Your TR Source
President Roosevelt has received the medal, diploma, and check for the Nobel Prize. He thanks the committee, and tells them that the money is being used to create a foundation for promoting industrial peace.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-01-08
President Roosevelt tells former Mayor Low that the idea he has suggested has already been raised by Secretary of Commerce and Labor Oscar S. Straus and National Civic Federation founder John Mitchell. Roosevelt doubts the possibility of applying the semi-official gift from the Nobel Foundation and applying it to a private enterprise like the Civic Federation. He hopes a plan can be worked out, but notes that neither his name nor Alfred Nobel’s name should be “swallowed up in any private movement.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-20
President Roosevelt tells Christine Griffin Kean Roosevelt (wife of his cousin Emlen) that he hopes she approves of the way he used the Nobel Prize cash award. Roosevelt notes that after he got past his anger over the Maria Longworth Storer incident, that he found the situation amusing. He reports that he is taking up James Alexander Scrymser’s application with “the Departments,” and that he has had a difficult time getting businessmen and bankers to agree upon currency legislation.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-14
President Roosevelt thanks King Haakon VII of Norway for the “high honor” of his recent Nobel Peace Prize award.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-11
President Roosevelt gives directions for the US Delegation at Christiania to personally thank Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs as well as Bjoernson for their congratulations on his Nobel Prize win.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-10
Roosevelt reiterates his thanks to Løvland for the Nobel Prize, and notes that he will communicate further by letter via “the Norwegian Minister at Washington,” Hjalmar Christian Hauge.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-10
President Roosevelt (through a telegram cabled to Assistant Secretary of State Robert Bacon) thanks Chairman Løvland for the Nobel Prize, noting that “There is no gift I could appreciate more.” Roosevelt states that after much consideration, he will donate the cash award towards establishing a “permanent Industrial Peace Committee” at Washington, D.C. as to carry out Alfred Nobel’s mission.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-10
President Roosevelt authorizes Herbert H. D. Peirce to accept the Nobel Peace Prize on his behalf, “and receipt therefor.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-07
Seth Low congratulates President Roosevelt on the Nobel Peace Prize and suggests that the National Civic Federation might be useful in the disposition of the award money. Low thinks it preferable to “strengthen what already exists” rather than “build up something entirely new.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-18
August Belmont heard from Douglas Robinson that President Roosevelt would like to speak with him. Belmont is happy to meet with Roosevelt on his way down to South Carolina, where Belmont will spend the holidays. Belmont also congratulates Roosevelt on winning the Nobel Peace Prize, and hopes to speak with Roosevelt about some “permanent method of cooperation” between Roosevelt’s prize fund and the National Civic Federation.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-17
Nicholas Murray Butler tells President Roosevelt about the League for International Conciliation, organized by Senator Estournelles de Constant of France. Butler hopes that Roosevelt’s Nobel Prize fund might support this group, or at least not work in opposition to it. Butler is in charge of organizing American membership in the organization, has already arranged a conference with Andrew Carnegie and Congressman Richard Bartholdt, and reports that there is enthusiasm from many different people within the United States. He encloses a list of the membership in the League thus far.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-11
Herbert H. D. Peirce has received the Nobel Prize on Theodore Roosevelt’s behalf. The prize consists of a diploma, gold medal, and an order for 138,536 crowns.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-10
Chairman Løvland notifies President Roosevelt the Nobel Peace Prize Committee has decided to award Roosevelt the Nobel Peace Prize.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-10
Admiral George Dewey and President Roosevelt with his “Nobel prize” stand in the vessel, “The Forlorn Hope,” and release a dove that holds “peace notes to South America.”
Frederick Morgan’s cartoon depicts President Roosevelt and Admiral George Dewey, and refers to South American leaders, but a major figure behind the cartoon is not shown: Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany.
A woman, “Peace,” crowns President Roosevelt, who is already wearing an enormous “Nobel Peace Prize” and holding his big stick, with a laurel wreath. On the ground are three laurel wreaths beside a paper that reads, “Amicable adjustment of Japanese question.”
C. R. Macauley, over his long cartooning career, was seldom complimentary toward Theodore Roosevelt. He drew this cartoon for the semi-official organ of the national Democrat Party, the New York World; in 1912 he was even the official, salaried cartoonist for the press office of the Democratic National Committee.
President Roosevelt sits with a Nobel Peace Prize in his hand as gramophones shout the words, “Coal Famine,” “Car Shortage,” and “Negro Troop Ques” at him. There is a stick labeled “The Big Stick” across one of his legs and two typewriters with long papers labeled “Message” at the end.
C. R. Macauley was the political cartoon for Joseph Pulitzer’s Morning World in New York City, for decades regarded as the semi-official organ of the national Democratic Party. Macauley himself, in fact, was hired to be the official cartoonist of the Democratic Party in 1912 (at the time is was a practice for political parties to supply cartoons to newspapers around the country, if, perhaps their budgets forbade their own hires.
In one circle, President Roosevelt holds a box labeled, “Nobel Peace Prize.” In another, Andrew Carnegie cuts a paper labeled “Inheritance” that is divided in half. One side reads, “This piece is for the children,” and the other reads, “This piece is to be returned to the ‘community.'” In the last circle, Henry Watterson faces Roosevelt and holds a bag with a tag, “To Europe,” and a paper sticking out that says “T.R. is all right.” Two men are outside the circles with a paper that says, “We got ours,” while a government clerk looks through a telescope at the number “20%.”
This genre cartoon by Jack H. Smith was typical of drawings many newspapers and magazines produced at the time — weekly or monthly pictorial round-ups of recent news events; not commentary or advocacy, but summaries.
President Roosevelt, dressed like a farmer, sows seeds from a bag labeled “$40,000 Peace Prize” with a bird “Peace” on his head. In the background is a fence labeled “American Industry.”
The background this cartoon is the recent announcement by President Roosevelt that he would assign the monetary award from his Nobel Peace Prize committee to “social and industrial” justice. The intention was sufficiently vague that the funds only gathered interest for a dozen years, never connected to a foundation or specific project (many charitable groups during America’s participation in the Great War ultimately received the apportioned funds).
A large President Roosevelt stands in front of a fire with a bag labeled “Arbitration Fund” and wording on the front that says, “Nobel Peace Prize Award to President for His Work in Promoting Peace Between Russia and Japan. $37.127.00.” Roosevelt carries a club labeled “Big Stick” with an attached olive branch across his back and looks on to two sleeping men labeled “Capitalist” and “Wage Earner.” Both men are holding daggers. There are two stockings on the hearth labeled “Labor” and “Capital.”
Cartoonist P. B. McCord engaged in hyperbolic wishes in this pre-Christmas cartoon. The back-story was President Roosevelt’s announcement that he would not keep for himself the monetary award associated with the Nobel Prize for Peace. He proposed that the fund be in escrow and used toward the establishment of an agency — or some mechanism — that would promote industrial peace in the United States.
Theodore Roosevelt writes his son Kermit and daughter-in-law Belle to say he is happy and surprised they are able to live together. He tells Belle to take care of herself and says he is glad Kermit is with the artillery. Roosevelt says Ethel Roosevelt Derby and Quentin’s fiancee Flora Payne Whitney are coming down to stay with Mother who is heart-broken over Quentin’s death, and Archie Roosevelt will be sent home soon as well. He closes by saying he is asking for the money from his Nobel Prize back from Congress so he can give it to charities. Enclosed was a sheet of French stamps.
1918-08-22