Arbor Day

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

President Roosevelt tells the children planting trees on Arbor Day as he holds his big stick, “Some day we will have another crop of big sticks.” In the background a teddy bear plants a tree.

comments and context

Comments and Context

For Arbor Day, the Washington Evening Star‘s cartoonist Clifford Kennedy Berryman relied upon the easy inspiration of a holiday, a couple of associations (the Big Stick; conservation of nature) related to Theodore Roosevelt, and produced a cartoon the type of which he would draw for most of his iconic career in the nation’s capital — general and gentle commentary, observations without bite, and, as always, featuring his “mascot,” the Teddy Bear mirroring the drawing’s theme./

President Roosevelt speaks to a crowd at Grand Island. He states that he is glad to see the types of crops that they are growing, the amount of timber, and the establishment of forest reserves.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-04-27

This newspaper clipping shows a bear and seven children planting trees. Theodore Roosevelt leans on a big stick, saying, “Some day we will have another crop of big sticks.”

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site

Creation Date

1907-04

Biography of Theodore Roosevelt highlighting his conservation efforts.

Collection

Dickinson State University

Creation Date

1958-04-25

Theodore Roosevelt’s secretary informs Ernest S. Jaros that Roosevelt will not make a public statement regarding Arbor Day, but that an appropriate quote may be found in the published edition of Roosevelt’s Presidential Addresses and State Papers.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-02-01

President Roosevelt thanks former Secretary of the Navy Morton for his letter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-04-16

President Roosevelt thanks Asa K. McIlhaney for the letter, and assures him that he believes in Arbor Day and the cause that McIlhaney is working for. Roosevelt has difficulty choosing his favorite tree, although he comments on several varieties.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-04-09

President Roosevelt congratulates the school children of San Diego, California, on the establishment of Arbor Day.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-03-16

Herbert L. Wilber sends Theodore Roosevelt some suggestions for Arbor Day.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1910-1919

Ernest S. Jaros discusses his firm’s plan to purchase and distribute seedlings to schoolchildren to plant on Arbor Day for the purpose of interesting them in the importance of trees. He asks Theodore Roosevelt for his opinion and approval.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-01-25

Paul Morton thinks that President Roosevelt’s Arbor Day proclamation was admirable and an excellent precedent. Morton inquires after Roosevelt since he has been under stress lately and assures him that “the principles and practices you contend for will prevail.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-04-15

George S. Benson asks Vice President Roosevelt to deliver an address at the Academy of Music in Brooklyn to secure funding for the project Lincoln Letters & Portrait.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1901-03-07