Roosevelt, Martha Bulloch, 1835-1884

Gregory A. Wynn examines the status of “perhaps the rarest of all presidential publications,” the memorial tribute book for Alice Lee Roosevelt and Martha Bulloch Roosevelt written by Theodore Roosevelt after the women’s deaths in February 1884. Wynn notes the discovery and use of the rare copies of this work by Roosevelt biographers, and he highlights the five known copies by noting who donated or purchased them, and he lists the libraries or private collections where the copies are housed. Four photographs and the logo of the Theodore Roosevelt Association supplement the text.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2011

Gregory A. Wynn argues that Theodore Roosevelt was not ashamed or humiliated by his father’s lack of active military service during the Civil War. Wynn notes that this assertion is too often invoked when discussing Roosevelt’s relationship with his father when there is little evidence to support it. Wynn details the elder Theodore Roosevelt’s work during the war promoting and managing a system which allowed soldiers to send money home to their families. Wynn highlights Roosevelt’s meetings with President Abraham Lincoln who approved of the allotment system overseen by Roosevelt.

Illustrations of two allotment system documents and a calling card, and a photograph of Wynn accompany the text.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Harry N. Lembeck describes the events surrounding the 2006 annual meeting, symposium, and dinner of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) in Atlanta, Georgia. Lembeck notes the meetings of the executive committee, Board of Trustees, and other committees, and he highlights Bulloch Hall, site of some of the events and childhood home of Martha Bulloch Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt’s mother. Lembeck gives a brief description of each of the four symposium presentations, and he provides coverage of the conferring of three TRA awards: the USS Theodore Roosevelt Junior Officer Award, the Bertha B. Rose Award, and the Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal. Lembeck emphasizes the latter, noting the warm reception accorded the winner, Colonel George E. “Bud” Day.

Ten photographs of the various events accompany the report.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Clarece Martin presents a brief history of the construction of the Georgia House at the 1907 Jamestown Ter-centennial Exposition, as well as Theodore Roosevelt’s dedication of the house. The Georgia House was modeled after Bulloch Hall, where Roosevelt’s mother grew up. Martin quotes extensively from Roosevelt’s words dedicating the house, where he spoke of the history of Georgia along with his own personal ties to the southern United States. A brief biography of Clarece Martin follows the main article.

Four photographs supplement the text, including one each of Georgia House and Bulloch Hall. 

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

This edition of “News and Notes” reports on the annual awards supported by the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) conferred by the American Museum of Natural History, the Roosevelt Study Center, and the Navy League of the United States. The section lists all of the winners of the Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Naval History Prize as well as the current judges. “News and Notes” also contains an article about the return of six pieces of china to Bulloch Hall in Roswell, Georgia. The section concludes with two pages of news about the TRA, including its adoption of email, fundraising efforts, and the various programs it supports. Two photographs, one each from the Roosevelt Study Center and Bulloch Hall, supplement the text.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1996

In three speeches on October 20, 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt addresses a variety of topics in front of crowds in Roswell and Atlanta, Georgia. Roosevelt notes the courage and devotion to duty of soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, and he states that he can take pride in his Southern heritage. Roosevelt asserts that large corporations should be regulated by the federal government and that political corruption should be identified and eliminated. He notes that the problem of Chinese immigration needs to be addressed by Congress, and he comments on the importance of cotton to the Southern economy. Roosevelt also states that he enjoys the stories of Georgia’s Joel Chandler Harris precisely because they have moral themes that imbue him “with the purpose of being a better man.” John A. Gable provides an introduction to the speeches.

Six photographs of Bulloch Hall in Roswell, Georgia, accompany the text as does a photograph of nearby Barrington Hall. A text box lists the members of the executive committee of the Theodore Roosevelt Association.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Much of this lengthy edition of the “News and Notes” section, eight of fourteen pages, is devoted to the election, dinner, and ceremonies surrounding the 1991 annual meeting of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) in Roswell, Georgia. The meeting news includes the conferring of the Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal to Eugene P. Odum, the complete text of the medal’s citation, and a report on the state of the TRA by its president, Robert D. Dalziel. The section also includes three quotes from Theodore Roosevelt on nature and conservation and an announcement that an expedition will undertake to retrace Roosevelt’s expedition on the River of Doubt in Brazil in 1992. The reopening of Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall at the American Museum of Natural History, after an extensive renovation, the results of the TRA’s annual Teddy Bear Drive, and the conferring of the TRA’s Bertha B. Rose Award to Cornelius Boertien of the Roosevelt Study Center are also detailed. The section closes with a indictment of NBC television’s movie “The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw” for its portrayal of Roosevelt, labeling the program as a “stupid film” and “trash.”

The section includes ten photographs from the annual meeting, two photographs from the Rose Award ceremony, a photograph of Odum, and a photograph of the members of the Brazil expedition team. A text box noting that this issue is dedicated to Oliver R. Grace and an illustration of both sides of the TRA medallion supplement the section.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

John A. Gable reviews David McCullough’s biography of Theodore Roosevelt, Mornings on Horseback. He highlights subjects that he thinks McCullough has broken new ground on, and he discusses the book’s place in the historiography of Roosevelt, seeing it as part of a larger “Roosevelt revival.” Gable also compares McCullough’s biography with those of Carleton Putnam and Edmund Morris.

A photograph of Roosevelt in 1876 accompanies the review.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

David McCullough looks at the relationship between Theodore Roosevelt and his father, Theodore Roosevelt, Sr. He notes the elder Roosevelt’s important role in establishing the American Museum of Natural History, and he outlines differences between the two, notably the elder’s robust health and the many childhood ailments of the younger Roosevelt. McCullough examines the younger Roosevelt’s time at Harvard, especially his interest in natural science, and he establishes that he led a life of privilege unknown to most Americans. 

Two pictures, one of each Roosevelt, accompany the article.

John A. Gable examines Theodore Roosevelt’s connections to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. He looks at its founding by Roosevelt’s father, notes the many specimens donated by Roosevelt, and highlights contributions made to the museum in various capacities by other members of the Roosevelt family. Gable details the design, construction, and contents of the museum’s Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall, including its murals and dioramas featuring scenes from Roosevelt’s life and work.

Photographs of the interior and exterior of the Memorial Hall as well as one of James Earle Fraser’s equestrian statue of Roosevelt outside of the museum accompany the article. A full page photograph of one of the dioramas, depicting a scene near Roosevelt’s Elkhorn Ranch, is also found in the article.

A listing of the officers of the Theodore Roosevelt Association as well as the members of its executive, finance, and Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace committees is found on the second page of the article.

Obituary of Alice Roosevelt Longworth, the first born and last to die of Theodore Roosevelt’s children. The obituary details her celebrity status during her father’s presidency, her wedding to Congressman Nicholas Longworth, and his career in the House of Representatives. The notice also examines Alice Longworth’s decades long position as a Washington, D.C. power broker and socialite, and it notes her friendship with presidents, journalists, and celebrities. Her work in compiling an anthology of American poetry, her relationship with Eleanor Roosevelt, and her efforts to memorialize her father are also covered. The obituary notes her love of reading, acerbic wit, and sense of humor.

Four photographs accompany the article: the first shows Alice in 1904; the second shows the entire Roosevelt family, Theodore and Edith Roosevelt and all of their children and Alice’s husband, Nicholas Longworth, at the White House; the third shows Alice with her sister Ethel Derby and her brother Archibald Roosevelt at Theodore Roosevelt Island in Washington, D.C.; and the fourth is of Alice late in life.

A listing of the officers of the Theodore Roosevelt Association and the members of its executive, finance, and Theodore Roosevelt birthplace committees is included in the article.

David McCullough looks at the relationship between Theodore Roosevelt and his father, Theodore Roosevelt, Sr. He notes the elder Roosevelt’s important role in establishing the American Museum of Natural History, and he outlines differences between the two, notably the elder’s robust health and the many childhood ailments of the younger Roosevelt. McCullough examines the younger Roosevelt’s time at Harvard, especially his interest in natural science, and he establishes that he led a life of privilege unknown to most Americans.

Two pictures, one of each Roosevelt, accompany the article.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Wallace Finley Dailey, Curator of the Theodore Roosevelt Collection at Harvard University, describes in detail two exhibits of Theodore Roosevelt material on display in the Theodore Roosevelt Gallery in the Nathan Marsh Pusey Library in 1977. One exhibit covers Roosevelt’s long relationship with Harvard University from his undergraduate student years to his death. The other explores Roosevelt’s relationship with his daughter Ethel Roosevelt Derby. In both exhibit summaries, Dailey quotes extensively from Roosevelt’s letters and speeches and provides descriptions of the photographs used in the exhibits. 

Three photographs and one illustration accompany the article. One photograph shows Dailey examining the exhibit display cases. Another shows Roosevelt with a group of his Harvard classmates, and one shows Derby at the White House in 1902. The illustration is a drawing by Roosevelt’s classmate, Charles G. Washburn, that depicts a monument detailing Roosevelt’s many activities at Harvard. 

Hermann Hagedorn uses quotes from various friends, family, and colleagues of Theodore Roosevelt to demonstrate that he had an active Christian faith that he nurtured with Bible study and regular church attendance. He employs these quotations to counter the argument that Roosevelt was not a Christian and because Roosevelt himself seldom spoke openly about his faith.

Reverend George E. Talmadge, the Rector of Christ Church in Oyster Bay, New York, provides a view of Theodore Roosevelt the parishioner. He provides a number of anecdotes about Roosevelt’s participation in Sunday services and his support of church ministries. Talmadge discusses Roosevelt’s religious roots in the Dutch Reformed Church, his work with the Boy Scouts, and the death of Quentin Roosevelt.

In addition to providing a summary of four of the articles published in this issue, John A. Gable uses the highlights the opening of Bulloch Hall in Roswell, Georgia, which was the childhood home of Theodore Roosevelt’s mother, Martha Bulloch Roosevelt. He notes the passing of Reginald Rose, a longtime member of the Theodore Roosevelt Association, and he talks about the lecture series celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of Sagamore Hill as a public house museum. He closes with a plug for the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. 

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1978

Executive Director John A. Gable gives a comprehensive report on the work of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) during 1978. He notes an increase in both membership and contributions, and details the day-to-day work of answering phone and letter inquiries about Theodore Roosevelt. In addition to covering aspects of established programs like the student essay and speaking contests and support of research grants made by the American Museum of Natural History, he details the programs surrounding the twenty-fifth anniversary of Sagamore Hill as a public house museum, the TRA’s support of Bulloch Hall, the home of Roosevelt’s mother, Martha Bulloch Roosevelt, in Roswell, Georgia, and the Roosevelt Genealogical Project.

Two photographs and one illustration are included as part of this article. One photograph shows John A. Gable, Executive Director of the Theodore Roosevelt Association, presenting a check to Emmett Rushin of the Roswell (Georgia) Historic Preservation Committee; the other is of Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) President Howard T. Hogan. The illustration is of the front cover of the TRA’s book, Sagamore Hill: An Historical Guide.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Article about the purchase of Bulloch Hall in Roswell, Georgia, by the city and plans for its use and preservation. The article describes the involvement of the Theodore Roosevelt Association in the process, notably its financial support. Bulloch Hall was the childhood home of Theodore Roosevelt’s mother, Martha Bulloch, and the site of her marriage to Theodore Roosevelt, Sr., of New York City in 1853. The article provides background on the Bulloch and Roosevelt families, traces the ownership of the home, examines its architectural design, and discusses plans for its future use.  

A photograph of the front of the home accompanies the article.

Clarece Martin gives a fast-paced, detailed description of the assassination attempt on Theodore Roosevelt in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on October 14, 1912. She provides background on Roosevelt’s visit to Milwaukee, discusses the actions taken by his bodyguards during the shooting, and talks about Roosevelt delivering his speech despite his wound. Martin looks at the role played by Roosevelt’s wife, Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt, during his hospital stay and closes with Roosevelt’s return to the campaign trail at Madison Square Garden in New York City at the end of October.  

A drawing of Roosevelt’s speech manuscript showing the hole made by the bullet accompanies the article.

Architectural historian James Sanders gives a detailed report on the East 20th Street Revitalization Project which aimed to reinvigorate the neighborhood surrounding the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site in New York City. Most of the work involved cleaning and painting buildings, planting trees, and installing new signage. Sanders gives a history of the Roosevelt Birthplace, detailing the neighborhood’s decline as the area moved from residential to light industrial use. He looks at the plans to revitalize the neighborhood and credits the various individuals, private entities, government bureaus, and corporations that contributed to the project.

The article has two accompanying photographs: one shows the exterior of the Birthplace at 28 East 20th Street in New York City and the other shows Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt IV with their son on the front steps of the Birthplace.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

This article describes a visit to the White House by a delegation from the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) to present a set of the Memorial Edition of the Works of Theodore Roosevelt to President Jimmy Carter and his wife to be placed in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. The article lists the members of the delegation, provides information about the Roosevelt Room and the donated books, and describes the interaction between Ethel Roosevelt Derby and the Carter family.

A picture of John A. Gable and P. James Roosevelt of the TRA with President Carter opens the article on the front page of the issue.