Your TR Source
Letters to President Roosevelt are opened by his secretary. However, if “not to be opened,” is written on the envelope along with a signature, letters will not be opened.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1901-09-30
Teresa Stoughton Richardson wishes for Theodore Roosevelt to tell her how badly Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt was hurt, and for more details on the matter.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-09
Assistant Secretary of State Loomis recommends to William Loeb that the visit by the Russian envoys be kept as inconspicuous as possible. He suggests they go to Mount Vernon.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-09-08
On behalf of Theodore Roosevelt, his secretary thanks N. E. Dawson for his letter and tells him that Roosevelt is interested in what he wrote. He denies the request to make Roosevelt’s notes public as “the translation of one man’s notes by another man would naturally mean that the notes would not correctly be transcribed and in any event the exact wording would probably be impossible to obtain as Mr. Roosevelt and others often make changes after notes have been transcribed.” He also notes that it would be “improper to make public the notes of a stenographer which are naturally given to him in the strictest confidence.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-06-24
In response to a request for information about the Roosevelt daughters, the Secretary of Theodore Roosevelt declines to share any information and informs C. T. Thompson that they do not want personal information about them published.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-05-23
Theodore Roosevelt wants to know if Hugo Münsterberg would like to see a letter he wrote regarding an Anglo-American alliance.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1914-12-23
President Roosevelt clarifies a statement he previously made to Melville Elijah Stone, of the Associated Press, regarding his willingness to speak to newspapermen after leaving the presidency. While Roosevelt would not wish to speak to a newspaperman for publication, he will not avoid his friends and colleagues who work in the profession.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-04
President Roosevelt writes to Melville Elijah Stone regarding his expectations of privacy after leaving the presidency and on his African safari. When Roosevelt leaves on the trip he will be a private citizen, and he hopes to be given the privacy that any other citizen is entitled to. Roosevelt does not plan to speak to any newspapermen after leaving the United States until he returns from his journey. Any statement attributed to him during the period of his absence should be accepted as false.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-02
President Roosevelt tells Elizabeth C. Roche that he would be delighted to receive a history of Genoa. Regarding the letters Roosevelt sent to her late husband, James Jeffrey Roche, Roosevelt asks if she would be willing to send them to Roosevelt so that he could examine them and indicate if any of them should not be published.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-06-23
President Roosevelt offers his condolences to Olive Grace Kerr for the death of her husband, Henry Scanlan Kerr. However, Roosevelt feels he must object to Olive Kerr publishing the article she encloses, since he feels that Henry Kerr would not have recalled Roosevelt’s statements accurately or may have misunderstood what he meant. Roosevelt also feels that it would be inappropriate to publicly recount details Henry Kerr might have overheard at a private luncheon.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-10-24
President Roosevelt tells Senator Lodge about his vacation, and comments that “the secret service men are a very small but very necessary thorn in the flesh.” While they would not prevent an assassin, Roosevelt believes, they help keep sightseers away. Roosevelt will try to help the Congressional Committee in the fall, but feels that there will be a number of tough elections coming up.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-06
President Roosevelt requests that his uncle, Robert Barnwell Roosevelt, not tell anyone when the Roosevelts will be visiting in order to avoid unwanted attention.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-06-19
Senator Lodge wants to do all he can to save the battleship legislation and thanks Theodore Roosevelt for writing to Senator Clapp. He is angered by the publication of a private letter by Maria Longworth Storer from Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-06-01
Brazilian Ambassador Nabuco writes President Roosevelt to apologize for the publication of a private letter, in which Roosevelt praises Nabuco’s speech on Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Nabuco recounts that he sent a copy to the Brazilian government and a friend. He is unsure which chose to ignore Roosevelt’s designation of the correspondence as “private,” presumably because Roosevelt is a well-respected public figure.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1909-02-25
Robert Sterling Yard was shown a note by Ellen Velvin from President Roosevelt in which he alluded to his correspondence with Yard. He assures Roosevelt that he diverted Velvin’s thoughts away from the note and has preserved his confidence in the matter.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-04-10
Moses A. Gunst asks President Roosevelt to excuse his having forgot to address his letter and sign his name. Gunst intended to address the letter in ink himself because he did not want the stenographers to know certain information.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-08-01
Addressing “The Private Secretary to the President,” Myra Whitney Barrett asks in this note that her letter be delivered to President Roosevelt unopened for it relates solely to a personal matter. If it cannot be delivered unopened, Barrett wants the letter returned to her. Barrett was the wife of Harrison J. Barrett who was on trial for conspiracy to defraud the government.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-06-08
President and Edith Roosevelt have been worried about Anna Roosevelt Cowles, but they are pleased that she and Helena are doing better. He and Edith enjoy their meals outdoors when possible, and have arranged trees on their terrace so they cannot be seen by the public.
1906-06-13