Theodore Roosevelt Association
Encyclopedia
The Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) is a historical and cultural organization dedicated to honoring the life and work of Theodore Roosevelt
(1858-1919), the 26th president of the United States
.
The group is based in Oyster Bay, New York
, Roosevelt's hometown.
under Title 36 of the United States Code
in 1920.
In parallel with the RMA was an organization for women, The Women's Theodore Roosevelt Association that had been founded in 1919 by an act of the New York State Assembly
. Both organizations merged in 1953 under the current name.
The two ancestor organizations that eventually combined to form the modern Association established four public sites: the reconstructed Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site
, New York City
, dedicated in 1923 and donated to the National Park Service in 1963; Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park
, Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York, dedicated in 1928 and given to the people of Oyster Bay; Theodore Roosevelt Island
in the Potomac in Washington, D.C., given to the federal government in 1932; and Sagamore Hill
, Roosevelt's Oyster Bay home, which opened to the public in 1953 and, together with nearby Old Orchard, home to Theodore Roosevelt Jr., was donated to the National Park Service in 1963. Along with the 1963 gifts of the Birthplace and Sagamore Hill properties, the TRA donated an endowment to help support both parks sites. The TRA currently owns Theodore Roosevelt's simple cabin, "Pine Knot", near Charlottesville, VA, which is managed by The Edith and Theodore Roosevelt Pine Knot Foundation.
, Roosevelt's alma mater. Today the Theodore Roosevelt Collection is housed in Harvard's Houghton Library. The collection continues to be a major resource for the study of the life and times of the 26th president of the United States
. (Note: The only larger Theodore Roosevelt Collection is that at the Library of Congress
, which includes Roosevelt's Presidential Papers, donated personally by Roosevelt.)
(1882-1964), the Association engaged in a wide spectrum of programs and activities to preserve Roosevelt's memory. Dr. John Allen Gable
served as executive director from 1974 until his sudden death in early 2005. After interim appointments, the TRA's leadership decided to expand and modernize the organization and hired James Bruns as Director to implement an organizational growth strategy. Bruns was the former President and CEO of the Atlanta History Center
(AHC) and while there had been quite successful tenure developing the museum's physical and financial resources as well as raising almost 30 million dollars. Before the AHC position, Bruns had worked for a number of years at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, where he oversaw the building of the National Postal Museum
and also had raised hundreds of millions of dollars for various projects. Bruns was let go from the TRA in 2009, after failing to get a proposed Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Center/Museum (see below) off the ground.
, Dallas, Boston
, and Nashville to police officers who have overcome handicaps), and the Theodore Roosevelt Teddy Bear program, which each year gives Teddy Bears to hospitalized children in New York City
and Nashville during the December Holiday season. The TRA also publishes a quarterly journal, conducts occasional historical and educational conferences, and sponsors public speaking contests for high school students in New York.
serves as the organization's current (2010) president. He is joined on the board and in the association by members from a wide variety of walks of life, and numerous members of the Roosevelt family including great-grandson Mark Ames, great-granddaughter Susan Roosevelt Weld, great-great-grandson Simon Roosevelt, great-grandson Theodore Roosevelt IV, and several cousins of TR. Other members include but are not limited to those in finance, the judicial/legal arenas, the military, and teaching.
's own interests. Members include Rough Rider fans, political memorabilia collectors, and Theodore Roosevelt impersonators. Some members join simply because they enjoy "Teddy" bears
.
Theodore Roosevelt Association
20 Audrey Avenue
Oyster Bay, NY 11771-1532
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
(1858-1919), the 26th president of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
.
The group is based in Oyster Bay, New York
Oyster Bay (town), New York
The Town of Oyster Bay is easternmost of the three towns in Nassau County, New York, in the United States. Part of the New York metropolitan area, it is the only town in Nassau County that extends from the North Shore to the South Shore of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the town population was...
, Roosevelt's hometown.
History
The organization was founded in 1919 by friends and supporters of the late president originally as the Permanent Memorial National Committee. Soon renamed the Roosevelt Memorial Association (RMA), it was charteredCongressional charter
A congressional charter is a law passed by the United States Congress that states the mission, authority and activities of a group. Congress issued federal charters from 1791 until 1992 under Title 36 of the United States Code....
under Title 36 of the United States Code
Title 36 of the United States Code
Title 36 of the United States Code outlines the role of Patriotic Societies and Observances in the United States Code.*Subtitle I—Patriotic and National Observances and Ceremonies*Subtitle II—Patriotic and National Organizations...
in 1920.
In parallel with the RMA was an organization for women, The Women's Theodore Roosevelt Association that had been founded in 1919 by an act of the New York State Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
. Both organizations merged in 1953 under the current name.
Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site
Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site is a recreated brownstone at 28 East 20th Street, between Broadway and Park Avenue South, in Manhattan, New York City....
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, dedicated in 1923 and donated to the National Park Service in 1963; Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park
Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park
Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park is a park in the hamlet of Oyster Bay, New York, honoring President Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States.- History:...
, Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York, dedicated in 1928 and given to the people of Oyster Bay; Theodore Roosevelt Island
Theodore Roosevelt Island
Theodore Roosevelt Island is a island and a national memorial located in the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. The island was given to the American people by the Theodore Roosevelt Association in memory of the 26th U.S. president, Theodore Roosevelt....
in the Potomac in Washington, D.C., given to the federal government in 1932; and Sagamore Hill
Sagamore Hill
Sagamore Hill was the home of the 26th President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt from 1885 until his death in 1919. It is located at the end of Cove Neck Road in the Incorporated Village of Cove Neck, New York, on Long Island, 25 miles east of Manhattan. Sagamore Hill is located within...
, Roosevelt's Oyster Bay home, which opened to the public in 1953 and, together with nearby Old Orchard, home to Theodore Roosevelt Jr., was donated to the National Park Service in 1963. Along with the 1963 gifts of the Birthplace and Sagamore Hill properties, the TRA donated an endowment to help support both parks sites. The TRA currently owns Theodore Roosevelt's simple cabin, "Pine Knot", near Charlottesville, VA, which is managed by The Edith and Theodore Roosevelt Pine Knot Foundation.
Theodore Roosevelt Collection
One of the two TRA ancestor organizations, the Roosevelt Memorial Association (RMA), collected manuscripts, diaries, correspondence and other items relating to Roosevelt's personal and professional life. In 1923, the RMA opened a research library at the Birthplace in New York City, and continued to build its archive. During 1943, the organization presented the entire collection of materials to Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Roosevelt's alma mater. Today the Theodore Roosevelt Collection is housed in Harvard's Houghton Library. The collection continues to be a major resource for the study of the life and times of the 26th president of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. (Note: The only larger Theodore Roosevelt Collection is that at the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
, which includes Roosevelt's Presidential Papers, donated personally by Roosevelt.)
Theodore Roosevelt Film Collection
The compilation of the film collection was originally embarked upon by the RMA in January 1919. Later, during 1924, the RMA formally established the Roosevelt Motion Picture Library housed at the Birthplace. The TRA donated the Roosevelt Motion Picture Library to the Library of Congress in 1962.Leadership of the TRA
Led in the years 1919-1957 by Secretary and Director Hermann HagedornHermann Hagedorn
Hermann Hagedorn was an American author, poet and biographer.He was born in New York City and educated at Harvard University, where he was awarded the George B. Sohier Prize for literature, the University of Berlin, and Columbia University...
(1882-1964), the Association engaged in a wide spectrum of programs and activities to preserve Roosevelt's memory. Dr. John Allen Gable
John Allen Gable
Dr. John Allen Gable served as executive director of the Theodore Roosevelt Association from 1974 through to his death in February 2005. He was widely considered the world's leading authority on Theodore Roosevelt.-Biography:...
served as executive director from 1974 until his sudden death in early 2005. After interim appointments, the TRA's leadership decided to expand and modernize the organization and hired James Bruns as Director to implement an organizational growth strategy. Bruns was the former President and CEO of the Atlanta History Center
Atlanta History Center
The Atlanta History Center is a history museum located in the Buckhead district of Atlanta, Georgia. The Museum was founded in 1926, and currently consists of 12 exhibits. There are also historic gardens and houses located on the grounds, including the Swan House and Tullie Smith Farm...
(AHC) and while there had been quite successful tenure developing the museum's physical and financial resources as well as raising almost 30 million dollars. Before the AHC position, Bruns had worked for a number of years at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, where he oversaw the building of the National Postal Museum
National Postal Museum
The National Postal Museum, located opposite Union Station in Washington, D.C., USA, was established through joint agreement between the United States Postal Service and the Smithsonian Institution and opened in 1993. The museum is located across the street from Union Station, in the building that...
and also had raised hundreds of millions of dollars for various projects. Bruns was let go from the TRA in 2009, after failing to get a proposed Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Center/Museum (see below) off the ground.
Activities
In recent years, the organization's endeavors included creation and maintenance of About Theodore Roosevelt, the TRA web site at www.theodoreroosevelt.org which has been criticized by scholars as hagiographic and hard to navigate. The organization also conducts the Theodore RooseveltR Police Awards (given in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Dallas, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, and Nashville to police officers who have overcome handicaps), and the Theodore Roosevelt Teddy Bear program, which each year gives Teddy Bears to hospitalized children in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Nashville during the December Holiday season. The TRA also publishes a quarterly journal, conducts occasional historical and educational conferences, and sponsors public speaking contests for high school students in New York.
Annual Dinner/Meetings
Annual meetings of the Theodore Roosevelt Association - held near TR's October 27th birthday - occur generally in places that are somehow associated with TR - Boston/Cambridge where he attended college and met his first wife, New York/Oyster Bay where he lived most of his life, Norfolk around the USS Theodore Roosevelt, Washington DC where he worked as Asst. Sec. of Navy, Vice President and President, Atlanta GA where his mother grew up, and even the Netherlands where the Roosevelts originated. The annual dinner frequently includes the awarding of the Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal (DSM). Annual meetings often include lectures on TR, visits to Roosevelt-related sites, and silent auctions and bartering/selling of TR collectibles by collector members of the association.Proposed Presidential Center/Museum
Press announcements in March 2007 concerning the appointment of James Bruns as president of the TRA noted a plan to build a museum and research center dedicated to the 26th president. In Oyster Bay, NY, where the project was proposed to be built on a site popularly known as "Firemens Field" - local debate was strenuous. A citizens group - the Coalition to Save Firemen's Field - was formed to defend the proposed site of the new museum from development. Many residents cited grave concerns over increased traffic to the Museum over two-lane roads for a five mile perimeter around the proposed site: roads that were already frequently choked with traffic jams. Others noted redundancy with the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site - former home of the President - and the adjacent Old Orchard Museum, housing an impressive multimedia museum dedicated to TR. After failing to gain the necessary political and financial support, the Theodore Roosevelt Association abandoned the project in 2009.Members of the TRA Board
TR's great-grandson Tweed RooseveltTweed Roosevelt
Tweed Roosevelt is the great-grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt via Roosevelt's son Archie. He is Chairman of Roosevelt China Investments, a Boston firm. He occasionally lectures and writes on the topic of his great-grandfather...
serves as the organization's current (2010) president. He is joined on the board and in the association by members from a wide variety of walks of life, and numerous members of the Roosevelt family including great-grandson Mark Ames, great-granddaughter Susan Roosevelt Weld, great-great-grandson Simon Roosevelt, great-grandson Theodore Roosevelt IV, and several cousins of TR. Other members include but are not limited to those in finance, the judicial/legal arenas, the military, and teaching.
Membership
Interests of the membership are as varied as were Theodore RooseveltTheodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
's own interests. Members include Rough Rider fans, political memorabilia collectors, and Theodore Roosevelt impersonators. Some members join simply because they enjoy "Teddy" bears
Teddy bear
The teddy bear is a stuffed toy bear. They are usually stuffed with soft, white cotton and have smooth and soft fur. It is an enduring form of a stuffed animal in many countries, often serving the purpose of entertaining children. In recent times, some teddy bears have become collector's items...
.
Rights and Privileges of Members
Membership in the Association includes a subscription to the quarterly TRA Journal, and invitations to Association functions. Members also receive free admission to Sagamore Hill (Oyster Bay, NY) and the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace in Manhattan, upon presentation of their membership cards.Office Location
The Association's Office is located atTheodore Roosevelt Association
20 Audrey Avenue
Oyster Bay, NY 11771-1532
External links
- http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org Theodore Roosevelt Association Official Site
- http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/troosevelt_film/ Library of Congress - Theodore Roosevelt on Film
- http://www.publichistory.org/reviews/View_Review.asp?DBID=100 Review of the Theodore Roosevelt Association Web Site by Rich Hephner of the Public History Resource Center