Fisher, Peter R. (Peter Rowe), 1933-1985

John A. Gable reviews three of the five books found in the “Book Reviews” section. Gable praises Edward Renehan’s The Lion’s Pride: Theodore Roosevelt and His Family in Peace and War with its emphasis on the fate of the Roosevelt family during World War I, and he summarizes Sherwin Gluck’s study of how Oyster Bay, New York, became home to the summer White House during the Roosevelt administration with offices located above a grocery store. In reviewing Douglas Brinkley’s American Heritage History of the United States, Gable highlights Brinkley’s coverage of Theodore Roosevelt, especially his views on conservation. The section also promotes the publication of a new edition of the Theodore Roosevelt Association’s collection of Roosevelt’s speeches, The Man in the Arena, and a Modern Library version of The Naval War of 1812, both of which feature introductions by Gable.

An advertisement for Blocklyn Books of Oyster Bay, New York, appears on the last page of the section.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1999

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

Creation Date

1988

Six works compete for attention in this edition of the “Book Reviews” section, including two works by Theodore Roosevelt: a collection of nine of his speeches and essays published by the Theodore Roosevelt Association and a reissue of his The Naval War of 1812. The review of The Man in the Arena: Speeches and Essays notes that John A. Gable wrote the introduction and explanatory notes, and it provides context for some of the selections. A portion of Gable’s introduction follows the review. Seth Cropsey praises Roosevelt’s naval history and stresses its fairness and “balanced objectivity” and notes its relevance to contemporary debates about how to deploy the American navy.

Lewis L. Gould reviews James Wright’s study of the Progressive era in New Hampshire and notes that Roosevelt’s Bull Moose campaign set back the cause of reform in the state. Archibald B. Roosevelt, Junior, joins his cousin Kermit Roosevelt, Junior, both grandsons of Theodore Roosevelt, in publishing a memoir of his service with the Central Intelligence Agency, For Lust of Knowing: Memoirs of an Intelligence Officer.

The section notes the publication of works on Roosevelt’s time as Police Commissioner of New York City and on his relationship with the naval strategist Alfred Thayer Mahan, and notes that each will be reviewed in an upcoming issue of the Journal.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

John A. Gable recounts the life and work of Jessica E. Kraft who worked as a secretary for Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt and was the first Curator of Sagamore Hill. Gable highlights Kraft’s thirty-four years of service to the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) and notes the many roles and positions she held in the association. Gable also examines her volunteer work in the Oyster Bay, New York community, and the article contains the citation read on the occasion of her winning the Bertha B. Rose Award from the TRA in 1983.

Six photographs of Kraft, four of which show her with others, appear in the article as does an illustration of both sides of the TRA medallion.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1987

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.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

This edition of the “News and Notes” section opens with a report on the annual meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA). The report notes the election of new members and classes of the Board of Trustees and of the TRA’s leadership for 1985-1986. The section also covers the TRA’s involvement in the Outward Bound program and the granting of the first Theodore Roosevelt Scholarship for that program, the results of the Theodore Roosevelt Public Speaking Contest for the New York City public high schools, and the passing of Philippa Jeffries Roosevelt. 

The section also covers the “first scholarship conference devoted entirely to TR” at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, which was held in October 1985. It also notes new works on Theodore Roosevelt, a panel on Roosevelt’s foreign policy to be held at the meeting of the Organization of American Historians, and highlights the work of Frederick W. Marks and Serge Ricard on Roosevelt’s diplomacy found in this issue. The section closes with a notice that Edmund Morris has signed a contract to write a biography of President Ronald Reagan. 

Photographs of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site, and of Edmund Morris are included in the section.

Richard E. Oldenburg emphasizes the personal side of Peter R. Fisher in his eulogy at Fisher’s funeral. Oldenburg notes Fisher’s love of history as manifested in his substantial library, his love of old homes, and his undergraduate studies. He says that in a world divided between hosts and guests, Fisher was a host who greatly enjoyed the company of his friends. A photograph of Fisher with his wife Cary Fox Fisher at the wedding of their daughter accompanies the eulogy.  

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1985-06-25

Creator(s)

Oldenburg, Richard E., 1933-2018

The “News and Notes” section returns after a hiatus in the prior two issues. The section opens with a listing of the deaths of seven people in 1985 who had some connection to Theodore Roosevelt or the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA), and this issue is dedicated to them. The deaths of Peter R. Fisher and John E. Roosevelt are discussed at length in the issue while the life of Harold R. Kraft is examined in this section. The section also covers the visit of a delegation from the Netherlands to Oyster Bay, New York, in connection with the establishment of the Roosevelt Study Center in Middelburg, Province of Zeeland, in the Netherlands. The purpose of the Center, some of its leadership, and the role of the TRA in its founding are examined. 

A brief on the “Theodore” exhibit at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum and a notice about a lecture given by John A. Gable at Grey Towers, Gifford Pinchot’s home, complete the section. Two photographs of members of the Dutch delegation in Oyster Bay, New York, are found in the section.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

In “Eastern Azure,” Carol Miller provides a brief elegy in memory of Peter R. Fisher. 

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1985

Creator(s)

Miller, Carol

In a eulogy for Peter R. Fisher, John A. Gable, Executive Director of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA), examines Fisher’s commitment to the preservation of the history of the Town of Oyster Bay, New York, and the greater Long Island area. Though Fisher belonged to a dozen historical organizations, Gable highlights his work on behalf of the Oyster Bay Historical Society, the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities, and the TRA. 

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1985-06-25

Creator(s)

Gable, John A.

Obituary of Peter R. Fisher, a Vice President and Treasurer of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA). The obituary details his higher education, his career as a lawyer, and his involvement with many organizations in the Town of Oyster Bay, New York. It features an excerpt from an editorial about Fisher written by William Davison Johnston, the President of the TRA. A photograph of Fisher accompanies the obituary.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1985

Creator(s)

Unknown

Report on the 65th Annual Dinner and Meeting of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) held in Williamsburg, Virginia, on October 27, 1984, following the launch of the USS Theodore Roosevelt. The report quotes from the address given by the President of the TRA, William Davison Johnston, and from the letter sent to the TRA by President Ronald Reagan. The report lists many of the guests in attendance, including Theodore Roosevelt historians and biographers, employees of the National Park Service, and members of the Roosevelt family. It also reviews the financial state of the TRA, noting that it had run a deficit for the past two fiscal years, covers the election of officers, and notes the changes implemented to the Board of Trustees. The report concludes with a review of gifts given to the leadership of the USS Theodore Roosevelt.

A photograph of Roosevelt with his granddaughter Grace Roosevelt and three photographs of various guests, dignitaries, and members of the Roosevelt family at the annual dinner accompany the report.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1985

This edition of “News and Notes,” seven pages in length, is divided into six sections. “TR Quasquicentennial Year Ends” covers events marking the 125th anniversary of Theodore Roosevelt’s birth at venues in Indianapolis, Indiana, Oyster Bay and Buffalo, New York, Harvard University, and the National Archives in Washington, D.C. It notes that the final event of the celebration year was appropriately held at the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace in New York City, and it highlights some of the lectures and interviews given by John A. Gable, Executive Director of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA), during 1983. An illustration of both sides of the TRA medallion and a photograph from the 125 Anniversary Dinner in New York City supplement the section.

The “Annual Meeting of the TRA Board of Trustees” examines the financial health of the TRA and notes that there needs to be an increase of revenue for the Association. It also covers changes to the By-Laws of the TRA regarding membership categories and terms for members of the Board of Trustees. It closes by noting the governance of the TRA and listing its officers and members of the Executive Committee.

“Filming ‘The Indomitable Teddy Roosevelt'” discusses the production of this documentary film and highlights the narration provided by actor George C. Scott and the music of John Philip Sousa. It notes its fluid mixing of reenactments and archival film footage. A photograph of the Roosevelt family as portrayed by actors and descendants and one of Gable in a cameo role accompany the section.

In “TR and the Wall Street Journal,” Gable attacks an article written by Art Pine of the Journal about the history of debt collection from foreign nations because of its sometimes “misleading” and “false” statements about Roosevelt. Gable enlists the work of historians Barbara Tuchman and Frederick W. Marks to refute some of Pine’s reporting.

“New Classes of Membership and Dues Schedules” notes that the TRA will be creating new membership categories and raising the cost of membership dues for the first time since 1956. The notice lists the six new categories along with the cost of membership dues for each. A profile photograph of Roosevelt appears to the left of this notice.

Report on the sixty-third annual meeting of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) held on October 30, 1982 at the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site in Buffalo, New York. The notice contains the remarks given by the TRA President, William Davison Johnston, and it details the reports given by the Executive Director, the Treasurer, and the chair of the nominating committee. The notice also lists some of the guests in attendance, lists the past presidents of the TRA, and provides brief biographies of some of the leaders of the association.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1983

Creator(s)

Unknown

Report on two meetings of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) held in October 1981 in Oyster Bay, New York and Washington, D.C. The article highlights the reports given by the leadership of the TRA at the Oyster Bay meeting, and quotes extensively from remarks given by TRA President William Davison Johnston at both meetings. The speakers for the gatherings, David McCullough and Edmund and Sylvia Morris, are discussed as are their works on Theodore Roosevelt.

Fourteen photographs (two from the Oyster Bay meeting and twelve from the Washington, D.C. meeting) showing some of the guests, dignitaries, speakers, and members of the leadership of the Theodore Roosevelt Association accompany the article.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Article detailing the proceedings of the sixty-first annual meeting of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) on October 25, 1980. The article summarizes and quotes from the addresses given by the outgoing president, Howard T. Hogan; the incoming president, William Davison; the executive director, John A. Gable; and Peter R. Fisher, TRA Treasurer and chair of the nominating committee. The names of some of those in attendance are listed as are the past presidents of the TRA.

A picture of Howard T. Hogan and his wife with John A. Gable accompanies the article.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1981

John A. Gable opens this edition of the “News and Notes” column by quoting extensively from an article in Psychohistory Review by Kathleen Dalton that addresses why Theodore Roosevelt was so popular with the American people. He talks about Roosevelt related gatherings in Buffalo, New York, Tampa, Florida, and Harvard University, and he notes the winner of the Theodore Roosevelt Association Essay Contest at Long Island University. Gable notes one of his recent speaking engagements and closes with a further endorsement of Frederick W. Marks’s study of Roosevelt’s diplomacy, Velvet on Iron.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1980

Creator(s)

Gable, John A.

Article about a lecture given by author David McCullough in Oyster Bay, New York as part of a series of lectures to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the opening of Sagamore Hill as a historic site. McCullough spoke about Theodore Roosevelt and the Panama Canal. The article notes the other works written by McCullough, discusses the history of Sagamore Hill as a historic site, and previews the other two lectures in the series. 

Two photographs accompany the article. One shows John Gable of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) with David McCullough, Raoul Amador, and Peter Fisher, and the other shows the exterior of Sagamore Hill.  

A listing of the officers of the TRA follows the article.