McCullough, David G.

Dr. John Allen Gable, Executive Director of the Theodore Roosevelt Association, offers an address at Richland College giving an overview of the five phases he sees in the historiography of Theodore Roosevelt. Moving from the early hero-worship of Roosevelt in the years after his death, Gable sees historical opinion vary between critical perspectives of Roosevelt and more favorable representations, frequently moving in conjunction with the issues of the era the author is writing in. The most contemporary era, Gable believes, is a revival of Roosevelt’s reputation and scholarship. Further developments in the field of Roosevelt studies, Gable believes, will come from a stronger holistic understanding of the various facets of Roosevelt’s personality. Throughout his address Gable relies on a number of instances from Roosevelt’s life to illustrate his points, including the Venezuela Crisis, the Storer Controversy, and the 1912 Assassination Attempt.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association

Creation Date

1981

Creator(s)

Gable, John A.

Dr. John Allen Gable, Executive Director of the Theodore Roosevelt Association, offers an address at Richland College giving an overview of the five phases he sees in the historiography of Theodore Roosevelt. Moving from the early hero-worship of Roosevelt in the years after his death, Gable sees historical opinion vary between critical perspectives of Roosevelt and more favorable representations, frequently moving in conjunction with the issues of the era the author is writing in. The most contemporary era, Gable believes, is a revival of Roosevelt’s reputation and scholarship. Further developments in the field of Roosevelt studies, Gable believes, will come from a stronger holistic understanding of the various facets of Roosevelt’s personality. Throughout his address Gable relies on a number of instances from Roosevelt’s life to illustrate his points, including the Venezuela Crisis, the Storer Controversy, and the 1912 Assassination Attempt.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association

Creation Date

1981

Creator(s)

Gable, John A.

Carlos Camargo and Tweed Roosevelt examine misconceptions about Theodore Roosevelt’s childhood struggle with asthma. Camargo and Roosevelt find that Theodore Roosevelt’s asthma was not psychosomatic, and they counter the assertions made by biographer David G. McCullough that Theodore Roosevelt used asthma attacks as a way to avoid church. Camargo and Roosevelt also contend that Theodore Roosevelt’s initiation of a vigorous exercise program did not “cure” his asthma, but they note that Roosevelt believed it did. The authors recognize that Roosevelt’s belief that he had overcome his asthma by pursuing a strenuous life was beneficial to him and important to his worldview.

Six photographs of Theodore Roosevelt, two of the authors, two tables, and three illustrations populate the article.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Tweed Roosevelt reveals the genesis of his project with Carlos Camargo to study Theodore Roosevelt’s struggle with asthma as a child. Roosevelt writes that he was skeptical of David G. McCullough’s assertion that Roosevelt’s condition was psychosomatic and designed to keep him from attending Sunday church services. Roosevelt and Camargo found that Theodore Roosevelt never shirked church attendance, and they also note that, despite his assertions, Theodore Roosevelt did not cure himself of his asthma by his vigorous exercise regimen and living a strenuous life.

A photograph of Tweed Roosevelt and the front cover of McCullough’s biography, Mornings on Horseback, accompany the essay.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Gregory A. Wynn addresses the role that the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) and the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal (TRAJ) have played in shaping the historiography of Theodore Roosevelt. Wynn dwells on the work and contributions of John A. Gable, a long-time editor of the TRAJ in both fostering scholarship on Roosevelt and producing his own. Wynn highlights the work of Roosevelt biographers such as Edmund Morris, Kathleen Dalton, and Henry F. Pringle, and he identifies deficits in the study of Roosevelt that need to be addressed such as his presidency and his intellect.

A photograph of Wynn, the front cover of Dalton’s biography, and an excerpt of a letter from Gable to Wynn accompany the address.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Louis B. Livingston chronicles the relationship between Theodore Roosevelt and the Marquis de Mores during their time together as cattle ranchers in the Dakota Badlands. Livingston focuses on the controversy as to whether the two seriously contemplated a duel to settle their differences, and he charts their divergent paths once they left the West after the ruin of their ranches. Livingston details de Mores’s obsession with antisemitism which he argues helped precipitate the notorious Dreyfus Affair in France, and he documents Roosevelt’s outspoken opposition to antisemitism during his political career.

Six photographs supplement the article, including two of de Mores and three of Roosevelt during their ranching years. A text box with the mission statement of the Theodore Roosevelt Association appears at the end of the article.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2015

William N. Tilchin reviews Ken Burns’s documentary film The Roosevelts: An Intimate History about Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Tilchin examines all seven episodes of the documentary, and he largely praises the latter episodes devoted to the Hyde Park Roosevelts while expressing serious reservations about the first two episodes centered on Theodore Roosevelt. Tilchin criticizes the treatment of Roosevelt’s service prior to and during the Spanish-American War by Burns and by three “talking head” commentators, and he admonishes the film for its coverage of Roosevelt’s presidential diplomacy. Tilchin also faults Burns for failing to recognize the evil nature of Joseph Stalin’s reign over the Soviet Union. Overall, Tilchin finds much to like in the film, but he believes that it will never be seen as “a masterpiece.”

The review is supplemented with twenty-six images over ten pages from the Theodore Roosevelt Collection at Harvard University and by three illustrations of the DVD set from the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2015

Don Arp examines President Theodore Roosevelt’s visit to Lincoln, Nebraska, on April 27, 1903. Arp focuses on the many layers of protection provided for Roosevelt, in addition to his Secret Service detail, and he provides the full text of Roosevelt’s address given at the Nebraska state capitol building in which Roosevelt singled out the Civil War veterans for praise and emulation. Roosevelt stresses the need for citizens to possess the qualities of courage, common sense, and honesty. A photograph of David G. McCullough appears in the article.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2000

Creator(s)

Arp, Don

Report on the 80th annual meeting of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) held in Norfolk, Virginia, onboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, and at Pine Knot, Theodore Roosevelt’s retreat in rural Virginia. The report details the annual dinner, noting its ceremonies and speakers, including the conferring of the TRA’s Junior Officer of the Year Award for the USS Theodore Roosevelt and recognizing John A. Gable’s twenty-five years as Executive Director of the TRA. The report highlights the association’s visit to the aircraft carrier, including an air show and the results of the various TRA elections for members of the Advisory Board, Board of Trustees, and Executive Committee. The report provides brief biographies of some of those elected to various capacities, and it highlights the presentation of Theodore Roosevelt’s naval flag to the USS Theodore Roosevelt for display in its museum.

The report highlights the speech given by Tsakhia Elbegdorj, a former Prime Minister and President of Mongolia, and it provides coverage of the TRA’s visit to Pine Knot, including a history of the property and plans for its upkeep and use. Thirteen photographs populate the report, including four of Pine Knot and two of the aircraft carrier.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2000

Fourteen topics across eleven pages comprise this edition of the “News and Notes” section. The section covers some of the Theodore Roosevelt Association’s (TRA) annual awards, including police awards, and the public speaking contests in and around New York City. It highlights the passing of Sarah Alden Derby Gannett, a grand daughter of Theodore Roosevelt, author Michael Teague, and Teddie R. Bell Kaltenbacher, a girl famously named after Roosevelt. “News and Notes” also provides updates on the effort to secure Roosevelt the Medal of Honor, the schedule for the “Theodore Roosevelt: Icon of the American Century” exhibit of the National Portrait Gallery, and production of the index for volume XXII of the TRA Journal.

Six photographs, three from the police award ceremonies, two from the speaking contests, and one of the Gannett family, supplement the text.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1999

Philip J. Roosevelt and John A. Gable recount the life and work of P. James Roosevelt, the only Roosevelt family member to have been President of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA). They note his love of sailing and yacht racing, his devotion to his Christian faith and missionary work, and his assumption of many leadership roles in the TRA. Roosevelt and Gable also highlight his support of the Roosevelt family genealogical project and his leadership of Youngs Memorial Cemetery. Two photographs of P. James Roosevelt appear in the section.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1999

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Philip J.; Gable, John A.

Michael F. Moran chronicles the Theodore Roosevelt Association’s (TRA) Panama Canal Centennial Strenuous Life Adventure of March 2014. Moran describes the itinerary of the group, highlighting its passage through the canal on a cruise ship and its stop at various offices and sites associated with the construction of the canal. Moran also refers to figures prominent in the building of the canal such as John F. Stevens. Moran describes the condition of Colon, Panama, highlights the group’s bird watching expedition, and notes the costumes of the native Embera Indians.

Twenty photographs and a map appear in the text while a photo album of seventy-two color photographs arrayed in twelve pages follows the article.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2014

Thomas R. Goethals describes the appointment of his grandfather, George W. Goethals, as chairman and chief engineer of the Panama Canal Commission in 1907. He recounts President Theodore Roosevelt’s repeated reorganization of the commission and his desire to place the project under the authority of the Corps of Engineers of the United States Army. Goethals notes the rapport quickly established between Roosevelt and Goethals, and he details Goethals’s concern over having to replace the very popular John F. Stevens as chief engineer of the project. Goethals notes that his grandfather was most worried about managing the people who would actually build the canal, and he highlights Goethals first speech in Panama in which he tried to reassure them that he would not militarize the project. Goethals also stresses the important role played by Secretary of War William Howard Taft in staffing and overseeing the construction of the canal.

The article includes nine photographs, including five of George W. Goethals, four illustrations, and one map of the canal zone. An advertisement for the Chocolate Lady candy store of Oyster Bay, New York, appears at the conclusion of the article.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2010

Harry N. Lembeck describes the events surrounding the 2006 annual meeting, symposium, and dinner of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) in Atlanta, Georgia. Lembeck notes the meetings of the executive committee, Board of Trustees, and other committees, and he highlights Bulloch Hall, site of some of the events and childhood home of Martha Bulloch Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt’s mother. Lembeck gives a brief description of each of the four symposium presentations, and he provides coverage of the conferring of three TRA awards: the USS Theodore Roosevelt Junior Officer Award, the Bertha B. Rose Award, and the Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal. Lembeck emphasizes the latter, noting the warm reception accorded the winner, Colonel George E. “Bud” Day.

Ten photographs of the various events accompany the report.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2007

Report on the annual meeting of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) held on November 3, 2001 at the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site in New York City. The report covers the many sets of elections for officers and members of the advisory board and board of trustees for the TRA. The report highlights the election of Norman Parsons as the next President of the TRA, providing a brief biography of him, and it provides a synopsis of his address to the gathering. The nationwide tour of Theodore Roosevelt’s Medal of Honor, the status of the Pine Knot property, and the conferring of the TRA’s annual Junior Officer Leadership Award for the USS Theodore Roosevelt are also discussed.

Photographs of the most recent presidents of the TRA, Parsons and Lawrence H. Budner, supplement the report.

This abbreviated version of “News and Notes” contains listings of the Presidents of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) and the Woman’s Roosevelt Memorial Association. It notes that a made for television movie, The Rough Riders, will air in July 1997, and it announces that the TRA has an email account. The section also provides commentary on this issue’s cover photograph, and it highlights the work of Stephen R. Fox who wrote the lead article for this issue.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1997

Creator(s)

Unknown

This edition of “News and Notes” details the annual police awards conferred by the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) in Dallas, New York City, and on Long Island, New York. It also reviews the results of the TRA Public Speaking Contests held in New York City and Long Island. The section updates readers on the status of Pine Knot, Theodore Roosevelt’s retreat in Virginia, and it promotes a two part documentary on Roosevelt to be aired on PBS in October 1996. “News and Notes” highlights the annual Fourth of July celebration in Oyster Bay, New York, and notes the retirement of Barbara Brandt from her post at the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site in Buffalo, New York.

The section also features an excerpt from a speech about Roosevelt given by Elihu Root in 1919, and it features four extracts from Roosevelt’s writings and addresses under the title of “TR Said…”. Six photographs appear in the section as does an illustration of Sagamore Hill done by architect Tuck Harvey.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1996

In a speech at the annual meeting of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA), John A. Gable presents the case for awarding the Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal to author David G. McCullough. Gable cites McCullough’s six books, his work in documentary television, and his support of historic preservation. Two photographs of McCullough supplement the text.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1996-10-26

Creator(s)

Gable, John A.

Report on the 77th annual meeting of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) held in and around Boston, Massachusetts in October, 1996. The report highlights the conferring of several awards sponsored by the TRA: the Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal to author David McCullough; the Bertha B. Rose Award to Wallace Finley Dailey of Harvard; the Police Award for a member of the Boston, Massachusetts, Police Department; and the Junior Officer of the Year Award to a member of the USS Theodore Roosevelt. The report also details the annual elections of the TRA, including the selection of Lawrence H. Budner as the next president, and it notes that tours of Harvard, including the Theodore Roosevelt Collection, were given for those who attended. The report highlights the many years of service to the TRA of P. James Roosevelt and announces that a lecture series will be established in his name.

Thirteen photographs of those who attended the various events populate the report, including five of McCullough.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1997

The combined “Books” and “Book Notes” sections contain four lengthy reviews, a brief review essay, and a notice about five works related to the life of Theodore Roosevelt. It also includes a short excerpt from Roosevelt’s writings on conservation and a report by Wallace Finley Dailey on the status of the Theodore Roosevelt Collection at Harvard University. Christopher Volpe praises Edward Renehan’s biography of John Burroughs and highlights Burroughs’s friendships with Roosevelt and the poet Walt Whitman. Volpe notes that Burroughs was a very popular figure as a nature writer in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, but that he fell into obscurity after his death in 1921.

John A. Gable admires the cartoons and commentary found in J. David Valaik’s Theodore Roosevelt, An American Hero in Caricature which reproduces forty-seven caricatures of Roosevelt found in the pages of Puck magazine. Gable also favors Caleb Carr’s historical novel, The Alienist, which revolves around Roosevelt’s tenure as Police Commissioner of New York City. Gable, deeply skeptical of fictional portrayals of Roosevelt, finds Carr’s treatment “entirely accurate,” and he notes how other characters that people the novel have roots in real persons.

James G. Lewis reviews Char Miller’s Gifford Pinchot: The Evolution of an American Conservationist and notes that the work challenges the established view of the relationship between Pinchot and John Muir. Lewis says that Miller is “writing revisionist environmental history” by providing a nuanced portrait of Pinchot. Some of the selections as well as some of the commentary found in Mario R. Di Nunzio’s Theodore Roosevelt: An American Mind are questioned by the anonymous reviewer.

Wallace Finley Dailey, Curator of the Theodore Roosevelt Collection at Harvard University, provides a detailed update on manuscript and book additions to the collection; the use of the collection holdings by numerous authors; and the adoption of new computer based cataloging technology. Dailey also discusses fundraising efforts, exhibitions using the collection materials, and donations from members of the Roosevelt family. Photographs of Burroughs, Pinchot, Carr, and Valiak appear in the sections along with a view of the Theodore Roosevelt Gallery at Harvard.