Birthdays

John A. Gable, Executive Director of the Theodore Roosevelt Association covers a variety of subjects in this installment of “Notes.” He sends birthday greetings to Alice Roosevelt Longworth on her ninety-fifth birthday and talks about her fame as a daughter of President Roosevelt and a hostess in Washington, D.C. He notes the anniversary of a Long Island bank with ties to Theodore Roosevelt, a PBS Christmas series with an episode on Roosevelt, and a running group in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, named in honor of Roosevelt. Gable discusses two scholarly articles published on Roosevelt: one on his connection to Yellowstone National Park and the other on his naval policies. He thanks the National Park Service for publishing Sagamore Hill, a pamphlet marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the site as a house museum, and closes by asking Theodore Roosevelt Association members to recruit new members to the group in 1979.  

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1979

H. S. Easton, who shares Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday, wishes him “many more and 4 times as President.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-10-26

President Roosevelt sits in several different rooms in the “White House”: “sporting editor,” “dramatic critic,” “editorial rooms,” “managing editor,” “editor and general manager,” and “press room.” Three Roosevelts rush out of the press room with newspapers: “Extra Extra: Roosevelt declares for Taft,” “Extra Extra: Roosevelt is 50 years old today–scares Bryan,” and “Later Extra: Roosevelt cracks the labor nut.” A sign is displayed on the front porch of the White House: “The Hourly Message Office. T. Roosevelt, Editor.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

Less than a week before election day, political cartoonist Camillus Kessler had a funny take on President Roosevelt’s strenuous life as an advocate for the Republican ticket headed by William H. Taft. Roosevelt’s hyperactivity — his usual mode anyway — could be attributed to his normal insecurity about election contests, but also his frustration with Taft as an active campaigner; and his desire to assert and preserve his own legacy.

Uncle Sam sits in a rocking chair and laughs as he watches President Roosevelt, who wears a “constitution” hat with an “I also killed a Spaniard” feather, ride a hobbyhorse. On the wall is a sign that reads, “Theodore Roosevelt, 46 to-day.” Caption: Uncle Sam—Well, if that boy don’t want ME for a birthday present!

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-27

Guangxu, Emperor of China, thanks President Roosevelt for the letter of congratulations presented to Cixi, Empress dowager of China, on her seventieth birthday by Minister to China Edwin H. Conger. Guangxu believes the letter has helped establish a closer relationship between the two nations and wishes Roosevelt happiness and welfare.

Collection

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site

Creation Date

1904-12-28

President Roosevelt thanks Senator Lodge for the birthday telegram and hopes things are going well for Lodge in the last week of the campaign.

Collection

Massachusetts Historical Society

Creation Date

1902-10-28

Theodore Roosevelt thanks George von Lengerke Meyer for the birthday wishes. Roosevelt believes he will probably lose the campaign. He has not seen anything like the dishonest attitude of the average businessman or the foolishness of the intellectual mugwumps.

Collection

Massachusetts Historical Society

Creation Date

1910-10-31

Arthur von Briesen suggests that both the German and the U.S. government recognize the 75th birthday of U.S. politician and German immigrant Carl Schurz.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-02-13

This fold-out pamphlet entitled “Commemorating the ‘Ride to Glory'” details the events of September 13 and 14, 1901, and Theodore Roosevelt’s ride to the North Creek Railroad Station. Created by the Theodore Roosevelt Centennial Celebration Committee for the Towns of Newcomb and Minerva, New York, celebrating the centennial of Roosevelt’s birth in 1958.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site

Creation Date

1958

Uncle Sam, looking a bit startled, sits in a chair, holding a page from a calendar with “February 22” printed in red, for George Washington’s birthday. Theodore Roosevelt stands next to him with a paint brush full of red paint which he has used to change the color of his birthday, “October 27,” on the calendar, suggesting that he, too, might be considered the “Father of His Country.” A silhouette portrait of George Washington hangs on the wall next to the calendar. Caption: A question of dates.

comments and context

Comments and Context

The subject of L. M. Glackens’s cartoon is Washington’s Birthday — the issue of Puck celebrates it — but the object of the cartoon is to ridicule Theodore Roosevelt. The outgoing president, who would retire in less than three weeks, is dressed in his old Rough Rider uniform and has rudely painted his own birthday on the calendar. It was an ad hominem attack upon Roosevelt; a comment on his supposed ego.

Score for a march and two-step “respectfully dedicated to Theodore Roosevelt on his 52nd birthday.”

Collection

Gregory A. Wynn Theodore Roosevelt Collection

Creation Date

1911

The clock and bag are just what Theodore Roosevelt wanted. He thanks his parents for the letters and birthday gifts. Roosevelt reflects on his love for his family and notes that he has “never spent an unhappy day.”

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1876-10-29

Theodore Roosevelt hopes that Quentin Roosevelt can visit Sagamore Hill on his birthday. Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt is recovering from a bad cold. Roosevelt is feeling well and his voice improved while campaigning, including a strong speech at Cooper Union. He hopes that President Wilson is defeated and believes Republican victory could have been assured if Charles Evans Hughes had made a “straight-from-the-shoulder fighting campaign.”

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1916-11-07

Ethel Roosevelt Derby and Richard Derby have returned home after a month’s absence. Edith Roosevelt Derby was christened last Sunday and Theodore Roosevelt represented Archibald Roosevelt as godfather. Mr. Monroe is “behaving admirably” but wants to get to the front. Roosevelt wishes his son a happy twentieth birthday. William Sheffield Cowles hopes to join the armed forces in March and Roosevelt thinks that Cowles should join the Marines.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-11-09

Theodore Roosevelt is amazed that Ethel Roosevelt is now nineteen years old. Things have been quiet at Sagamore Hill and Roosevelt has been kept busy with work. Willard Dickerman Straight has been trying to visit but Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt has avoided him. Edith rode Pineknot, the horse, one day and found his gait distressing so that she could hardly move for two days afterward.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1910-08-14

Governor Roosevelt writes his sister-in-law Emily Tyler Carow and encloses a small Rough Rider pin as a small birthday present. Edith is no longer frail and Ted is better than he was a year ago. Kermit is able to hold his own, Ethel is motherly, Archie mischievous, and Quentin is cuter everyday. The children enjoy the governor’s house and Edith enjoys being a governor’s wife.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1899-03-20

President Roosevelt writes his sister-in-law Emily Tyler Carow describing how the family celebrated wife Edith’s birthday. They even decorated all the pets for the occasion. He and Edith ride and row often. He also gives updates on all the children. They play hide-and-seek and Roosevelt took Kermit, Archie, and their friends camping.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1903-08-06

President Roosevelt writes His Majesty King Edward VII of Great Britain to offer his congratulations on his birthday.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1908-06-25

Theodore Roosevelt writes his daughter Ethel after a four day hunting trip where he says that despite having four greyhounds, he was unsuccessful in catching a coyote. He also wishes Ethel a happy birthday.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1901-08-08

Theodore Roosevelt thanks his daughter Ethel for remembering his birthday and discusses playing with the grandchildren. He adds he got a new horse and a new pin he will give to Ethel or have duplicated for her.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-10-30