Your TR Source
Chronology of the daily life of Theodore Roosevelt from October 1858 to December 1870. Notable events include the Roosevelt family’s involvement in the American Civil War, Theodore Roosevelt meeting John Hay as a child, and the Roosevelt family’s first European trip.
Theodore Roosevelt Association
1985
In his review of Darrin Lunde’s The Naturalist: Theodore Roosevelt, a Lifetime of Exploration, and the Triumph of American Natural History, Lowell E. Baier identifies the two theses that animate the book: that Theodore Roosevelt was a world class museum naturalist and that he was the most important conservationist of his time. Baier provides context for and discusses many of Roosevelt’s encounters with the natural world, and he lists many of the explorers, writers, conservationists, and fellow hunters who shaped his thoughts and actions. Baier praises Lunde for placing Roosevelt’s hunting in the context of his times and for acknowledging that Roosevelt hunted for both sport and science, but he faults Lunde for not recognizing the adrenaline rush of hunting and for not treating Roosevelt’s conservation record as president in greater detail.
The front cover of Lunde’s book, two photographs, and three paintings by John Seerey-Lester populate the review.
Tweed Roosevelt recounts a murder trial that centered on the granddaughter of Robert Barnwell Roosevelt, the uncle of Theodore Roosevelt known as RBR. Roosevelt examines the secret, scandalous life of RBR, who fathered three illegitimate children, and he shows how one of these children, Granville Fortescue, carried on the scandalous life of his father. Fortescue’s daughter, Thalia Massie, would inherit the dissolute traits of her family and would be at the center of high profile rape and murder cases in Hawaii. Roosevelt describes the racial atmosphere of 1930s Hawaii, and he chronicles the two trials, the participation of famed lawyer Clarence Darrow, and the political maneuvering resulting from the verdicts.
The feature is populated with seven photographs, a political cartoon, an illustration, and an arrest document.
Mark W.T. Harvey begins his review of Douglas Brinkley’s The Wilderness Warrior by noting that it is a very large book with much to say, but Harvey asserts that in his zeal to convey the story of Theodore Roosevelt as a conservation crusader, Brinkley tries to cover too much, provides too many details, and overwhelms the reader with his accumulation of facts and anecdotes. Harvey also argues that this barrage of knowledge comes at the expense of analysis and interpretation, and he believes that Brinkley lets his enthusiasm for his subject overtake the need for a critical perspective. Harvey contends that Brinkley does not adequately explore what terms like conservation, preservation, and wilderness meant in Roosevelt’s time and how Roosevelt acted to fulfill the meaning of these designations. Although he faults Brinkley for making Roosevelt too much of “a conservation hero,” Harvey concludes his review with praise for Brinkley for raising the profile of Roosevelt as an unrestrained lover of nature and a bold leader in the fight to conserve the nation’s natural resources.
The front cover illustration of The Wilderness Warrior, one of Roosevelt’s bird lists, two photographs of the Elkhorn Ranch, and seven photographs of Roosevelt accompany the essay.
The Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) announces that its annual meeting for 2006 will be held in Atlanta, Georgia. The announcement includes a list of the four speakers at a symposium on the Roosevelt family, and it notes their publications and the topic they will be addressing.
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal
2006
Eleven topics vie for attention in the “Reviews” section, including six book review essays, three of which are written by John A. Gable. Harry N. Lembeck revisits Jacob A. Riis’s 1904 biography Theodore Roosevelt the Citizen and finds it especially valuable for learning about Theodore Roosevelt’s tenure as Police Commissioner of New York City. Jeremy M. Murphy says that Eric Rauchway’s Murdering McKinley goes against the prevailing trend that sees Roosevelt’s progressivism as genuine, and he disputes Rauchway’s conclusions about the fate of the Socialist Party in the United States. Gable notes that James Chace’s 1912 makes no use of primary sources, but he recommends it “as a good place to start on the election of 1912.”
In his review of Daniel J. Philippon’s Conserving Words, Edward Renehan focuses on Roosevelt, his writings about hunting and ranching in Dakota, and his founding of the Boone & Crockett Club. Gable notes that John P. Avlon identifies Roosevelt as a model centrist in his Independent Nation, and he says that Richard D. White’s Roosevelt the Reformer provides a biography of Roosevelt during his years as a Civil Service Commissioner. The section also has an excerpt from the writings of Douglas Brinkley, notes the passing of Edward Wagenknecht, author of The Seven Worlds of Theodore Roosevelt, and announces that the 2004 meeting of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) will be held in Portland, Oregon. An article on the vice presidential candidates in the election of 1904 and two letters to the TRA praising its journal close out the section.
Photographs of Roosevelt and Avlon appear in the section along with a text box with a quote from Roosevelt about the 1904 campaign.
Tweed Roosevelt asks why there has been so little consideration of Theodore Roosevelt’s record as a conservationist. He reviews some of the major biographies and histories of Roosevelt and his time and finds that their examination of Roosevelt as a conservationist is scanty at best. Tweed Roosevelt identifies Roosevelt’s father, Theodore Roosevelt, and his uncle, Robert Barnwall Roosevelt, as important figures in shaping Roosevelt’s interest in the natural world, and he surveys the actions taken by Roosevelt as Governor of New York and President of the United States to safeguard rivers, forests, birds, and natural wonders such as the Grand Canyon.
Two photographs of Theodore Roosevelt and one of Robert Barnwall Roosevelt supplement the text.
In answer to the frequent question of how to pronounce the name “Roosevelt,” the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal presents, for the third time, two letters sent to the New York Sun in 1903 which give a definite answer on the topic. The first, from Richard E. Mayne, briefly presents the question and argues that Roosevelt’s name should be pronounced with only two syllables. The second, from Theodore Roosevelt’s uncle, Robert B. Roosevelt, explains in a definite manner how the family name should be pronounced with three syllables, citing its Dutch heritage. A photograph of Robert B. Roosevelt appears on the first page of the article.
This article, minus the photograph, first appeared in the Fall, 1983, issue of the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal, and it was published for a second time, with the photograph, in the Summer 1988 issue.
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.
In answer to the frequent question of how to pronounce the name “Roosevelt,” the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal presents two letters sent to the New York Sun in 1903 which give a definite answer on the topic. The first, from Richard E. Mayne, briefly presents the question and argues that Roosevelt’s name should be pronounced with only two syllables. The second, from Theodore Roosevelt’s uncle, Robert B. Roosevelt, explains in a definite manner how the family name should be pronounced with three syllables, citing its Dutch heritage. A photograph of Robert B. Roosevelt appears on the first page of the article.
This article, minus the photograph, first appeared in the Fall, 1983, issue of the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal.
John A. Gable provides a brief biography of Theodore Roosevelt’s uncle Robert Barnwell Roosevelt. Roosevelt grew up near his uncle, who lived in an adjoining brownstone to Roosevelt’s childhood home. Like his nephew later became, Robert Barnwell Roosevelt “was a conservationist, author, politician, sportsman, authority on wildlife, and political reformer.” In spite of the many similarities, however, he was also a Democrat and “was known for leading what was called a ‘Bohemian’ life-style.” The biography provides an overview of his career and highlights his work and publications on behalf of fishing and fish conservation.
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal
1988
Richard P. Harmond examines the conservation efforts of Robert Barnwell Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt’s uncle. Harmond discusses the influence of Henry William Herbert on Robert B. Roosevelt, and he looks at the productive relationship he had with Seth Green on the New York Fisheries Commission. Harmond dwells on Roosevelt’s work to establish the artificial hatching of fish to supplement declining natural populations, and he notes the tension between those who advocated propagating fish like trout for sportsmen and those who wanted to increase supplies of fish such as shad that could feed lots of people inexpensively.
A drawing of Robert B. Roosevelt and a photograph of the members of the New York Fisheries Commission appear in the article. A listing of the officers of the Theodore Roosevelt Association as well as the members of its executive committee accompanies the text.
This edition of “News and Notes” has five sections. Brief histories of the three ships and one submarine that have carried the name of Theodore Roosevelt are provided in “The Aircraft Carrier Theodore Roosevelt.” This section also highlights the five different Roosevelts who have served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy. “TR Exhibit at the LBJ Library in Texas” revisits the Theodore exhibit at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum. It lists fourteen of the archives, museums, and historic sites that lent items to the exhibit, and it promotes the sale of the exhibit catalogue and poster.
“Meadowcroft” covers a July 1903 visit by Roosevelt to the home of his cousin John Ellis Roosevelt on the south shore of Long Island. It also relates the events surrounding “Theodore Roosevelt Day at Meadowcroft” on July 28, 1984, which celebrated and recreated President Roosevelt’s visit. “Rough Riders Museum in New Mexico” examines why there is a museum dedicated to the Rough Riders in Las Vegas, New Mexico. It looks at the state’s contributions to the regiment and highlights some of the reunions held in Las Vegas.
The final and untitled section notes events involving the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) and its work: the conferring of a TRA award to a high school student, a radio interview of the TRA’s Executive Director John A. Gable, and a listing of programs at the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace and Sagamore Hill National Historic Sites.
A photograph of President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan at the graves of General Theodore Roosevelt and Quentin Roosevelt is found on the first page of “News and Notes.” Four photographs of the Paul Manship statue of President Roosevelt on Theodore Roosevelt Island in Washington, D.C. and an illustration of Mount Rushmore National Memorial accompany the text.
In answer to the frequent question of how to pronounce the name “Roosevelt,” the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal presents two letters sent to the New York Sun in 1903 which give a definite answer on the topic. The first, from Richard E. Mayne, briefly presents the question and argues that Roosevelt’s name should be pronounced with only two syllables. The second, from Theodore Roosevelt’s uncle, Robert B. Roosevelt, explains in a definite manner how the family name should be pronounced, citing its Dutch heritage.
John A. Gable provides a brief biography of Robert B. Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt’s uncle. Gable highlights Robert B. Roosevelt’s affiliation with the Democratic party and his conservation work in managing fish populations.
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal
1983
Paul Schullery examines Robert B. Roosevelt’s expertise in fly fishing, his work with fish hatcheries and fish conservation in New York state, and his writings on fish and fishing. Schullery compares Roosevelt’s work with other noted authorities on fish and fishing, like Seth Green and Thaddeus Norris, and names those with whom he had friendships and rivalries.
A photograph and a brief biography of Roosevelt are found on the third page of the article.
Paul Russell Cutright examines the donation of Theodore Roosevelt’s bird collection to the Smithsonian Institution and the American Museum of Natural History. Cutright focuses on the donation to the Smithsonian since it was very large, 622 bird skins, and he details how the collection was cataloged, where and to whom individual specimens were dispersed, and he highlights some of the more notable specimens like the Snowy owl.
Pictures of Theodore Roosevelt and his father and a copy of two pages of the accession records of the Smithsonian accompany the article. The cover of this issue features a picture of the Snowy owl shot, prepared, and donated to the American Museum of Natural History by Roosevelt.
A listing of the officers of the Theodore Roosevelt Association along with the members of its executive, finance, and Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace committees is on the second page of the article.
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.
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal
John A. Gable reviews Nathan Miller’s The Roosevelt Chronicles, a history of the Roosevelt family in America. He acknowledges that Miller covers the lives of the well known Roosevelts: Theodore, Franklin, Eleanor, and Alice Longworth, but he believes that the real value of the book comes from its examination of lesser known members of the famous family. Gable looks at four of these figures: Nicholas Roosevelt, a pioneer in steamboats; James Roosevelt Bayley, an important figure in the hierarchy of the Catholic Church; Robert B. Roosevelt, Theodore’s uncle, who was a conservationist; and Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., Theodore’s son, who would earn the Medal of Honor for his actions on D-Day, 1944.
Frederick W. Marks describes the research he undertook for his book Velvet on Iron, and surveys the historiography of Theodore Roosevelt beginning in the 1920s. He argues that there persists a divide between his record as a restrained diplomat and the perception “of him as bellicose and impulsive.
A photograph of Marks accompanies his article.
In “The Sighting at Pine Knot, Virginia,” Alton A. Lindsay explores the question of whether Theodore Roosevelt was the last person to report a credible sighting of the extinct passenger pigeon near his presidential retreat, Pine Knot in Virginia, in 1907. Lindsay provides a history of Pine Knot and also looks at the making of Roosevelt as a naturalist going back to his childhood. He notes some of the defining experiences in Roosevelt’s life that made him a naturalist and conservationist, such as his time in the Dakota Badlands. Like other scholars he pushes back against the idea that Roosevelt was merely a man of action and asserts that he “was a man of intellect.”
He details Roosevelt’s sighting of a small flock of passenger pigeons in May 1907, and argues that Roosevelt’s history and experience as a naturalist and ornithologist lend credibility to his claims to have seen the birds.