Expedition 1992, including the reprinting of a New York Times article on the expedition and highlighting coverage on ABC television’s “Good Morning America” program. The section also details some of the many awards and honors bestowed by the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) and its partners in 1992, including police awards in New York City and Boston; research grants from the American Museum of Natural History; the public speaking contest for the New York City public schools; and the awards given by the Roosevelt Study Center in the Netherlands for essays in American history. “News and Notes” also features three obituaries of prominent figures in the TRA: Oliver R. Grace, Elisha Dyer, and William Davison Johnston. The latter two served as Presidents of the TRA, and this issue of the journal is dedicated to Johnston. The section closes with reflections on Theodore Roosevelt by three of his contemporaries, Van Wyck Brooks, Joseph Bucklin Bishop, and Hamlin Garland.

Eleven photographs illustrate the section: two of members of the Rio Roosevelt Expedition; five from the police awards in Boston and New York City; three of Dyer and Johnston; and one of the awards ceremony at the Roosevelt Study Center. There are two text boxes in the section: one seeks a financial sponsor for the TRA public speaking contest, and the other notes a change in the mailing address of the TRA.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Variety marks the “News and Notes” column as it covers twelve topics over five pages. The first three topics involve awards and prizes conferred in 1988, and describe the Theodore Roosevelt Public Speaking Contest for the New York public schools, research grants from the American Museum of Natural History, and the Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Naval History Prize. The column reprints Tweed Roosevelt’s address on the 100 year anniversary of Arbor Day in Albany, New York, and notes the passing of Paul Russell Cutright who wrote two books about Roosevelt as a naturalist. “News and Notes” also highlights the speaking engagements of John A. Gable, promotes the Theodore Roosevelt Association’s publication of a collection of Roosevelt’s speeches, The Man in the Arena, and refutes assertions made in the media that Roosevelt believed in astrology.

A photograph from the finals of the public speaking contest, an illustration of Roosevelt, and one of both sides of the Theodore Roosevelt Association medallion appear in the column.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Awards and grants sponsored by the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) make up much of this edition of the “News and Notes” column and include the conferring of the Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Naval History Prize, the TRA Police Award for the New York City Police Department, and the annual research grants  from the American Museum of Natural History. The column also covers a reunion of the two branches of the Roosevelt family comprising the descendants of Theodore Roosevelt from Oyster Bay, New York, and those of Franklin D. Roosevelt from Hyde Park, New York. A letter from Elliott Roosevelt, a son of Franklin D. Roosevelt, to John A. Gable of the TRA recounts some shared episodes of Roosevelt family history, including Theodore Roosevelt’s role in Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt’s wedding and Theodore Roosevelt’s attempt to serve in World War I. “News and Notes” also describes the dedication of a rose garden in honor of Jessica Van Ausdall Kraft at Sagamore Hill, highlights the work of some of the TRA leadership, and promotes the publications of the TRA.

Two photographs of the rose garden ceremonies at Sagamore Hill, two from the luncheon for the Naval History Prize, and one of Theodore Roosevelt join a picture of both sides of the TRA medallion to illustrate the column.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Joyce M. Bisso opens this edition of “News and Notes” with a report on the effort to gather library books from the greater Oyster Bay, New York, area to build a library for the sailors aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt. The task fell to students from Oyster Bay High School and local public libraries. Bisso quotes the two sailors from the ship, Petty Officer Timothy L. Blackstone and Senior Chief Edward J. Tessier, who came to Oyster Bay to collect the books and other materials gathered by the community. The article also reprints a letter from Captain Paul W. Parcells, Commanding Officer of USS Theodore Roosevelt, to William Davison Johnston, the President of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA). A photograph of students examining books; one of Blackstone and Tessier; and another of the two sailors with Oyster Bay High School students appear in the article. 

The section also contains a report on the natural history research grants awarded from the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund by the American Museum of Natural History in New York City for 1986. The report notes the members of the TRA who serve on the awards committee, lists the winner of the largest award, Mark L. McKnight, and it provides a history of the involvement of Theodore Roosevelt and his father with the museum. A chart listing the number of award applications, the number of awards, and the value of the grants from 1961 to 1986 appears in this section.

This edition of “News and Notes” opens with coverage of the commissioning of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. A letter from Captain Paul W. Parcells, Commanding Officer of the ship, praises the work of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) in making the commissioning a success. The section also discusses the thirteen flags donated by the TRA to the carrier. Each flag of the city, state, or entity is identified and is followed by a brief paragraph about its history and meaning to Theodore Roosevelt. The individual responsible for donating the flag is also noted. A notice about a new prize, the Roosevelts Gold Medal, awarded by the New York Council of the Navy League of the United States, also features in the section. 

“News and Notes” reviews the plans of Prism Entertainment to issue a video cassette of the film “The Indomitable Teddy Roosevelt,” and it notes that the company will establish a fund to promote historical and environmental films, and will donate money to the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund at the American Museum of Natural History. The section also highlights two recent publications by John A. Gable, Editor of the TRA Journal, and it quotes from a letter from President Ronald Reagan on the occasion of the opening of the Roosevelt Study Center in the Netherlands. “News and Notes” closes by quoting from three letters by members of the TRA praising its work.

Awards, award ceremonies, and award winners dominate this edition of the “News and Notes” section. Twelve different awards, ten of them directly involving the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA), are discussed across five pages of the section. The Theodore Roosevelt Police Award, the Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Naval History Prize, the Theodore Roosevelt Public Speaking Contest, and the John Paul Jones Award won by the commander of the USS Theodore Roosevelt are all discussed in their own subsections. A Christopher Award given to the documentary “The Indomitable Teddy Roosevelt” and the research grants awarded from the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund at the American Museum of Natural History also merit detailed coverage.

“News and Notes” also touches on the speaking engagements of the TRA’s Executive Director John A. Gable, the passing of Horace M. Albright, a TRA Trustee and former Director of the National Park Service, and a change in the leadership of the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site Foundation.

A photograph of the students, judges, and coaches at the Theodore Roosevelt Public Speaking Contest, a photograph of a smiling Theodore Roosevelt, and a photograph of Captain Paul W. Parcells and his family appear in the section along with an illustration of both sides of the TRA medallion.