Roosevelt, P. James, 1928-1998

Obituary for Ethel Roosevelt Derby, Theodore Roosevelt’s eldest daughter, written by John A. Gable. Gable quotes from various newspapers reporting her death, describes the funeral service, and lists the all male pallbearers. In addition to naming her siblings and her own children, he describes Ethel’s service in World War I as a nurse and her long years of service to the American Red Cross. Gable details her work with the American Museum of Natural History in New York City and her role in preserving Sagamore Hill National Historic Site.

Three photographs accompany the obituary: one shows Ethel Roosevelt as a child at the White House in 1902; another shows her with First Lady Rosalyn Carter at the White House in 1977 and the third shows the entire Theodore Roosevelt family (along with Congressman Nicholas Longworth) at the White House in an undated photo.  

Citation for the Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal awarded to Ethel Roosevelt Derby, eldest daughter of Theodore Roosevelt, in October 1977 by P. James Roosevelt. The citation recognizes her service as a nurse in World War I, her role as a trustee of the American Museum of Natural History, and her work on behalf of various causes in Oyster Bay, New York. The citation strives to give a sense of Mrs. Derby’s personality and how she employed it in service of preserving the memory of her father, President Roosevelt.

A picture of Ethel Roosevelt as a child with her father and another showing her receiving her Distinguished Service Medal accompany the citation.

John A. Gable reports on the work and achievements of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) for 1977. He notes a rise in membership and dues during the past year and discusses the many requests for help that the TRA office received from those pursuing work on Theodore Roosevelt. The report provides brief summaries of the work of the TRA that is covered in more detail in separate articles in this and past issues, such as the renovation and restoration of the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site and the visit to the White House by a delegation from the TRA.

The report also covers the annual student contests sponsored by the TRA, the research grants awarded by the American Museum of Natural History, the Association’s support of Youngs Memorial Cemetery and the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary for birds in Oyster Bay, and publications, such as the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal, produced by the TRA.

Details of the reopening of the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site after a two year restoration. The article describes the ceremony, lists some of the more notable guests, and reprints parts of messages from President Jimmy Carter, Senator Jakob K. Javits, and Mayor Abraham Beame of New York City. The article gives a brief history of the house, details the funding of the restoration, and credits individuals who led the renovation.  

A photograph of the exterior of the home and two photographs of notable guests at the reception accompany the article.

History of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) that highlights the role the TRA played in preserving Theodore Roosevelt’s homes in New York City and Oyster Bay, New York along with Theodore Roosevelt Island in Washington, D.C. The TRA later transferred all of these historic sites to the National Park Service. The article covers the TRA’s work with Harvard University and the Library of Congress in collecting and preserving  papers, books, and film on Roosevelt, and it covers the Association’s support of natural history grants awarded by the American Museum of Natural History. Many of the books either published or supported by the TRA are listed. The past Presidents and Directors of the TRA are listed, and aspects of the TRA’s governance and finance are noted.  

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1978

In this edition of “Notes from the Executive Director…,” John A. Gable reviews and praises an article on President Theodore Roosevelt’s foreign policy by historian Frederick W. Marks III that appeared in Diplomatic History. Gable notes that the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) has printed the citation that accompanied Ethel Roosevelt Derby’s TRA Distinguished Service Medal. He notes the publication of a guide book to Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, describes the Roosevelt gallery in the headquarters of the Roosevelt Savings Bank in Garden City, New York, and lists the talks he gave in his capacity as Executive Director of the TRA. He congratulates author David McCullough for winning the National Book Award for his work on the Panama Canal and lists the TRA publications that preceded the publication of the TRA Journal.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1978

History of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) that highlights the role the TRA played in preserving Theodore Roosevelt’s homes in New York City and Oyster Bay, New York along with Theodore Roosevelt Island in Washington, D.C. The TRA later transferred all of these historic sites to the National Park Service. The article covers the TRA’s work with Harvard University and the Library of Congress in collecting and preserving  papers, books, and film on Roosevelt, and it covers the Association’s support of natural history grants awarded by the American Museum of Natural History. Many of the books either published or supported by the TRA are listed. The past Presidents and Directors of the TRA are listed, and aspects of the TRA’s governance and finance are noted.  

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1978

Listing of the Presidents of the Theodore Roosevelt Association from 1919 to 1977. The full name and dates of service are listed for each President.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1978

Brief notice that explains the results of the 1977 Theodore Roosevelt Public Speaking Contest. It highlights the winner, Paul Caruso of Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn, New York, and lists the other finalists, judges, and administrators of the contest. 

A list of the officers of the Theodore Roosevelt Association accompanies this article.

Description of the ceremony surrounding the dedication of new library space at Harvard for the Theodore Roosevelt Collection, a reading alcove, and exhibit space across three separate libraries. The article notes the benefactors for the facilities, the speakers at the ceremony, and provides a brief description of each of the new spaces dedicated to furthering the study of Theodore Roosevelt. It also gives a history of the collection and of the Theodore Roosevelt Association’s role in amassing and safeguarding its contents. The article is accompanied by two pictures which show some of the dignitaries at the ceremony and the other is of a young Roosevelt during his student days at Harvard.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1976

Description of the ceremonies marking the dedication of the new headquarters building of the Roosevelt Savings Bank in Garden City, New York on May 2, 1976. The order of the program, notable attendees, and the speakers are listed. A history of the bank, renamed for Theodore Roosevelt in 1920, concludes the article. A picture of some of the participants in the new bank lobby accompanies the notice.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1976

Executive Director of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) John A. Gable provides an update on the various projects undertaken by the TRA in 1976 with an emphasis on the expansion of the Theodore Roosevelt holdings at Harvard University. He notes the establishment there of the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial, and he gives an update on the revitalization project underway in the neighborhood surrounding the Theodore Roosevelt National Historic Site in New York City. Gable promotes the reissue of Roosevelt’s biography of Gouverneur Morris, and he lists the various clubs and organizations he spoke to in his role as Executive Director of the TRA. He notes the receipt of four letters from Roosevelt to William T. Hornaday which the TRA has added to the Harvard University Roosevelt Collection.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1976

Report on the 57th annual meeting of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) on October 29, 1976 at Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, Oyster Bay, New York. The article details the events of the meeting which center around the Trustees Dinner followed by the various reports given by the officers of the TRA including the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Executive Director. Highlights of the reports include an update on the revitalization effort surrounding the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site in New York City, the state of the TRA’s finances, and the work of the Executive Director in answering inquiries to the TRA. Historian Frederick W. Marks addressed the guests as did representatives of the National Park Service. Dorothy Horton McGee was honored for her work as a historian of Oyster Bay, Long Island.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1977

Description of the ceremony on September 14, 1976 marking the seventy-fifth anniversary of Theodore Roosevelt’s elevation to the presidency. The ceremony was held at the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site in Buffalo, New York where Roosevelt took the oath of office after the death of President William McKinley. The article notes the order of the ceremony and summarizes the remarks of the speakers. It also gives a brief history of the inaugural site, notes the other commemorative programs in the fall of 1976 marking the beginning of Roosevelt’s presidency, and concludes with a paragraph on the challenges faced by Roosevelt from 1901 to 1909 and how he responded to these issues.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1977

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

Review of the one man play “Bully” with Theodore Roosevelt portrayed by James Whitmore. The article quotes reviews from four newspapers including the Boston Globe and Christian Science Monitor. The article and quoted reviews praise the production, and background information is provided about Whitmore as well as the play’s writer, director, and producer. The cooperation and assistance of members of the Roosevelt family and the Theodore Roosevelt Association in the production is also discussed. 

A photograph showing Whitmore dressed as Roosevelt in his Rough Rider uniform accompanies the review.

History of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) that highlights the role the TRA played in preserving Theodore Roosevelt’s homes in New York City and Oyster Bay, New York along with Theodore Roosevelt Island in Washington, D.C. The TRA later transferred all of these historic sites to the National Park Service. The article covers the TRA’s work with Harvard University and the Library of Congress in collecting and preserving  papers, books, and film on Roosevelt, and it covers the Association’s support of natural history grants awarded by the American Museum of Natural History. The past Presidents and Directors of the TRA are listed, and aspects of the TRA’s governance and finance are noted.  

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1977

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.

Six photographs in two pages that show members of the Theodore Roosevelt Association speaking with President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn at the White House. President Carter is in four of the photographs while his wife Rosalynn appears in all six. Two of the pictures show members of the TRA and the Carters looking at the books donated to the White House by the Association.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1977

History of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) that highlights the role the TRA played in preserving Theodore Roosevelt’s homes in New York City and Oyster Bay, New York along with Theodore Roosevelt Island in Washington, D.C. The TRA later transferred all of these historic sites to the National Park Service. The article covers the TRA’s work with Harvard University and the Library of Congress in collecting and preserving  papers, books, and film on Roosevelt, and it covers the Association’s support of natural history grants awarded by the American Museum of Natural History. The past Presidents and Directors of the TRA are listed, and aspects of the TRA’s governance and finance are noted.  

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1977