Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924

David H. Burton reviews Artists of Power: Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Their Enduring Impact on U.S. Foreign Policy. Burton notes the contributions of eight historians to the work, and he stresses that although Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson are often seen at odds, the two presidents both wanted to see the establishment of some kind of international organization to secure global peace after World War I. Burton acknowledges that Roosevelt and Wilson had major impacts on American diplomacy and security and that their policies led to a larger role for the United States in global affairs.

A photograph of Roosevelt with his right hand resting on a large globe illustrates the review.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2007

James MacGregor Burns discusses Theodore Roosevelt and leadership, and he asserts that as a leader Roosevelt should be judged a success because he was able to convince people to follow him. Burns also believes that Roosevelt, as a progressive, put liberty before order, and he argues that Roosevelt’s competence could be called into question because of his decision to challenge William H. Taft for the presidency in 1912. Burns discusses Roosevelt’s options in all of the elections from 1908 to 1920.

Two photographs of Roosevelt from 1905 illustrate the article.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2002

Twelve books compete for space and attention in this crowded edition of the “Book Reviews” section which includes four feature reviews, two brief children’s book reviews, and notices about six other titles. Matthew Glover counters some of the assertions made by Louis Auchincloss in his Theodore Roosevelt by citing the work of historian John Milton Cooper. John A. Gable provides profiles of Alice Roosevelt Longworth and Eleanor Roosevelt, the subjects of Linda Donn’s The Roosevelt Cousins, and he notes the outsize influence that Theodore Roosevelt had on the extended Roosevelt clan. An anonymous review of Theodore Roosevelt, the U.S. Navy, and the Spanish-American War lists the nine chapters that resulted from a conference of the same name, and it notes some of the authors’ ties to the Theodore Roosevelt Association. 

Gable identifies four themes found in the ten essays that make up European Perceptions of the Spanish-American War of 1898, including most European nations’ hostility to the United States in the conflict, and he emphasizes the role played by the Roosevelt Study Center in fostering the emergence of a cohort of European scholars of American history. Two books aimed at children are reviewed in the “Kids Corner” section, and “Other New Books” highlights six titles published in 2001-2002, including new paperback editions of the Roosevelt biographies written by Edmund Morris and his wife Sylvia Jukes Morris. 

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Three biographies–of Holt Collier, Theodore Roosevelt, and Gifford Pinchot–come under scrutiny in the “Reviews” section along with a play and documentary about Roosevelt. Tweed Roosevelt finds the biography of Holt Collier, who led Theodore Roosevelt’s famous 1902 bear hunt, notable for its descriptions of slavery in antebellum Mississippi, but he finds its coverage of Roosevelt flawed. Gregory A. Wynn recommends Kathleen Dalton’s biography Theodore Roosevelt: A Strenuous Life for its coverage of Roosevelt’s life after the presidency, its recognition of the important influence women had on his life, and for making Roosevelt “a hero for liberals.” The section also contains an excerpt of a review of Dalton’s work from Kirkus Reviews. 

Gary A. Clinton admires Laurence Luckinbill’s play Teddy Tonight for capturing the spirit of Roosevelt in his own words, and he finds that it resonates in a nation reeling from the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. A review of The History Channel’s documentary TR: An American Lion lists the “talking head” historians who appear in the film along with members of the Roosevelt family. The review highlights the negative coverage given Roosevelt’s attitudes on race and imperialism, and it praises the actors who provide the film’s narration and voice of Roosevelt. The section concludes with excerpts from four positive reviews of Char Miller’s biography of Gifford Pinchot.

Three photographs appear in the section, including a picture of two cast members of TR: An American Lion.

Kathleen Dalton explores “a little known side of” Theodore Roosevelt: his love of telling stories. Dalton identifies ghost stories, animal and hunting stories, tales from his days as a cowboy, and stories involving the Rough Riders as some of Roosevelt’s favorite topics. She also says that he liked to talk about his own adventures, such as hiking in Rock Creek Park, or discussing his political friends and foes, and she says that Roosevelt’s favorite audience for his stories was his children. Dalton identifies a number of people who were subjects of Roosevelt’s tales or who, like Rudyard Kipling, were captivated by listening to his stories.

Two photographs of Roosevelt, and an illustration of him telling a camp fire story to children, supplement the article which also has two text boxes with information about the Theodore Roosevelt Association.

Three recently published books are reviewed in this issue of the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal, and all are found to be admirable works. The newly published edition of Theodore Roosevelt’s Letters to His Children, edited by Joan Kerr, is a worthy update, and contains a number of new letters. Kerr includes several letters focusing on Alice Roosevelt Longworth that had not been previously published. Henry Kissinger’s Diplomacy examines international relations broadly, but gives special attention to Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson by using them to frame the evolution of diplomacy. Art Ronnie’s Counterfeit Hero: Fritz Duquesne, Adventurer and Spy, finally, presents a biographical look at a man who “was one of the most exceptional individuals of [the twentieth] century,” and who, among other adventures in a full life, campaigned on behalf of Theodore Roosevelt during the 1912 presidential campaign.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1996

Creator(s)

Gable, John A.; Hendrix, Henry J.; Manson, Michael L., 1936-

Boguslaw W. Winid surveys the presentation and interpretation of Theodore Roosevelt by Polish scholars from the Spanish-American War to the end of the Cold War. Winid notes that Roosevelt faded from public view in Poland after the end of his presidency and that he was eclipsed in favor by Woodrow Wilson after World War I. Winid notes that some of Roosevelt’s writings have been translated into Polish, but he faults these attempts for being incomplete. He contends that Roosevelt received almost universal negative treatment by Polish scholars during the era of Communist rule in Poland, and he shows that the studies were mostly ideological with an emphasis on the imperial aspects of Roosevelt’s foreign policy. Winid provides brief reviews of many Polish works that touch on Roosevelt, and he asserts that the end of Communist rule in Poland will allow for more objective works based on historical sources and not just Marxist ideology.

A photograph of Roosevelt standing in the back seat of an automobile in August 1910 appears in the article.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1992

Two books undergo scrutiny in this edition of the “Book Reviews” section while ten others are mentioned in a “Book Notes” subsection that lists recently released or reissued titles. Elizabeth E. Roosevelt reviews Richard H. Collin’s Theodore Roosevelt’s Caribbean and gives a brief overview of each of the work’s four sections, praising the book for its portraits of key players involved in the various diplomatic tussles of the Roosevelt administration in the Caribbean basin. The review is followed by seven excerpts from Collin’s book, ranging from a single sentence to short paragraphs. Donald F. Kirkpatrick reviews Ralph H. Lutts’s The Nature Fakers which chronicles Theodore Roosevelt’s fight with William J. Long and other nature writers who attributed human traits to animals.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1991

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Elizabeth E.; Collin, Richard H.; Kirkpatrick, Donald F.; Unknown

John A. Gable reviews Lewis L. Gould’s The Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt and Jean Fritz’s Bully for You, Teddy Roosevelt! in the “Book Reviews” section. Gable provides a detailed look at Gould’s work and compares and contrasts Gould’s assessments with those of other historians. Gable notes that Gould has a mostly favorable impression of President Theodore Roosevelt’s foreign and domestic policies, but he faults Gould for not adequately addressing Roosevelt’s achievements in conservation, and he disagrees with Gould’s assertion that McKinley was the first “‘modern President.'” Gable praises Fritz’s biography of Roosevelt for children, stating that it is a good starting point to learn about Roosevelt. Stephen W. Zsiray provides the first ever review of a software program in the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal with a look at a program that allows players to recreate the election of 1912. “Book Reviews” closes with a listing of ten Roosevelt related titles that are currently in print or have been reissued in paperback.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1991

Creator(s)

Gable, John A.; Zsiray, Stephen W. (Stephen William), 1951-2014

Secretary of Agriculture Houston has learned that the bill to create Lassen Volcanic National Park was approved by President Woodrow Wilson recently, and informs Secretary of the Interior Lane that he has directed the local officers of the Forest Service to continue to protect the area from fire or injury until such time as the officers of the Department of the Interior can take over the work.

Collection

Lassen Volcanic National Park

Creation Date

1916-08-14

Creator(s)

Houston, David Franklin, 1866-1940

Lee Cullum challenges the conclusions of historian Richard Hofstadter who downplayed the achievements and intellect of Theodore Roosevelt. Cullum claims that Roosevelt was superior to Woodrow Wilson in his handling of diplomacy and big business, and she asserts that Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy had a lot in common.

An illustration of Roosevelt in a dynamic speaking pose and a listing of the officers and members of the executive committee of the Theodore Roosevelt Association appear in the article.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1987-12-27

William N. Tilchin surveys the major works on President Theodore Roosevelt’s foreign policy from 1956 to 1986, looking at nine books and one article. Tilchin provides detailed reviews of eight of the books, and highlights the discussion of diplomacy in the ninth. In doing so, Tilchin addresses the historiography of Roosevelt and his foreign policy, and he demonstrates how Roosevelt’s reputation as a diplomat grew from the low point it reached with Henry F. Pringle’s biography of 1931. Tilchin touches on the major international crises and issues of Roosevelt’s presidency, including the Philippine American War, the creation of the Panama Canal, and the voyage of the Great White Fleet. The essay is supported by 183 endnotes and includes a listing of publications about Roosevelt’s diplomacy not addressed in the text.

The article also contains three text boxes: one lists the leadership of the Theodore Roosevelt Association; another, “About the Author,” notes Tilchin’s work as a teacher and historian; and a third says that this issue of the journal “is dedicated to the people of the State of North Dakota.” A portrait of Roosevelt and a photograph of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt with elements of her air wing illustrate the article.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1989

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

Assistant Secretary of the Interior Mather informs Horace M. Albright that he has heard that the bill about Lassen Volcanic National Park has passed the Senate. He instructs Albright to try to have President Woodrow Wilson’s signature withheld because of the various special exceptions present in the bill.

Collection

Lassen Volcanic National Park

Creation Date

1916-08-02

Creator(s)

Mather, Stephen Tyng, 1867-1930

Serge Ricard argues that President Theodore Roosevelt practiced a style of diplomacy that was clothed in self-righteousness and was backed by the threat of force. Ricard argues that Roosevelt’s diplomacy lacked nuance because Roosevelt reduced all conflicts and disputes to a “simplistic vision of right and wrong.” He asserts that Roosevelt lacked Woodrow Wilson’s endless self-examination and William H. Taft’s commitment to dollar diplomacy, but that he viewed America’s role in the revolutions of the Philippines and Panama in black and white terms with the United States playing the role of guardian of progress and civilization. Ricard closes by arguing that Roosevelt’s style of diplomacy has endured to the detriment of the United States and its foreign policy record.

John A. Gable writes a brief introduction to this article in which he notes Ricard’s credentials, and he stresses that the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal welcomes the opportunity to air debates about Roosevelt’s record. 

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Three book reviews, a book notice, and a look at Paul Russell Cutright’s career comprise the “Book Reviews” section. In “TR: The Making of a Conservationist,” Lewis L. Gould reviews Cutright’s Theodore Roosevelt: The Making of a Conservationist and notes that the work covers the formative years of Roosevelt’s life better than his first work on Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt: The Naturalist. Gould says that Cutright challenges some of the assumptions made by David McCullough about Roosevelt’s childhood asthma. John A. Gable discusses Cutright’s two works on Roosevelt, lists his publications in the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal, and reviews his teaching career and publications in “Paul Russell Cutright: Historian of Natural History.” 

In “Presidential Children,” Gable gives a scathing review of Sandra L. Quinn and Sanford Kanter’s America’s Royalty: All the Presidents’ Children. Gable notes that the book is riddled with factual errors and that it has a “truly pathetic” bibliography. Gable also reviews Richard H. Collin’s Theodore Roosevelt, Culture, Diplomacy, and Expansion and notes that Roosevelt’s foreign policy was impacted by American culture and by the need to counter the imperialism of the leading European states. The section concludes with a notice about the publication of Between Ocean and Empire: An Illustrated History of Long Island which includes an essay on Roosevelt and Sagamore Hill written by Gable. 

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

Joe F. Decker studies Theodore Roosevelt’s use of language and focuses on some of his most colorful expressions and opinions, which was most often found in his correspondence. Decker says that Roosevelt tended to be more cautious with his language when speaking in public. He dwells on the object of much of Roosevelt’s invective, President Woodrow Wilson, but he cites numerous letters to various figures such as Amos Pinchot and Henry Cabot Lodge to give examples of Roosevelt’s use of language. Decker notes that Roosevelt was also willing to use animated language to poke fun at himself.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1986

Creator(s)

Decker, Joe, F.

Horace M. Albright recalls some of his memories of Theodore Roosevelt from admiring him as a boy to meeting with him in an effort to join a Roosevelt led division of the United States Army in World War I. Albright recalls meeting Roosevelt three times while a student at the University of California, and he discusses his relationship with Roosevelt’s children, concluding his article with an anecdote about Roosevelt’s eldest daughter, Alice Roosevelt Longworth. Albright’s article is preceded by a biographical sketch of the author, and it includes two photographs of Albright during his time working for the National Park Service.

An inset box in the article includes a mailing address for the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) and lists its President and Executive Director.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1987

This edition of the “Book Reviews” section examines four works. “How Does TR Rate?” focuses on the poll numbers assigned to Theodore Roosevelt in The Rating Game in American Politics and finds that Roosevelt places in the great or near great categories. The review gives an overview of the essays in the collection, and highlights those on Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, and Dwight D. Eisenhower. William Davison Johnston reviews Edward L. Beach’s The United States Navy: 200 Years and notes that it is not a narrative history, and he stresses that it was awarded the Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Naval History Prize for 1987.

In “The Independent Progressives,” John A. Gable reviews Eugene M. Tobin’s Organize or Perish: America’s Independent Progressives, 1913-1933 which studies former members of the Bull Moose Party like Amos Pinchot and George L. Record. Gable notes that these figures operated outside of elected offices and built organizations, but that they lacked the strength and numbers to build a political party. Gable notes how Tobin’s work adds to our understanding of the larger Progressive era. The section concludes with a notice that the Naval War College has published a comprehensive bibliography of the writings of Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan.

A photograph of Johnston and Beach shaking hands at a Theodore Roosevelt Association event in October 1983 appears in the section.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal