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Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry Cabot Lodge

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry Cabot Lodge

President Roosevelt responds to an amusing letter Senator Lodge had forwarded to him. Roosevelt plans to be down the river the coming weekend, and says he is not yet in shape for a ride. He inquires whether Lodge has been following the Intercalated Olympic Games in Athens, and remarks on the victory of an Irish-American from New York defeating an Englishman in the running broad jump.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-04-28

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Hale Thompson

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Hale Thompson

President Roosevelt informs William Hale Thompson of the New Illinois Athletic Club that he cannot accept the honorary presidency of the Western Olympian Games Committee of the United States. He has already agreed to be honorary president of the American Committee of the Olympic Games in Athens in 1906, and does not feel that he should accept another similar position.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-11-03

Letter from Wesley M. Ohr to Theodore Roosevelt

Letter from Wesley M. Ohr to Theodore Roosevelt

Wesley M. Ohr writes to Theodore Roosevelt about a previous time Roosevelt stopped by Ohr’s home in Catsonville, Maryland and entertained the Rough Riders of the city with stories. As Ohr’s son was present then, Ohr writes to Roosevelt about the athletic achievements of his son who wants to go to the Olympics.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-06-06

Letter from Theodore Andrea Cook to Theodore Roosevelt

Letter from Theodore Andrea Cook to Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Andrea Cook apologizes for writing to President Roosevelt about the Olympics again, but explains that he addresses Roosevelt as President of the American Olympic Committee, “as I should have been forced to address the President of the Olympic Committee of any other nation under similar circumstances.” He encloses materials about some trouble at Harvard that he believes Roosevelt will be interested in, and attributes this in part to the men who have served as spokespeople for the United States Olympic Committee.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-01-04

Letter from Whitelaw Reid to Theodore Roosevelt

Letter from Whitelaw Reid to Theodore Roosevelt

Ambassador Reid writes to President Roosevelt on a number of topics, including the present situation in India, the aftermath of a controversy in the 1908 Olympics, the health of German Emperor William II and British King Edward VII, and Roosevelt’s upcoming safari. Reid encourages Roosevelt to reconsider bringing a ceremonial outfit along with him for the period following his safari. Edward North Buxton has asked if Reid can send Roosevelt a rifle to test, and Reid is investigating whether such a thing can be done via diplomatic pouch.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-21

Letter from Elihu Root to Theodore Roosevelt

Letter from Elihu Root to Theodore Roosevelt

Assistant Secretary of State Robert Bacon has informed Secretary of State Root that James E. Sullivan was made an official representative of the United States at the Olympics because of Caspar Whitney’s appeal to President Roosevelt. This could potentially put the United States into the difficult position of either apologizing to England or justifying Sullivan’s “undoubted misbehavior.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11

Letter from Theodore Andrea Cook to Theodore Roosevelt

Letter from Theodore Andrea Cook to Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Andrea Cook of the British Olympic Association appreciated President Roosevelt’s letter, and clarifies that he did not desire to draw Roosevelt into the London Olympics controversy. Cook returns Roosevelt’s letter of October 26, which has never left his hands and has not been seen by anybody else. He promises not to bother Roosevelt about the matter again.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-26

Letter from Whitelaw Reid to Theodore Roosevelt

Letter from Whitelaw Reid to Theodore Roosevelt

Ambassador Reid encloses an official statement from The Times regarding the controversy between the United States and Great Britain at the London Olympics. Reid does not know much about it, but believes that prolonging the discussion about it will only hurt relations between the two countries. Reid also encloses an article from the Telegraph that places blame for this incident on James E. Sullivan, president of the Amateur Athletic Union in the United States.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-18

Letter from Theodore Andrea Cook to Theodore Roosevelt

Letter from Theodore Andrea Cook to Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Andrea Cook explains to President Roosevelt the reasons behind his writing to the White House regarding the controversy raised by officials from the American Olympic Committee and the London Olympics. Cook believes that the letter from James E. Sullivan accusing British officials of treating American athletes unfairly misrepresents the situation. England’s Amateur Athletic Association has investigated the matter; Cook privately sends Roosevelt rough drafts of the findings, but asks that they be kept private until they are formally released. Cook will keep Roosevelt’s letter private.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-02

Letter from Whitelaw Reid to Theodore Roosevelt

Letter from Whitelaw Reid to Theodore Roosevelt

Ambassador Reid informs President Roosevelt that to create international goodwill, he contacted the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Jutaro Komura, telling him how much President Roosevelt appreciated his message. Additionally, Reid shared Roosevelt’s kind words concerning the outcries against the Olympic games with William Henry Grenfell, president of the British Olympic Council. The Honorable Berkeley Cole offers to accompany Roosevelt on his safari, but Reid took care of the matter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-09-08

Letter from Theodore Andrea Cook to Theodore Roosevelt

Letter from Theodore Andrea Cook to Theodore Roosevelt

British critic Theodore Andrea Cook forwards two books on the Olympic Games to President Roosevelt. He “was obliged to publish the facts” about the controversial 400-meter race. Unless Americans forget certain incidents, Cook warns that American athletes will not be welcomed at British tracks. Cook apologizes for any perceived rudeness to the American contingency and assures Roosevelt of his and his colleagues’ respect.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-09-08

American Taste

American Taste

The author of this letter to the editor disapproves of American Olympic officials James E. Sullivan, Gustavus T. Kirby, and Joseph B. McCabe, and the effect they have had on the culture of the United States. The author includes a clipping from a Boston newspaper which they say displays an event of “tasteless vulgarity” organized by Harvard University and Yale University, in which the King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra of Great Britain were shown “the grossest disrespect.” The accompanying clipping which is quoted seems to describe an initiation ceremony to a Harvard club that pokes fun at the conclusion of the 1908 Olympic Marathon, with students dressed as Dorando Pietri, Johnny Hayes, and members of the royal family.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-18

American athletes at the Olympic Games

American athletes at the Olympic Games

The London Telegraph reports on the American Amateur Athletic Union’s “campaign of misrepresentation and abuse” following the Olympics in London. In particular, the Union’s president, James E. Sullivan, has spoken out against English officials and criticized the British Amateur Athletic Association’s running of the games, especially in regard to the disqualification of John C. Carpenter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-18

Letter from Arthur Hamilton Lee to Theodore Roosevelt

Letter from Arthur Hamilton Lee to Theodore Roosevelt

Arthur Hamilton Lee and his wife, Ruth Moore Lee, are happy that President Roosevelt appreciates their gift of the painting “Seats of the Mighty.” After being president for seven years, Lee believes a year-long African safari is the best curative. He outlines “a plan… for you to visit England without annoyance,” inviting Roosevelt to stay at either his London house or the one in the Highlands. Roosevelt’s reaction to the Olympic controversies delights Lee, who feels international games cause more friction than good feelings. Lee discusses British naval preparation and questions the German policies.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-09-06