Miller, Flora Whitney

“Well love all especially Flora.”

Collection

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site

Creation Date

1917-08-15

Quentin Roosevelt writes to his mother about leaving New York harbor and seeing the Statue of Liberty fade in the distance, activities on board ship like shuffle board, reading and playing bridge en route to Halifax, Canada.

Collection

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site

Creation Date

1917-07-25

John G. Staudt chronicles Quentin Roosevelt’s service in World War I with a focus on his time at the aviation instruction center at Issoudun, France. Staudt challenges the assertions of other historians and believes that Roosevelt’s greatest contribution to the war effort was not getting killed in combat, but rather his work in organizing and leading flight instruction for fellow aviators. Staudt notes that Roosevelt was plagued by anxiety about not serving at the front for much of his time overseas, and he stresses that Roosevelt was well liked by the men under his command. Staudt cites a contemporary source who claims that Roosevelt was a brave and skilled, but reckless pilot.

Seven photographs, including two of Roosevelt, a map, and two illustrations supplement the text.

Charles W. Snyder examines the lives of Flora Whitney Miller and Quentin Roosevelt and their doomed engagement in his review of Charles O. Bishop’s Flora & Quentin: A Roosevelt and a Vanderbilt in Love during the Great War. Snyder limits his review of the book to a few comments while providing brief biographies of Miller and Roosevelt, with an emphasis on the latter’s brief military service in World War I. Snyder contends that Roosevelt “was utterly unfit for aerial combat” because of his poor eyesight and injured back, and he notes that later in her life Miller successfully guided the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2014

Theodore Roosevelt writes Mrs. Harvey L. Freeland in response to her two letters received after the death of his youngest son, Quentin Roosevelt. Roosevelt notes how difficult his death has been for his wife, Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt, and he praises his other three sons and son-in-law serving in the armed forces during World War I. A photograph of Quentin Roosevelt with his fiance Flora Payne Whitney accompanies the letter. 

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1918-08-14

Wallace Finley Dailey, Curator of the Theodore Roosevelt Collection at Harvard University, describes in detail two exhibits of Theodore Roosevelt material on display in the Theodore Roosevelt Gallery in the Nathan Marsh Pusey Library in 1977. One exhibit covers Roosevelt’s long relationship with Harvard University from his undergraduate student years to his death. The other explores Roosevelt’s relationship with his daughter Ethel Roosevelt Derby. In both exhibit summaries, Dailey quotes extensively from Roosevelt’s letters and speeches and provides descriptions of the photographs used in the exhibits. 

Three photographs and one illustration accompany the article. One photograph shows Dailey examining the exhibit display cases. Another shows Roosevelt with a group of his Harvard classmates, and one shows Derby at the White House in 1902. The illustration is a drawing by Roosevelt’s classmate, Charles G. Washburn, that depicts a monument detailing Roosevelt’s many activities at Harvard. 

Theodore Roosevelt recounts his visit to see Ethel Roosevelt Derby and her children. It was a great comfort in their time of sorrow after Quentin Roosevelt’s death. Roosevelt’s sons have done well as soldiers and he would not have had them act otherwise.

Collection

Arizona Historical Society

Creation Date

1918-08-09

Rumors about Quentin Roosevelt’s death arrived on July 16 but were not confirmed until today. Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt is suffering and Flora Whitney is brokenhearted. Quentin “died as the heroes of old died.” Congress returned some Nobel Prize money to Roosevelt and he has decided to donate it to the Salvation Army. He agrees with Archie Roosevelt’s thoughts on the government’s failure to prepare for war and that many people, like Quentin, will pay with their blood. Ted Roosevelt was recently injured with a “bullet through his leg.”

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1918-07-21

The picture of Archibald Roosevelt made Theodore Roosevelt homesick for his grandson. It is still unclear if Archie Roosevelt will be returning from Europe. Quentin Roosevelt was credited with an aerial victory and Flora Whitney visited to discuss his success.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1918-07-14

Theodore Roosevelt and Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt have spent two weeks with Ethel Roosevelt Derby and her family. Eleanor Butler Roosevelt and Richard Derby have both written that Archibald Roosevelt should have been sent home for treatment. Quentin Roosevelt’s last letters are arriving and his grave is now within the French lines.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1918-08-09

Grace Stackpole Lockwood Roosevelt and her son Archibald Roosevelt have left Sagamore Hill. It appears that Grace’s father will not live much longer. Kermit Roosevelt has received the British Military Cross and is traveling to Madrid, Spain, to receive his orders after being transferred to the American military. The War Department will not allow Flora Whitney to travel abroad and marry Quentin Roosevelt. Ted Roosevelt is likely fighting at the front and Quentin continues to be frustrated due to the lack of aircraft. Roosevelt encourages Archibald Roosevelt to return home to recuperate as he believes that Archie would be able to heal faster. Roosevelt has returned from a speaking tour and believes that the public is becoming “more warlike.”

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1918-06-02

Theodore Roosevelt was visited by LeRoy Percy and Dr. Lambert, both of whom had just seen Archibald Roosevelt. They spoke with admiration of Archie and Ted Roosevelt. Each recommended that Archie be sent home to recuperate as he would recover and return to service quicker. Roosevelt hopes that Archie will make no objection if his superiors suggest that he return home. He continues to enjoy the company of Archie’s family, Grace Lockwood Roosevelt and Archibald Roosevelt. Flora Whitney has obtained permission from her father to marry Quentin Roosevelt in Europe if she can get a passport.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1918-05-12

Captain Hamilton Coolidge writes to Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt after the death her son, and his friend, Quentin Roosevelt. Coolidge reflects on Quentin’s efforts in aviation and believes his attitudes helped establish the squadron’s “slight but definite supremacy in the air.” Coolidge hopes to find the time to write a small biography of Quentin.

Collection

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site

Creation Date

1918-10-12

Theodore Roosevelt was sorry to hear that Quentin Roosevelt contracted pneumonia and had a melancholy Christmas. At Sagamore Hill, the holiday was enlightened by Richard Derby, Jr., and Edith Roosevelt Derby. Roosevelt is indignant that Ted Roosevelt and Archie Roosevelt have suggested that Quentin is an embusque, a person seeking to avoid military service. He doubts that they were being serious and notes several positive statements that have appeared in print from men that had served with Quentin. Roosevelt encourages Quentin to write steadily to his mother and Flora Whitney. He continues to do nothing; occasionally writing or speaking as poor substitutes for action. Roosevelt hopes that his work will help remedy some of the army’s shortcomings and speed up the war.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1918-01-18

Flora Whitney, Quentin Roosevelt’s fiance, visited for dinner, and Theodore Roosevelt found her to be the “dearest girl.” Quentin is very fortunate. Roosevelt has been disappointed that he could not join the war effort but these feelings have been swept away by “immense pride” in his sons. He hopes to continue working until his sons come home so that he can start Archibald Roosevelt and Quentin out all right. Then he will retire because an “elderly male Cassandra” can do little work and is more of a nuisance. Roosevelt’s new book, The Foes Of Our Own Household, will soon be published and dedicated to his children and their spouses. Flora will receive her own copy with a special inscription.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-09-01

Theodore Roosevelt has been receiving letters from all his sons, except Quentin Roosevelt. However, Quentin’s movement have been tracked through the use of outside sources and information from Flora Whitney. Roosevelt is pleased that Quentin will be near Tommy Hitchcock and he dined with Hitchcock’s parents yesterday. Ethel Roosevelt Derby and Richard Derby will be returning at the end of the week. Richard is fretting at his inability to get overseas and Roosevelt is going to speak with Surgeon General Gorgas to see if anything can be done. Roosevelt has been kept busy with speeches and articles but feels that now is a time when only action counts.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-09-10

Theodore Roosevelt encourages Quentin Roosevelt to stick with the “uncongenial work” even though he would rather be flying. If Quentin truly decides that he is being mistreated, Roosevelt can try and help as long as he knows exactly what Quentin wants. Roosevelt visited the Mineola aviation ground and was taken up on a plane with a new engine design. He thought it was better but is unsure how it compares to planes at the front. Richard Derby is at Yaphank, New York, where the new draftees are arriving. Roosevelt is sending a copy of his new book. A copy was also sent to Flora Whitney.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-09-17

Grace Stackpole Lockwood Roosevelt visited, and Flora Whitney came to see her. Flora wrote a nice note in response to the book she received from Theodore Roosevelt and is “just as good as she’s pretty.” Roosevelt’s trip through the northwest ended in fine style with large, enthusiastic crowds. He is opposing Germany in the war as they are an “abhorrent foe.” However, he also believes that Great Britain preferred an American policy of feebleness rather then strength. Roosevelt wants the United States to “prepare her own strength.” He has also been speaking in New York about the war and campaigning for Mayor Mitchel.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-10-08

Theodore Roosevelt encloses one of Flora Whitney’s kind letters so that Quentin Roosevelt can see her kindness towards his parents. Five of the grandchildren are staying at Sagamore Hill. Roosevelt takes the older children to visit the “fascinating pigs” and is often driven to distraction by the babies because he just wants to play with them. Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt is well and Roosevelt will continue to hold down his “second rate job” until his children return from overseas. He is still trying to help the war effort and make things unpleasant for “Hearst and La Follette and the other Huns within our gates.”

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-10-30

Theodore Roosevelt enjoyed Quentin Roosevelt’s letter describing his experience unloading the touring cars and taking them through the countryside to Paris, France. It sounded like a great experience and Roosevelt is proud of his son. He was also interested to hear that Quentin might be taking charge of the company. Roosevelt, Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt, Ethel Roosevelt Derby, and Flora Whitney have just returned from a trip to Toronto, Canada. He had been reluctant to speak in Canada before the United States entered the war but he thought he could be helpful now as there is “an ugly fight over the draft” in Canada.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-11-28