Yacht racing

Several small boats race on a calm sea for the “Nomination Stake Boat.” In the boats are William H. Taft in the “Gnat” under the banner “Buckeye Y.C.,” Joseph Gurney Cannon in the “Scat” under the banner “Danville Y.C.,” Charles W. Fairbanks in the boat “Ice King” under the banner “Big Darby Y.C.,” Leslie M. Shaw in the boat “Pshaw,” and Elihu Root in the boat “Root.” The face of Theodore Roosevelt fills the sun, smiling down on the becalmed racers.

Comments and Context

Cartoonist Udo J. Keppler allowed himself a “dog days of summer” theme in 1906 — no Congressional bills, no scandals, no party squabbles — but characteristically infused it with news and political aspects, and it comes down through the years as informative; and humorous, with a number of subtle references.

The year 1906 was the midterm of President Roosevelt’s second administration, and despite his disavowal of interest in succeeding himself in the White House, politics asserted its typical roiling of waters — would he change his mind? Would he designate a preferred successor?

An American yachtsman shakes hands with Thomas Johnstone Lipton, with the America’s Cup between them. Caption: The American Sportsman — If we can not keep both, we would rather lose the cup than lose you, Sir Thomas.

Comments and Context

Sir Thomas Lipton, a Scotsman of Irish parentage, was an entrepreneurial whirlwind, with a product line of teas, grocery stores, and racing yachts his primary interests. He frequently entered his yachts in America’s Cup races, never to win, but he endeared himself to the American public. In 1903 his entry was named The Shamrock, hence the design of his vest. The “American Sportsman” in Keppler’s cartoon appears to be a generic fellow.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Thomas Lipton checks the pulse of an animated feminine America’s Cup labeled “America 1851.” Caption: Dr. Lipton – Your condition, of course, is not alarming; but a trip abroad would do you a world of good.

Comments and Context

In 1903, Sir Thomas Lipton dreamed yet again of capturing the America’s Cup. The 1902 competition, in New York Harbor, had attracted major attention — three constituent races; the United States’s entry of bold new design; J. P. Morgan’s recent interest as an owner and fan… and Lipton’s British entry defeated, not even finishing.

Despite his flirtatious ways with the buxom America’s Cup depicted in Ehrhart’s cartoon, America in 1903 continued its unbroken string of victories. It was commented at the time that Sir Thomas might have been happier confining himself to his Lipton Tea business.

A bulldog wearing black tie and formal naval dress sits on the shore with the America’s Cup behind him. A yacht labeled “Shamrock III” sails just offshore.

Comments and Context

The country took such interest in the America’s Cup yacht races, which America never had lost, that when Sir Thomas Lipton registered his Shamrock III a full four months before the 1903 competition, it merited a cover cartoon in Puck. The American entry was the radically designed (by Nathaniel Herreshoff) Reliance, owned by the Cornelius Vanderbilt syndicate. Held in New York Harbor, the best of five competition was won in three races by Reliant, with Lipton’s ship not even bothering to sail to the finish line of the third race. J. P. Morgan, an avid yachtsman, watched the race with guests aboard his Corsair.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Thomas W. Lawson, with his America’s Cup entry “Independence,” and Nathanael G. Herreshoff with his America’s Cup entry “Constitution,” console each other after their yachts initially were denied entry in the America’s Cup challenge in 1901.

Comments and Context

Thomas W. Lawson was a wealthy American financier born into poverty and, ironically, lived in poverty when he died. One of his passions was yacht racing. He balked at the requirement to join the New York Yacht Club in order to race his yacht “Independence” in the 1901 America’s Cup. Several years after this cartoon, the rebellious Lawson wrote a series of magazine articles, “Frenzied Finance,” discussing corruption among the business class “from the inside,” and became one of the early Muckrakers. This cartoon is a snapshot in time: Nathaniel Greene Herreshoff built the yacht “Constitution” for J. P. Morgan. It encountered initial problems in registering for the race, but eventually the “Constitution” was ratified, raced, and won the America’s Cup in 1901, the second cup for a boat designed and built by Herreshoff.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Uncle Sam stands with a chip on his shoulder labeled “Championship” and clutches to his chest the “America’s Cup.” A small yacht is at his feet, in the foreground, with a list of the years the United States has won the Cup. Thomas Johnstone Lipton is standing behind Uncle Sam, on a slip of land labeled “England.” He is trying to knock the chip off Uncle Sam’s shoulder with a long staff labeled “Challenge.” Caption: The Champion. — You’ll always find the chip there, my boy!

Comments and Context

Sir Thomas Lipton, an Irishman of Scottish birth, was a commoner who rose to knighthood by establishing a grocery empire, a brand of tea with worldwide reach, and competing as a yachtsman, most notably in America’s Cup events. Although his name is associated with America’s Cup, he competed in only five between 1899 and 1930 and never won. Yet his good-natured personality attracted attention to the sport that was dominated by the United States.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

President Roosevelt tells Henry Howard of the Eastern Yacht Club that he welcomes international competitions when they are as cordial as last year’s German-American races. Roosevelt would like to see such competitions with Spain, Russia, or other international powers. Roosevelt extends his good wishes to the American team, as well as to German Emperor William II and Prince Henry.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-07-18

President Roosevelt approves of a proposal to name the award for the yacht races during the Jamestown Ter-centennial Exposition the “Roosevelt cup,” and would like C. Oliver Iselin’s opinion on the matter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-02-05

President Roosevelt assures Henry Howard of the Eastern Yacht Club he is not annoyed and knew nothing of the enclosed article. He does not regard the yacht races as an international failure. On the contrary, he finds them “a very sportsmanlike thing” and hopes for their success.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-24

President Roosevelt regrets that he accepted Henry Howard’s invitation to be connected with the yacht races. He is not able to accept Howard’s invitation to see the races in person, as he is extremely busy and receives many other invitations he is not able to accept. Roosevelt reiterates, however, that if Howard is able to assemble a delegation to visit him at the White House he would be pleased to receive them. He asks Howard to remove his name from the race following the event.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-07-30

President Roosevelt is glad to hear from Henry Howard how well the yacht races are going. He apologizes, but it will not be possible for him to attend, as he would then be obligated to attend many other gatherings, but invites Howard and a small delegation to visit him at Oyster Bay.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-06-11

President Roosevelt says that the enclosed letter from Henry C. Burdett is from a “prize fool,” and he has no recollection of him. He feels badly that there does not seem to be anything that can be done for the author Ellen Velvin. He would like Robert Bridges to look into the matter to see if she is truly being “fleeced” by a certain publishing firm.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-11-09

William Rockhill Nelson invites Theodore Roosevelt to join him on the Hoosier on an annual cruise from Marblehead to Bar Harbor. Nelson tells Roosevelt he can invite anyone he wishes to fill the four available staterooms on board.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-05-10

Ambassador Reid updates President Roosevelt on the diplomatic efforts of Canadian politician William Lyon Mackenzie King, who has been meeting with various members of the British government. King has been implying that Roosevelt is apprehensive about Japanese hostility, but Reid is denying this and says instead that Roosevelt is merely annoyed. He also updates Roosevelt on his travel plans and his hope that he will get to visit the King to convey a message from the winner of the King’s Cup.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-20

Henry Howard is sorry to have done anything upsetting to President Roosevelt in relation to the German-American yacht races. He thanks Roosevelt for the courtesy of inviting a delegation to the presidential yacht, and explains that Roosevelt is correct that he will have no further connection with the cup after the races take place during the upcoming fall. He promises to try to fix any other issues that may be displeasing Roosevelt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-11

Chronology of the daily life of Theodore Roosevelt from January 1884 to December 1891. Notable events include the deaths of Alice Lee Roosevelt and Martha Bulloch Roosevelt, Roosevelt’s time on his ranch, the completion of Sagamore Hill, Roosevelt’s engagement and marriage to Edith Kermit Carow, Theodore “Ted” Roosevelt’s birth, the “Great-Dieup” of cattle in North Dakota, and the founding of the Boone and Crockett Club.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association

Creation Date

1985

Joyce M. Bisso opens this edition of “News and Notes” with a report on the effort to gather library books from the greater Oyster Bay, New York, area to build a library for the sailors aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt. The task fell to students from Oyster Bay High School and local public libraries. Bisso quotes the two sailors from the ship, Petty Officer Timothy L. Blackstone and Senior Chief Edward J. Tessier, who came to Oyster Bay to collect the books and other materials gathered by the community. The article also reprints a letter from Captain Paul W. Parcells, Commanding Officer of USS Theodore Roosevelt, to William Davison Johnston, the President of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA). A photograph of students examining books; one of Blackstone and Tessier; and another of the two sailors with Oyster Bay High School students appear in the article. 

The section also contains a report on the natural history research grants awarded from the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund by the American Museum of Natural History in New York City for 1986. The report notes the members of the TRA who serve on the awards committee, lists the winner of the largest award, Mark L. McKnight, and it provides a history of the involvement of Theodore Roosevelt and his father with the museum. A chart listing the number of award applications, the number of awards, and the value of the grants from 1961 to 1986 appears in this section.

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

The Eastern Yacht Club reports on upcoming special trial races for boats eligible to compete for the Roosevelt Cup. This brief publication outlines some of the rules of the races and courses to be used, as well as including flags and pennants to be used during the competition and a map showing the area the races are to take place in.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-07-31

Commissioner Roosevelt and family were glad to learn that Robert Harry Munro Ferguson will visit in September. Roosevelt reviews a recent, disappointing rowing match at Cornell and is looking forward to an upcoming yacht race. He is very busy and has much to tell Ferguson when they see each other.

Collection

Arizona Historical Society

Creation Date

1895-07-24