Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945

This section of the journal covers twelve topics including a brief report on the 1998 annual meeting which saw the conferring of the Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal to former President George Bush and his wife Barbara Bush. It also highlights a revival of the play Bully! starring actor John Davidson, the results of a survey of historians rating twentieth-century presidents, and the opening of an exhibition on Theodore Roosevelt at the National Portrait Gallery. “News and Notes” also discusses whether Roosevelt believed in the legend of a Sasquatch or Bigfoot creature, relays news from the The Friends of Sagamore Hill cooperating association, and notes the launching of a Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) website. The section closes with a listing of the members of the executive committee of the TRA along with the members of the Board of Trustees classes of 1999, 2000, and 2001, and with a text box indicating that this issue of the journal is dedicated to P. James Roosevelt. 

Five photographs of President Bush at the annual meeting appear in the section. 

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

David H. Burton provides biographies of three Roosevelt women: Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt, Alice Roosevelt Longworth, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Burton emphasizes Edith Roosevelt’s importance to her husband, Theodore Roosevelt, from raising their children to overseeing the renovation of the White House. With Longworth, Burton notes her marriage to Nicholas Longworth and her antipathy to Franklin D. Roosevelt, and he says that her influence suffered because “she was never for anything.” Burton highlights Eleanor Roosevelt’s sad childhood but pays attention to, and praises, her considerable humanitarian work both as First Lady and in her later life.

A drawing of Edith Roosevelt by John Singer Sargent and photographs of Longworth and Eleanor Roosevelt supplement the text. A text box containing contact information for the Theodore Roosevelt Association also appears in the article.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1996

James Biedzynski describes Governor General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.’s tenure in the Philippines in the years 1932-1933. Biedzynski notes the difficulties posed by the onset of the Depression, and he highlights the effects of independence legislation that would unfasten the islands from American rule, most notably the loss of free trade with the United States. Biedzynski quotes at length from a letter Roosevelt wrote to Manuel Luis Quezon telling the Philippine president that the United States would not guarantee the islands’ independence.

A photograph of Roosevelt appears in the article along with one of Roosevelt with his wife and children.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1994-1995

Seven books, including two memoirs, are examined in six review essays in this edition of the “Book Notes” section. Michael L. Manson reviews two books on Theodore Roosevelt’s 1914 scientific expedition to Brazil; one penned by Roosevelt and the other by Joseph R. Ornig. Manson praises the forewords to both books written by Tweed Roosevelt, and he finds Ornig’s book provides a detailed look at the expedition and the cast of characters besides Roosevelt who made it successful. Stacy A. Cordery notes that journalist Joseph Alsop’s memoirs deal mostly with the major events and figures of the mid to late twentieth century, and she reveals Alsop’s opinions of various senators, presidents, and generals.

Richard P. Harmon faults Peter Collier’s The Roosevelts: An American Saga for focusing too much on the private lives of the two Roosevelt families, and he says that many of Collier’s assertions are not backed by evidence and that the book relies too much on a psychohistory approach. James Summerville asserts that H. Paul Jeffers’s look at Roosevelt’s tenure as Police Commissioner of New York City, Commissioner Roosevelt, disappoints and that readers should turn to Jay S. Berman’s study or to coverage of this period of Roosevelt’s career in biographies. John A. Gable provides a positive and short review of a short book, William H. Harbaugh’s fifty page history of Pine Knot, which Gable says is written with “charm and style.” Robert D. Dalziel, President of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA), reviews the memoirs of Hamilton Fish, a winner of the TRA’s Distinguished Service Medal. Dalziel says that Fish’s opinions are straightforward and blunt like their author.

Two photographs appear in the section: one shows three members of the Rio Roosevelt Expedition of 1992 and the other dignitaries of the Dutch government at the Roosevelt Study Center in the Netherlands.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

John A. Gable discusses the discovery of three photographs that show Theodore Roosevelt and his cousin Franklin D. Roosevelt together. Gable also provides context for the photographs, discovered by the author Geoffrey C. Ward, in detailing the libel case brought against Theodore Roosevelt by William Barnes. The three photographs show the two Roosevelts on their way to court in Syracuse, New York, on May 4, 1915. Two of the photographs appear in the article. The photograph on the back cover of this issue, and referenced in the article, shows Franklin D. and Eleanor Roosevelt onboard a ship with Theodore Roosevelt upon his return to the United States from his African safari in 1910.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1990

Creator(s)

Gable, John A.

Charles W. Snyder examines the life of Theodore Roosevelt, President Theodore Roosevelt’s oldest son, who struggled to emerge from the long shadow cast by his famous father. Snyder provides a comprehensive biography of the younger Roosevelt, looking at his service in both world wars, his stints as Governor General of Puerto Rico and the Philippines, and his career in politics. Snyder also looks at the breach that developed between the Oyster Bay and Hyde Park, New York, branches of the Roosevelt family, and he examines Roosevelt’s opposition to the New Deal and his support of isolationism in the 1930s.

Ten photographs of Roosevelt appear in the article: three of these show Roosevelt with members of his family and six of them are from his service during World War II; a photograph of his home, Old Orchard, also illustrates the article. A text box with a listing of the officers of the Theodore Roosevelt Association is found on the second page of the article.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1991

The “News and Notes” column describes John A. Gable’s teaching a course for the Roosevelt Study Center in the Netherlands in July, 1988, and it also notes two of his other speaking engagements about Theodore Roosevelt. The column features an obituary for Franklin D. Roosevelt, Junior, son of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who supported the work of the Roosevelt Study Center. “News and Notes” promotes new publications on Theodore Roosevelt, including the publication of past issues of the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal in microfiche form by the Meckler corporation, and it lists some other sources for studying the life and work of Robert Barnwell Roosevelt. The use of Sagamore Hill National Historic Site as a voter registration site is also discussed.

Illustrations of the Roosevelt family coat of arms and both sides of the Theodore Roosevelt Association medallion appear in the column.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1988

Awards and grants sponsored by the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) make up much of this edition of the “News and Notes” column and include the conferring of the Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Naval History Prize, the TRA Police Award for the New York City Police Department, and the annual research grants  from the American Museum of Natural History. The column also covers a reunion of the two branches of the Roosevelt family comprising the descendants of Theodore Roosevelt from Oyster Bay, New York, and those of Franklin D. Roosevelt from Hyde Park, New York. A letter from Elliott Roosevelt, a son of Franklin D. Roosevelt, to John A. Gable of the TRA recounts some shared episodes of Roosevelt family history, including Theodore Roosevelt’s role in Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt’s wedding and Theodore Roosevelt’s attempt to serve in World War I. “News and Notes” also describes the dedication of a rose garden in honor of Jessica Van Ausdall Kraft at Sagamore Hill, highlights the work of some of the TRA leadership, and promotes the publications of the TRA.

Two photographs of the rose garden ceremonies at Sagamore Hill, two from the luncheon for the Naval History Prize, and one of Theodore Roosevelt join a picture of both sides of the TRA medallion to illustrate the column.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1989

Newsreel footage of both 1932 Republican National Convention and Democratic National Convention. Herbert Hoover is seen being nominated for president. Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt speaks to the crowds from the podium. At the Democratic Convention, delegates march with banners supporting Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Collection

Sherman Grinberg Film Collection

Creation Date

1932-06-01

Creator(s)

Unknown

A compilation of newsreel clips regarding the 1932 U.S. presidential election. President Herbert Hoover and First Lady Lou Henry Hoover receive Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt at a White House garden party, where a crowd is gathered. Herbert Hoover is seen speaking on a radio program. Governor of New York Franklin D. Roosevelt sits and speaks with Speaker of the House John Nance Garner.

Collection

Sherman Grinberg Film Collection

Creation Date

1932-08-01

Creator(s)

Pathé News

Article on the establishment of the Roosevelt Study Center in Middleburg, capitol of the Province of Zeeland in the Netherlands. The article notes that the Center will focus on the lives of Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Eleanor Roosevelt. It details the visit made to the Netherlands by John A. Gable, Executive Director of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA), in November and December of 1985 in which he gave five lectures and visited with various government officials. The article discusses the history of Middelburg and lists the various individuals and entities, including the TRA, that will be involved in its operation and governance. 

A picture of the Middleburg Abbey which will house the Center accompanies the article.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

John Robert Greene tells the story of Frederick Morgan Davenport of New York state, whose political affiliations would move from the Republican party to the Progressive party, back to the Republicans, and would end with him as a supporter of the New Deal working for Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman. Greene covers Davenport’s early career as a minister and teacher with an interest in the history of American revivals. He details his entry into New York politics and discusses his interest in adoption of the direct primary which led him to seek the support of Theodore Roosevelt. Greene examines the warfare in the Republican party between 1912 and 1916, and he notes Davenport’s work for Syracuse University in the 1920s. Davenport’s support of President Herbert Hoover and his work on behalf of tariff reform are covered as is Davenport’s gradual embrace of the New Deal while heading two agencies dealing with government personnel matters. Greene notes that Davenport was awarded the Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal in 1951.

Two of Davenport’s campaign posters, a photograph of the 1912 Progressive Party convention in Chicago, and a political cartoon from the 1912 campaign illustrate the article.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Joyce M. Bisso opens this edition of “News and Notes” with a report on the effort to gather library books from the greater Oyster Bay, New York, area to build a library for the sailors aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt. The task fell to students from Oyster Bay High School and local public libraries. Bisso quotes the two sailors from the ship, Petty Officer Timothy L. Blackstone and Senior Chief Edward J. Tessier, who came to Oyster Bay to collect the books and other materials gathered by the community. The article also reprints a letter from Captain Paul W. Parcells, Commanding Officer of USS Theodore Roosevelt, to William Davison Johnston, the President of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA). A photograph of students examining books; one of Blackstone and Tessier; and another of the two sailors with Oyster Bay High School students appear in the article. 

The section also contains a report on the natural history research grants awarded from the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund by the American Museum of Natural History in New York City for 1986. The report notes the members of the TRA who serve on the awards committee, lists the winner of the largest award, Mark L. McKnight, and it provides a history of the involvement of Theodore Roosevelt and his father with the museum. A chart listing the number of award applications, the number of awards, and the value of the grants from 1961 to 1986 appears in this section.

“News and Notes” also reports that Elizabeth E. Roosevelt of the TRA will volunteer at the Roosevelt Study Center in the Netherlands when it opens in the fall of 1986. The section notes that Edmund Morris will be one of the speakers at the Center’s opening, and it relays the purpose and the location of the Center. The section discusses the work of several Roosevelt historians and biographers, including Sylvia Jukes Morris, John Milton Cooper, and Kathleen Dalton. “News and Notes” closes with an obituary of Julian K. Roosevelt who was an accomplished yachtsman and a member of the International Olympic Committee.

William Davison Johnston, President of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA), opens this lengthy and crowded edition of the “News and Notes” section by praising the documentary “The Indomitable Teddy Roosevelt,” noting the opening of the Roosevelt Study Center in the Netherlands, and discussing the role of the TRA in the commissioning of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. The section covers the conferring of two awards sponsored by the TRA: the TRA Police Award and the Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Naval History Prize. Officer Vivian F. Picciarelli won the Police Award for 1986 and was the first woman to do so while Ronald H. Spector won the Naval History Prize for his book Eagle Against the Sun. “News and Notes” also discusses the work of historians Edmund Morris and Joe F. Decker on Theodore Roosevelt’s political language, and it notes the recent publications of TRA Executive Director John A. Gable on Roosevelt, Gifford Pinchot, and Amos Pinchot.

“News and Notes” also covers the death of David Russell Roosevelt, a great grandson of Theodore Roosevelt, the reprinting of Sagamore Hill: An Historical Guide by the TRA, efforts to mark the spot of Roosevelt’s famous bear hunt of 1902 in Mississippi, and the various student contests and awards for high school students sponsored by the TRA. The section also examines the donation of letters to Harvard University by Joanna Sturm, Alice Roosevelt Longworth’s granddaughter. Letters to and from Theodore Roosevelt with Alice Hathaway Lee, his first wife, and Longworth, his daughter, make up most of the donation. An exhibit at Harvard and an article, both based on the correspondence, are also covered. The section closes with a report on three benefits, two balls and a reception, held in July and August 1986, to benefit the USS Theodore Roosevelt. The historic locations for the events, the involvement of the Roosevelt family, and the officers of the ship who attended are all discussed.

A photograph of Harrison Engle and Sidney D. Kirkpatrick working on the documentary “The Indomitable Teddy Roosevelt,” an illustration of both sides of the TRA medallion, an illustration of Mount Rushmore National Memorial, and the Roosevelt family coat of arms appear in “News and Notes.”

Theodore Roosevelt had a deep involvement with the United States Navy, and is regarded as the Father of the Modern U.S. Navy. Beyond Roosevelt himself, several other members of his extended family have also served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Roosevelt’s son Theodore Roosevelt, Theodore Douglas Robinson, and Henry L. Roosevelt.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1986

Creator(s)

Unknown

John A. Gable provides a detailed report on the opening of the Roosevelt Study Center in the Netherlands on September 19-20, 1986. Gable discusses the inaugural symposium held at the Center, listing the speakers and their topics, and he examines the genealogy of the Roosevelt family, looking at its roots in the Netherlands and the split of the family into the Hyde Park and Oyster Bay, New York, branches. Gable also touches on the purpose of the Center, to provide a European home for the study of American history, and he notes the various resources available to students and scholars. Gable also lists the members of the Roosevelt family and the Theodore Roosevelt Association who attended the opening and are involved in the Center’s administration.

Ten photographs supplement the text; seven show people at the opening of the reception with an emphasis on members of the Dutch government, and three show the exterior of the Center’s building, the Middelburg Abbey.  

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

This edition of “News and Notes” opens with coverage of the commissioning of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. A letter from Captain Paul W. Parcells, Commanding Officer of the ship, praises the work of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) in making the commissioning a success. The section also discusses the thirteen flags donated by the TRA to the carrier. Each flag of the city, state, or entity is identified and is followed by a brief paragraph about its history and meaning to Theodore Roosevelt. The individual responsible for donating the flag is also noted. A notice about a new prize, the Roosevelts Gold Medal, awarded by the New York Council of the Navy League of the United States, also features in the section. 

“News and Notes” reviews the plans of Prism Entertainment to issue a video cassette of the film “The Indomitable Teddy Roosevelt,” and it notes that the company will establish a fund to promote historical and environmental films, and will donate money to the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund at the American Museum of Natural History. The section also highlights two recent publications by John A. Gable, Editor of the TRA Journal, and it quotes from a letter from President Ronald Reagan on the occasion of the opening of the Roosevelt Study Center in the Netherlands. “News and Notes” closes by quoting from three letters by members of the TRA praising its work.

Six photographs appear in “News and Notes”: two depict scenes of the carrier’s commissioning; three show Roosevelt, one in a dynamic speaking pose and two with members of the United States Navy; and one shows dignitaries at the opening of the Roosevelt Study Center. An illustration of both sides of the TRA medallion also appears in the section. 

Barry W. Walsh provides an overview of the career of America’s first and most famous forester, Gifford Pinchot. Walsh emphasizes Pinchot’s work in government to promote forest conservation, and she examines his work with President Theodore Roosevelt and his dismissal under President William Howard Taft. Walsh also examines Pinchot’s bitter quarrel with John Muir over building a dam in the Hetch Hetchy valley in Yosemite National Park, and she notes his advising President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the founding of the Yale Forest School. A photograph of Pinchot appears in the article.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1987

Creator(s)

Walsh, Barry W.

John W. Furlow asserts that Gifford’s Pinchot later career as a politician, most notably as Governor of Pennsylvania, is often overlooked in favor of focusing on the time when he was ascendant in the American conservation movement. Furlow closely examines Pinchot’s time as Governor, and he stresses the role of his wife, Cornelia Bryce Pinchot, as an important influence on Pinchot. Pinchot favored prohibition and the building of farm to market roads as Governor, and Furlow argues that Pinchot’s political career focused on the preservation of human resources. Though he supported President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, Pinchot remained active in Republican politics, but he never held elective office again after 1935.

A photograph of Gifford Pinchot on horseback in 1925 and two photographs of Cornelia Bryce Pinchot appear in the article. In addition to endnotes, the article also features a paragraph that lists a number of studies and biographies of the Pinchots and their home, Grey Towers.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1987

This edition of the “News and Notes” section features a report on an exhibition entitled Theodore at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum. The report lists the various entities that donated materials to the exhibition, quotes from the catalog introduction written by John A. Gable of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA), and notes some of the other exhibitions hosted by the Johnson Library. Readers are also reminded that two documentary films about Roosevelt, My Father the President and The Indomitable Teddy Roosevelt, are available for sale. The report provides more information about each film as well as contact information to enable purchases.

“News and Notes” also highlights the lectures and appearances of Gable and TRA President William Davison Johnston at various schools, notes the passing of Jean Schermerhorn Roosevelt, and praises the work of Nicholas LaBella, the Superintendent of Youngs Memorial Cemetery in Oyster Bay, New York. This issue of the Journal is dedicated to LaBella. The section closes with a reminder that there are still aspects of Roosevelt’s life that need study, and it declares that the TRA is open to helping those who wish to pursue this work.

Two photographs are found in the section: one of Roosevelt standing in the back of an open car and another of LaBella. A detail of the Roosevelt photograph appears on the front cover of this issue.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal