Ogden, Rollo, 1856-1937

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Allen White

President Roosevelt understands that the clipping William Allen White sent is funny and meant in jest, but he takes exception to the implication that, along with William Jennings Bryan, Oklahoma governor Charles Nathaniel Haskell, and William Randolph Hearst, he is also a liar and a rascal. Roosevelt writes that certain “conscienceless and unscrupulous” journalists who imply that there is no difference between honest and dishonest men, are worse for public life than the worst businessmen and politicians. He believes that White is a decent journalist who does not want to confuse the public and urges him not to publish such jokes.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-07

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry Reuterdahl

President Roosevelt is interested in what Henry Reuterdahl has to say about the attitudes of the Sun, Herald, and Post towards the navy, and discusses his opinion on the stances of each paper. In a postscript, Roosevelt says he has received the painting of the Great White Fleet Reuterdahl has sent and is delighted with it.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-08-08

Letter from Vahan Cardashian to Andrew D. White

Vahan Cardashian writes to Andrew D. White expressing his concerns about the persecution Armenians are facing under the Turkish government and his fears the violence will escalate. He hopes White will be one of several other prominent men to form a committee that will weild their power to advocate for Armenian rights.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-10-12

Memorandum regarding the Missouri gubernatorial election

A statement, possibly a memorandum meant for President Roosevelt, regarding the gubernatorial election in Missouri, which became embroiled in public relations issues involving Roosevelt, in part due to the publishing of an exchange of letters. Roosevelt is quoted explaining his attempts to remain distant, despite the fact that editors are hounding him and will print more with or without his involvement. 

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-11-04

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Kermit Roosevelt

President Roosevelt tells his son Kermit that Secretary of War William H. Taft’s victory in the presidential election seems assured, despite the American Protective Association’s movement among Protestants who are against Taft because he is Unitarian. Roosevelt also lashes out at some of the newspaper men he says spread lies. He closes by saying he was interested in Kermit’s letter to Mother.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1908-10-24

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John P. Whitman

Theodore Roosevelt appreciates John P. Whitman’s letter but feels it inappropriate to write the letter to his brother, Russell R. Whitman, as requested. He suggests they meet at a club the next time they are both in New York to discuss the matter further. Roosevelt condemns much of William Randolph Hearst and his papers but finds him less loathsome than some of the other editors of New York newspapers. 

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-07-31

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Whitelaw Reid

Theodore Roosevelt writes Ambassador Whitelaw Reid how “the average modern journalist . . . takes a view that is literally incomprehensible” in twisting statements made by Reid about Roosevelt into “an attack.” Roosevelt thanks Reid for the “high compliment” and “mighty nice letter.” Roosevelt writes that Rollo and Mrs. Ogden spent a night with the Roosevelts and hopes that the Reids will have the chance to do the same.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-07-28

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Richard Watson Gilder

President Roosevelt writes Richard Watson Gilder a lengthy refutation of an article in the Evening Post in which William Garrott Brown misconstrues his actions in the Republican Party. Namely, Brown accuses Roosevelt of neglecting Republicans in the South and of doing a poor job of making nominations to local offices and positions. Roosevelt asserts that where the Republican party is not strong in the South, he has had to appoint Democrats who were quality men, rather than incapable men who are Republicans. Where he believes the party has a chance to compete with Democrats, he does all he can to support it. Roosevelt also writes that he did not use his influence on officers to get William H. Taft the nomination, but rather Taft was nominated because Roosevelt’s policies were popular, and Taft is the man who will continue those policies. Roosevelt believes that Brown is either ignorant or willfully ignorant of a number of facts.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-16

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Dudley Foulke

While President Roosevelt agrees with William Dudley Foulke that Delavan Smith of the Indianapolis News is bad, the publishers of the New York Sun, New York World, and Evening Post are just as bad or worse. Certain newspapers publish so many lies about Roosevelt that if he were to respond to all of them, he would spend most of his time refuting lies. Roosevelt outlines several lies that have been printed about him in various papers, and invites Foulke to visit and look over the papers that prove them false. Roosevelt would like to speak with Foulke and Lucius B. Swift about whether or not he should respond to Smith and other publishers like him.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-30

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Dudley Foulke

President Roosevelt responds to William Dudley Foulke’s request to call the Indianapolis News to account for the falsehoods they are spreading. Roosevelt explains that he does not believe it will do any good, because the paper is simply on par with other papers like the New York World, New York Sun, and New York Evening Post. Such papers will simply repeat their falsehoods and spread new ones if they are corrected. Roosevelt believes that it is useless to deny false stories in the news because papers do not attempt to prove their assertions. In particular, Roosevelt mentions false stories about his raising campaign funds and the purchase of the Panama Canal.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-24

Telegram from Theodore Roosevelt to William Dudley Foulke

President Roosevelt does not think there is any use in publishing the letter. However, he hopes that William Dudley Foulke and Lucius B. Swift will visit after the election to discuss if it is worth writing a letter to settle the matter. In such a letter, Roosevelt would take on all of the newspaper editors he takes issue with at once.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-26

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Kermit Roosevelt

President Roosevelt believes that the political situation has changed in William H. Taft’s favor since he last wrote Kermit Roosevelt. He does not understand the movement of the “ultra Protestant bigots” of the American Protective Association against Taft. He thinks that it may cost them Ohio and Indiana. Roosevelt also complains about various newspaper men from the New York Sun, New York Evening Post, Indianapolis News, and others.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-24

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Dudley Foulke

President Roosevelt explains to William Dudley Foulke that he does not think that it is worth responding to the three false editorials in the Indianapolis News. This paper, under editor Delavan Smith, is just as bad as the New York Sun and New York Evening Post. Roosevelt refutes these editorials, but does not think it is worth making public; if he were to deny all of the falsehoods and stories based on rumors that were printed about him, it would take him all day, every day.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-24

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Whitelaw Reid

President Roosevelt informs Ambassador Whitelaw Reid that it appears that Secretary of War Taft will be the Republican Presidential nominee, and reflects on the arguments he has made to try to persuade people who nevertheless want Roosevelt to remain in office for another term. Roosevelt also remarks that when he feels gloomy from the renown given to “the more preposterous variety of mugwump,” who writes for magazines and is treated as a thinker, he reads articles by a British analogue. He hopes to be on safari in a year’s time.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-06-13

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to James Ford Rhodes

President Roosevelt tells James Ford Rhodes he has just finished reading his fifth volume, which has tied in well with Roosevelt’s other readings of Thomas Babington Macaulay’s History and Abraham Lincoln’s letters and speeches. Although the president agrees with Rhodes that the right is not all on one side and the wrong is not all on the other in quarrels, Roosevelt thinks the American Civil War is the exception, as he believes “the right was exclusively with the Union people.” Roosevelt talks about his plans to build up the Navy to avoid war, believing the Panama Canal will help. Finally, he discusses problems he has been having with the tariff and Southern states. He disagrees with Rhodes that the South is not trying to reinstate slavery, as there is peonage in three states right now. Roosevelt closes by mentioning how his opponents helped him during the election campaign.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-11-29

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George Haven Putnam

President Roosevelt thanks George Haven Putnam for his letter, but wants to correct him on one point. Roosevelt explains he has dealt with senators like Matthew Stanley Quay not because they made him president but because he wanted to succeed in his policies by working with prominent men in the Republican Party. The president says that the results of the presidential election will not make any real change in his attitude toward them. Roosevelt also explains confidentially he is trying to do all he can regarding the tariff revision and reciprocity.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-11-15

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Booker T. Washington

President Roosevelt does trust the “mental honesty” of Rollo Ogden and Oswald Garrison Villard and is not surprised they are supporting Alton B. Parker and the Democratic Party.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-11

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Booker T. Washington

According to Theodore Roosevelt, the Evening Post is showing more than its usual amount of hypocrisy in regards to African Americans. The Evening Post is attacking Roosevelt, even though they pledged their support in the presence of John Hay. Roosevelt did not believe them at the time. Roosevelt would like to go over the issues of the press with Washington.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-02

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Joseph Bucklin Bishop

President Roosevelt suggests that Joseph Bucklin Bishop write to Elihu Root and urge him to run. Roosevelt wonders if Bishop can be more critical of Alton B. Parker and Thomas Taggart as other newspapers have been critical of Roosevelt’s “imaginary dealings” with John Edward Charles O’Sullivan Addicks.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-01

Letter from Booker T. Washington to Theodore Roosevelt

Booker T. Washington is disappointed by the attitude of the New York Evening Post. When Washington met with Rollo Ogden and Oswald Garrison Villard, they promised to support President Roosevelt because of his attitude towards black people. Washington believes it would be best if Roosevelt did not discuss the “Southern question” in his letter of acceptance. Washington plans to submit an article to Dr. Abbott of the Outlook concerning what Roosevelt has done “in the way of purifying official life in the South.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-10