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Chronology of the daily life of Theodore Roosevelt between January 1879 to December 1883. Notable events include Theodore Roosevelt’s engagement and marriage to Alice Hathaway Lee, his appointment to the New York State Legislature, and his first visit and buffalo hunt in North Dakota.
Theodore Roosevelt Association
1985
Chronology of the daily life of Theodore Roosevelt from January 1871 to December 1878. Notable events include the Roosevelt family’s trip to Europe and Egypt, Roosevelt’s entrance to Harvard, the death of Theodore “Thee” Roosevelt, Roosevelt’s trip to Maine, and Roosevelt meeting Alice Hathaway Lee.
Theodore Roosevelt Association
1985
Theodore Roosevelt offers to help with James Russell Parsons’s examination.
1917-12-12
Commissioner Roosevelt discusses the pitfalls of current selection and appointment policies. He states that competitive examinations are the only way to eliminate political influence in appointments.
1895-09-25
Theodore Roosevelt writes his sister Anna Roosevelt that he passed all eight examinations. The farm where he is staying is beautiful but small.
1875-07-25
Theodore Roosevelt writes his sister Anna Roosevelt about how horrible his examinations seem and his horse is finally well. He describes a picnic and a moonlight drive. Corneil and Hill came to church to sing.
1875-06-23
Theodore Roosevelt writes from Harvard to his mother to request his hat. He reports that he is doing well in his classes, and complains about having his Sunday School class taken from him. He says he will go to Chestnut Hill to see the girls, referring to his future wife Alice Hathaway Lee.
1879-01-11
A copy of a letter sent by New York City Police Commissioner Roosevelt to New York Governor Frank Swett Black. Roosevelt talks of enclosing the results of the test given to police recruits and the wrong answers given to history questions. He feels the civil service exams are not infallible but do serve as a good measure of a candidate’s aptitude.
1897-01-08
Commissioner Roosevelt writes to Avery De Lano Andrews, and other police board members, that the Civil Service Board will stop accepting applications for patrolman. The current list of applicants far exceeds the needs for the upcoming year.
1897-03-06
Freshmen college students are being tested for “Beer Capacity,” on the “Cigarette Tester,” and the “Rah Rah Recorder” at “Sis Boom University.” Caption: The freshmen are taking their entrance exams.
Puck does take note of the autumn ritual that is the opening of the college year. Cartoonist L. M. Glackens employs reasonable cynicism by choosing to address entrance tests and ignore academic potential, specialized aptitude, and chosen fields of study. Instead he depicts the popular cliches about some students at some colleges — beer, cigarettes, and sports.
Theodore Roosevelt writes to his sister Corinne about his time spent with Alice Lee at Chestnut Hill. He expresses his happiness, but mentions that examinations are coming up and he will not be able to visit again until they are finished.
1880-04-27
Theodore Roosevelt writes to his sister in anticipation of an upcoming visit home. Roosevelt also mentions examinations.
1878-03-31
Theodore Roosevelt notifies Anna Roosevelt Cowles of Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt’s injuries from being thrown from her horse, and despite her injuries, the doctor is not concerned for Edith. Roosevelt informs Cowles that Archibald “Archie” B. Roosevelt will delay his trip out west due to her accident, but is doing well in his examinations and will most likely get into Harvard University.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-10-02
Theodore Roosevelt returns Archibald “Archie” B. Roosevelt’s exam papers to Edgar Huidekoper Wells. It appears Archie was confused by the civics questions. Roosevelt tried to get Wells out but could not contact him. He thanks Wells for the letter to Kermit Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-11-04
Theodore Roosevelt writes to Edgar Huidekoper Wells of his two sons, Archibald “Archie” B. Roosevelt and Kermit Roosevelt. Archie passed two of his four subjects this year, of which Roosevelt is very pleased and may allow him to get in to Harvard University next year. Roosevelt asks if he might get the test papers for Archie’s civics test to better understand what Archie failed in. Kermit Roosevelt was granted permission to start school a few days late so he might finish hunting moose, caribou, and beaver in New Brunswick on behalf of the National Museum. Kermit wrote of his hunting experience and his essay was accepted by Scribner’s Magazine.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-10-02
President Roosevelt tells his son, Kermit Roosevelt, that he has tried the double-barreled Holland elephant rifle and is very impressed. However, the rifle’s recoil is powerful and he wants Kermit to practice shooting it in Africa before they begin hunting. It will be the best weapon for large game. W. S. Rainsford has warned him that hunting lions, elephants, buffalo, and rhinos is particularly dangerous and they should “take every precaution.” Roosevelt takes this advice seriously.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1909-01-31
President Roosevelt encloses a letter from Robert Bacon relating William Atherton DuPuy’s scores on the consular examination. DuPuy did not earn a high enough average score to pass the test, and must do better on his language skills at his July reexamination. Roosevelt says that there have been more failures from the South, but that Secretary of State Elihu Root is writing to Senators in an effort to appoint more Southern men.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-04-29
President Roosevelt suggests to Secretary of War Taft that the current examinations for army chaplains may be too difficult. Roosevelt appreciates the need to be careful and get the right kind of chaplain, but thinks the academic portion of the exam may be too difficult, as many pastors and priests he knows outside the army neither have nor need knowledge of mathematics. He realizes that Taft is very busy, and asks him to have Assistant Secretary of War Robert Shaw Oliver or someone else take up the matter and bring him the examination papers.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-03-04
President Roosevelt thanks Charles Read Nutter for the English examinations report.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-04-03
President Roosevelt reminds his son Theodore Roosevelt that he must properly balance his checkbook or risk embarrassing himself in business circles if he does not keep track of his finances. Roosevelt explains to Ted that he also had friends with larger allowances than him at college, but even they still tended to overspend so Ted should begin to practice living “economically.” He praises Ted for giving up the “theater and drinking, and also smoking anything except a pipe,” and for keeping up with his studies. Roosevelt talks about clubs at Harvard and plans for his upcoming trip to Cambridge then onto Groton where Ted and Roosevelt will visit Kermit Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-01-23