Peale, Ruth Stafford, 1906-2008

John A. Gable recounts the ceremony on April 20, 1985, in which the Theodore Roosevelt Association gave its highest honor, the Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal, to Reverend Norman Vincent Peale and Brigadier General Chuck Yeager. Gable notes that Yeager, a famous test pilot, broke yet another record with his flight from California to New York to attend the awards dinner. Gable lists those from the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) who organized and ran the ceremony, and he summarizes the remarks of the speakers. The article also includes a congratulatory letter from President Ronald Reagan and a listing of some of the guests. A listing of the officers of the TRA along with the members of its executive committee is included in the article.

Three photographs of Peale and Yeager at the awards dinner supplement the text.

Biographies of the two winners of the 1985 Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal, Reverend Norman Vincent Peale and Brigadier General Chuck Yeager. The biography of Peale covers his postings as a  minister, his publishing and and business ventures with his wife, and his various radio programs. It notes his father’s support of Theodore Roosevelt and lists some of the many awards he has been granted. The biography of Yeager reviews his record as a combat pilot, lists his leadership roles in the United States Air Force, and notes his record breaking achievements as a test pilot, including establishing a new record on his flight to New York for the awards dinner. It also concludes with a catalog of the various awards he has been given.

A photograph of Peale sitting at a desk and a photograph of Yeager standing in front of a F-20 Tigershark fighter aircraft supplement the text. 

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

P. James Roosevelt discusses the ministerial work of Reverend Norman Vincent Peale and his wife Ruth Stafford Peale. Roosevelt notes that Reverend Peale is the first minister to be awarded the Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal. Roosevelt highlights the four churches which Peale has served as minister and cites statistics about his Foundation For Christian Living and his magazine Guideposts. Roosevelt concludes by quoting four passages each from Peale and Theodore Roosevelt and noting that each used a bully pulpit to preach much the same message.

A photograph of Peale, P. James Roosevelt, and William Davison Johnston, President of the Theodore Roosevelt Association, accompanies the text.  

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

John A. Gable explores the two Theodore Roosevelts, the mythic “Teddy Roosevelt” and the real Roosevelt. Gable says that there are three kinds of mythic Roosevelts: the Boy Scout, the American Mussolini, and the Teddy Brewster which represent the inspirational leader, the macho imperialist, and the cartoonish buffoon. Gable examines the real Roosevelt by looking at his many accomplishments as president in conservation and foreign affairs and by highlighting his intellectual life, especially his numerous books and essays. He argues that Roosevelt sought to achieve Jeffersonian goals of democracy through Hamiltonian means, and he asserts that both liberals and conservatives can find things to embrace in Roosevelt’s record.

A photograph of Gable with author Tom Wolfe and a photograph of P. James Roosevelt, Ruth Stafford Peale, Reverend Norman Vincent Peale, and Brigadier General Chuck Yeager at the Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal Awards Dinner accompany the text. 

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal