Happy Father’s Day, Teddy Roosevelt Fatherhood and Tragedy
Birth of Alice Roosevelt Death of Alice Roosevelt His Daughter His Wife February 12, 1884 February 14, 1884 Second Chance of Happiness Marries Edith Kermit Carow St. George’s Hanover Square, London December 2, 1886 Roosevelt Family
1884 Alice 1887 Theodore 1889 Kermit 1891 Ethel 1894 Archibald 1897 Quentin Quentin, the Baby of the Family At Home Sagamore Hill Long Island Becomes President on September 14, 1901 Family Moves to the White House Alice
“I can be President of the United States—or—I can attend to Alice! I cannot possibly do both!”
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore, Jr.
“In Washington, when father was civil service commissioner, I often walked to the office with him. On the way down he would talk history to me – not the dry history of dates and charters, but the history where you yourself in your imagination could assume the role of the principal actors, as every well- constructed boy wishes to do when interested.” Kermit
“The house seems very empty without you and Ted, although I cannot conscientiously say that it is quiet — Archie and Quentin attend to that.”
Theodore Roosevelt Letter to Kermit Roosevelt Oyster Bay September 23, 1903 Archie and Quentin “Vice-Mother”
“Mother has gone off for nine days, and as usual I am acting as vice- mother. Archie and Quentin are really too cunning for anything. Each night I spend about three- quarters of an hour reading to them.”
Theodore Roosevelt Letter to Kermit Roosevelt White House November 15, 1903 “Blessed Quenty-Quee” Ethel
“I think you are a little trump and I love your letter, and the way you take care of the children and keep down the expenses and cook bread and are just your own blessed busy cunning self.”
Theodore Roosevelt Letter to Ethel Roosevelt White House June 21, 1904 “Ethel administers necessary discipline to Archie and Quentin.” Uncle of the Bride Wedding of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt March 17, 1905
“With President Roosevelt and St. Patrick standing sponsors for her happiness, Miss Eleanor Roosevelt the President's niece, wisely concluded to risk any ill omens concerning a marriage on Friday. The ceremony which united her to her distant cousin, Mr. Franklin Roosevelt, was a particularly charming affair. Miss Roosevelt is a tall, fair girl, and as pretty a bride as even a President could wish to give away.”
The Index (March 25, 1905) Father of the Bride Wedding of Alice Roosevelt and Nicholas Longworth February 17, 1906 Roosevelt Family in 1907 Outgoing President Roosevelt Incoming President Taft March 4, 1909 Return to Sagamore Hill Roosevelt Family and the First World War Death of Quentin Roosevelt July 14, 1918 "Quentin's mother and I are glad that he got to the front and had the chance to render some service to his country, and to show the stuff that was in him before his fate befell him."
Theodore Roosevelt Oyster Bay July 17, 1918 Death of Theodore Roosevelt January 6, 1919
"Since Quentin was killed he has been sad, only Ethel's little girl had the power to make him merry."
Edith Roosevelt Letter to Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. Death of Theodore Roosevelt January 6, 1919
“The old lion is dead.”
Archie Roosevelt FOR MORE ON TEDDY ROOSEVELT AS A FATHER SEE
THE ROOSEVELT FAMILY OF SAGAMORE HILL
BY HERMANN HAGEDORN
AND
THEODORE ROOSEVELT’S LETTERS TO HIS CHILDREN
EDITED BY
JOSEPH BUCKLIN BISHOP