Baird, Spencer Fullerton, 1823-1887

Margaret P. Griffin chronicles the evolution of Theodore Roosevelt as a naturalist in the years 1874 and 1875. She highlights the creation of a “Natural History Society” composed of Roosevelt and several of his friends who shared nature observations, read papers, and organized outings. Griffin focuses on Roosevelt’s avid interest in ornithology, and she provides excerpts from Roosevelt’s notebooks to demonstrate his detailed knowledge of different species. Griffin notes Roosevelt’s encounters with the now extinct passenger pigeon, and she details the death of Frederick Sturges Osborn, one of Roosevelt’s closest friends and fellow ornithologist. 

Seven photographs accompany the essay, including one of Roosevelt and another showing examples of his bird taxidermy. 

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2014

Paul Russell Cutright examines the donation of Theodore Roosevelt’s bird collection to the Smithsonian Institution and the American Museum of Natural History. Cutright focuses on the donation to the Smithsonian since it was very large, 622 bird skins, and he details how the collection was cataloged, where and to whom individual specimens were dispersed, and he highlights some of the more notable specimens like the Snowy owl.

Pictures of Theodore Roosevelt and his father and a copy of two pages of the accession records of the Smithsonian accompany the article. The cover of this issue features a picture of the Snowy owl shot, prepared, and donated to the American Museum of Natural History by Roosevelt.

A listing of the officers of the Theodore Roosevelt Association along with the members of its executive, finance, and Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace committees is on the second page of the article.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

In this edition of the “Book Reviews” section, Paul Russell Cutright and Philip J. Roosevelt provide separate but equally laudatory reviews of American Bears, a collection of writings about bears and bear hunting by Theodore Roosevelt edited by Paul Schullery. Kenneth D. Crews finds that Roosevelt plays a minor, but important, role in Carlton Jackson’s The Dreadful Month about the awful death toll in American coal mines in December 1907. John A. Gable examines Paul D. Casdorph’s Republicans, Negroes, and Progressives in the South, 1912-1916 and compares some its findings to his own work on the Progressive Party.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1983

Creator(s)

Cutright, Paul Russell, 1897-1988; Roosevelt, Philip J.; Crews, Kenneth D.; Gable, John A.

William J. Kolodnicki praises Paul Russell Cutright and Michael J. Brodhead for their biography of Elliott Coues, an important figure in the history of American ornithology whose Key to North American Birds helped develop the birding skills of Theodore Roosevelt. John A. Gable reviews Howard W. Allen’s Poindexter of Washington: A Study in Progressive Politics about Miles Poindexter and his transformation from progressive to conservative in the first quarter of the twentieth century. David G. McCullough asserts that a photograph of a young Roosevelt that is usually captioned as Roosevelt preparing to box actually shows him dressed to row.

A full page photograph of Roosevelt dressed to row with McCullough’s explanatory caption makes up the third page of the “Book Notes” column.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1982

Paul Russell Cutright examines the thirteen natural history notebooks that Theodore Roosevelt kept during his childhood and young adult years. He notes the dates, the subjects, and the locations of the observations kept in each notebook. Cutright focuses on Roosevelt’s love of birding and most of the notebook excerpts deal with this subject. He highlights Roosevelt’s skill at identifying birds by their calls and songs, notes his considerable observation skills, and credits various naturalists and friends who influenced Roosevelt.

Two photographs of Roosevelt as a child and young man and a full-page picture of a mounted snowy owl that Roosevelt prepared accompany the article.

A listing of the officers of the Theodore Roosevelt Association along with the members of the executive, finance, and Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace committees is on page two of the article.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

C. Hart Merriam examines whether the system of classifying species is satisfactory or not. It will be years before it can be said with certainty that forms “do or do not intergrade.” A fixed nomenclature will be impossible until that point. Merriam concludes his argument by urging museums, sportsmen, and naturalists “to secure and preserve specimens of our larger mammals from remote parts of their ranges.” A handwritten note dated May 13 from the editor of Science asks whether the recipient would like to discuss Merriam’s position further.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1897-05-14

Creator(s)

Merriam, C. Hart (Clinton Hart), 1855-1942