Roosevelt, P. James, 1928-1998

This first installment of “The Roosevelt Family in America: A Genealogy” includes part one of the genealogy as well as a foreword by John A. Gable and an introduction by its authors, the genealogists Timothy F. Beard and Henry B. Hoff. Part one of the genealogy runs from Claes Martenszen Van Rosenvelt, considered the first Roosevelt to come to America, to John Ellis Roosevelt, born in 1853, and includes sixty-six entries featuring brief biographical portraits of each entrant, along with their birth and death dates, and a listing of their children.

Part one of the genealogy also includes in this order: a two page listing of abbreviations used in the genealogy; a text box with brief biographies of Beard and Hoff; a listing of the officers of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA); a brief history of the TRA in a text box; an illustration of the Roosevelt family coat of arms; and a table showing the descendants of the Oyster Bay and Hyde Park, New York, Roosevelt families.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Report on a conference held at Hofstra University, April 19-21, 1990, on “Theodore Roosevelt and the Birth of Modern America.” The report covers the various proceedings of the conference, including the showing of films on Theodore Roosevelt, highlights the major addresses, and lists all of the speakers. The report also notes that the conference included the conferring of the Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal to three recipients, Tom Wolfe, Hamilton Fish, Senior, and Paul H. Nitze. It includes biographies of each recipient and also lists the many individuals, organizations, and corporations that supported the conference. The report includes eighteen photographs of conference participants as well as a listing of the officers of the Theodore Roosevelt Association.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1990

“News and Notes” reports on the donation and delivery of six stained glass windows for the chapel onboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. The windows were donated by the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) and four religious denominations from Oyster Bay, New York, and feature scenes from the Bible and other religious themes. The section also notes the passing of Hamilton Fish who was a recent recipient of the Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal. “News and Notes” provides a biography of Fish and remarks upon the other recent winners of the medal. Other topics covered include promotion of the TRA’s genealogy of the Roosevelt family; a text box “About the Theodore Roosevelt Association” that relays some of the history and mission of the TRA; a change in the leadership of Sagamore Hill National Historic Site; and an announcement that the next annual meeting of the TRA will be held at Bulloch Hall in Roswell, Georgia.

Photographs of three of the stained glass windows, as well as one of the carrier, join three photographs of Fish and a drawing of Theodore Roosevelt’s head as illustrations in the section.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Variety marks this edition of the “News and Notes” section, beginning with the celebration of the 90th anniversary of Theodore Roosevelt’s inauguration at the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site in Buffalo, New York, and the establishment of a Theodore Roosevelt Police Award for western New York. “News and Notes” also details the rededication of a monument to Roosevelt in Montana by Edith Roosevelt Derby Williams and provides a lengthy obituary for Cornelius V.S. Roosevelt, son of Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt. A Roosevelt family reunion, bringing together the Oyster Bay and Hyde Park, New York, branches is also covered along with an appeal from Stephen V. Walker for music composed in honor of Theodore Roosevelt’s children.

“News and Notes” also features a text box “About the Theodore Roosevelt Association” that highlights the purpose, work, and history of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA). A photograph of the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site, an illustration of both sides of the TRA medallion, and Howard Chandler Christy’s painting of the Battle of Las Guasimas in Cuba illustrate the section.

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

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

A list of the presidents of the Theodore Roosevelt Association, along with their dates of leadership.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1988

This lengthy edition of “News and Notes” opens with a report on the annual meeting of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) held in New York City on November 8, 1987. The report details the election of the leadership of the TRA, and it highlights an address to the gathering by the Director of the Roosevelt Study Center in the Netherlands. A section on the Broadway musical “Teddy and Alice” follows with a listing of its cast and crew, numerous quotes from New York newspaper reviews, and comments on the actors’ performances. A section on the Roosevelt Studies Center in the Netherlands highlights the conferring of the first Lawrence J. Saunders Awards for essays on American history by Dutch university students.

Updates from the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site, the Navy League of the United States, and TRA member George Epstein also garner sections. A report on the second annual Teddy Bear drive sponsored by the TRA and the National Park Service, an update on the Roosevelt family genealogy project, and information about the 1988 TRA annual dinner to be held in Dallas, Texas, complete “News and Notes.”

Two scenes from the musical “Teddy and Alice,” three photographs from the Roosevelt Study Center, and a photograph of members of the TRA in Medora, North Dakota, join an illustration of both sides of the TRA medallion as supplements to the text.

Various photographs depicting the Dolonor Summer Balls and the Sunset Reception, occurring in July and August of 1986, respectively. The balls were benefits for the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt, and were attended by officers of the ship, as well as supporters and members of the Theodore Roosevelt Association.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1986

This edition of the “News and Notes” section opens with a report on the annual meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA). The report notes the election of new members and classes of the Board of Trustees and of the TRA’s leadership for 1985-1986. The section also covers the TRA’s involvement in the Outward Bound program and the granting of the first Theodore Roosevelt Scholarship for that program, the results of the Theodore Roosevelt Public Speaking Contest for the New York City public high schools, and the passing of Philippa Jeffries Roosevelt. 

The section also covers the “first scholarship conference devoted entirely to TR” at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, which was held in October 1985. It also notes new works on Theodore Roosevelt, a panel on Roosevelt’s foreign policy to be held at the meeting of the Organization of American Historians, and highlights the work of Frederick W. Marks and Serge Ricard on Roosevelt’s diplomacy found in this issue. The section closes with a notice that Edmund Morris has signed a contract to write a biography of President Ronald Reagan. 

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.

Report on the ceremonies and events surrounding the commissioning of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt from October 24 to October 28, 1986 in Newport News, Virginia. The report covers the work of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) in raising funds and supplies for the ship’s crew and lists many of the members of the TRA who facilitated the work. The report also discusses the annual dinner of the TRA held on board the ship, the commissioning of the carrier, the ecumenical religious services held on board the ship, and the two balls held for the ship’s crew. The report names the descendants of Theodore Roosevelt who attended the commissioning, highlights the organization of a ship’s museum dedicated to Roosevelt, and covers the history of other U.S. Navy ships named Theodore Roosevelt.

Five photographs depicting the construction and commissioning of the carrier appear in the report. A brief notice in an article box about the TRA and its journal appears on the fourth page of the report. 

Biography of Judge Theodore R. Kupferman of New York who became the eleventh president of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) on December 6, 1986. The article focuses on Kupferman’s political and legal career which led to his appointment to the New York State Supreme Court in 1969. The article also names the prior ten presidents of the TRA and provides a brief biography of each.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1987

Awards, award ceremonies, and award winners dominate this edition of the “News and Notes” section. Twelve different awards, ten of them directly involving the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA), are discussed across five pages of the section. The Theodore Roosevelt Police Award, the Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Naval History Prize, the Theodore Roosevelt Public Speaking Contest, and the John Paul Jones Award won by the commander of the USS Theodore Roosevelt are all discussed in their own subsections. A Christopher Award given to the documentary “The Indomitable Teddy Roosevelt” and the research grants awarded from the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund at the American Museum of Natural History also merit detailed coverage.

“News and Notes” also touches on the speaking engagements of the TRA’s Executive Director John A. Gable, the passing of Horace M. Albright, a TRA Trustee and former Director of the National Park Service, and a change in the leadership of the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site Foundation.

A photograph of the students, judges, and coaches at the Theodore Roosevelt Public Speaking Contest, a photograph of a smiling Theodore Roosevelt, and a photograph of Captain Paul W. Parcells and his family appear in the section along with an illustration of both sides of the TRA medallion.

This edition of “News and Notes” features an obituary of Jessica Van Ausdall Kraft who served as the personal secretary to Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt, Curator of Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, and in various roles with the Theodore Roosevelt Association. The section also explains the decision of Harold and Sheila Schafer of Medora, North Dakota, to found the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation to run the various motels and shops in the tourist town formerly run by Harold Schafer’s Gold Seal Company. “News and Notes” closes with an announcement about a new musical, “Teddy and Alice,” which depicts the life of President Theodore Roosevelt and his daughter Alice Roosevelt Longworth in the White House.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1987

Obituary of John E. Roosevelt, a member of the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee, and a Vice President of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA). The obituary highlights his skill as a yacht racer and details his many years of service to St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City. The obituary quotes from statements issued by the TRA and St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital. A photograph of Roosevelt with his wife Helen Sparrow Roosevelt appears at the beginning of the obituary.  

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1985

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. 

Reverend Norman Vincent Peale gives an address upon receiving the Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal for 1985. Peale relates two humorous anecdotes about speaking before groups of funeral directors and bankers before he recalls his family’s support of Theodore Roosevelt. Peale tells the story of having to give an address before a large crowd in New York City on Memorial Day 1926, and he highlights the support that General Theodore Roosevelt gave him before and after his speech. 

A photograph of Peale with John A. Gable and William Davison Johnston of the Theodore Roosevelt Association accompanies the text. 

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.

Report on the 65th Annual Dinner and Meeting of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) held in Williamsburg, Virginia, on October 27, 1984, following the launch of the USS Theodore Roosevelt. The report quotes from the address given by the President of the TRA, William Davison Johnston, and from the letter sent to the TRA by President Ronald Reagan. The report lists many of the guests in attendance, including Theodore Roosevelt historians and biographers, employees of the National Park Service, and members of the Roosevelt family. It also reviews the financial state of the TRA, noting that it had run a deficit for the past two fiscal years, covers the election of officers, and notes the changes implemented to the Board of Trustees. The report concludes with a review of gifts given to the leadership of the USS Theodore Roosevelt.

A photograph of Roosevelt with his granddaughter Grace Roosevelt and three photographs of various guests, dignitaries, and members of the Roosevelt family at the annual dinner accompany the report.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal