Theodore Roosevelt Association
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Theodore Roosevelt Association, (TRA) is an historical and cultural organization based in Oyster Bay, New York, open to the general public. The organization's purpose is to honor the life and works of Theodore Roosevelt and to educate the public on the 26th US President. The organization was founded in 1919 by friends and supporters of the late US 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt originally as the Permanent Memorial National Committee. Soon renamed the Roosevelt Memorial Association, (RMA) it was chartered by an Act of Congress 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. Membership fees are modest.
[edit] History
Theodore Roosevelt 26th US President, popularly known as "TR" and "Teddy" (although Roosevelt despised that name), died on January 6, 1919. Within a few days, the Roosevelt Memorial Association was founded by TR's friends and associates. The Association was formally chartered by special Act of Congress, May 31, 1920, "to perpetuate the memory of Theodore Roosevelt for the benefit of the people of the United States of America and the world...." Led in the years 1919-1957 by Secretary and Director Hermann Hagedorn (1882-1964), poet, author, historian, friend and biographer of TR, the Association engaged in a wide spectrum of programs and activities to preserve TR's memory. Dr. John Allen Gable served as executive director from 1973 until his sudden death in early 2005. [1] Thereafter, consultant and writer Edward Renehan stepped down from the board of directors and executive committee of the TRA to serve 16 months as interim chief executive officer while the board conducted a search for the organization's next longterm head. Renehan wrapped up his duties with the TRA at the end of July 2006 and returned to personal projects. Dr. Cathal Nolan of Boston University's International History Institute was hired as part-time executive director in August of 2006 and was made president in a reorganization at the end of October 2006. Nolan then resigned on 15 December 2006, effective 1 January 2007 - the very date he was to have taken-up active, full-time leadership of the Theodore Roosevelt Association at its Long Island headquarters. [2] In March of 2007, the TRA announced that Atlanta History Center President and CEO James Bruns had been hired to become President of the Association. Bruns is scheduled to commence full-time work in July of 2007. [3]
[edit] Preserving Rooseveltian Sites
The Association established four public sites: the reconstructed Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site, New York City, in 1923; Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park, Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York, in 1928; Theodore Roosevelt Island in the Potomac in Washington, D.C., given to the federal government in 1932; and Sagamore Hill, TR's Oyster Bay home, which opened to the public in 1953. The TRA currently owns Theodore Roosevelt's cabin "Pine Knot" near Charlottesville, VA, which is managed by a local board.
[edit] Theodore Roosevelt Collection
The TRA's ancestor organization, the Roosevelt Memorial Association (RMA), began collecting the letters, correspondence and other items relating to Roosevelt's personal and professional life. In 1923, the RMA opened a research library in New York City. In 1943, the entire collection of materials was presented to Harvard University, Roosevelt's alma mater. Today the Theodore Roosevelt Collection is housed in Harvard's Houghton and Widener Libraries. [4] 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 TR's Presidential Papers, donated personally by TR to the LOC.) [5]
[edit] Theodore Roosevelt Film Collection
The compilation of the collection was originally embarked upon by the RMA in January 1919. Later, during 1924, the RMA formally established the Roosevelt Motion Picture Library housed in the president's reconstructed NYC birthplace. During 1962, the TRA donated Roosevelt Motion Picture Library to the Library of Congress. [6]
[edit] Publications
The Association's Committee on Publications was established in 1920, with Mark Sullivan, former editor of Collier's, R. J. Cuddihy, publisher of Literary Digest, E. A. Van Valkenburg, publisher of the Philadelphia North American, and Arthur W. Page, editor of World's Work, as members. Roosevelt in the Bad Lands by Hermann Hagedorn, and Roosevelt in the Kansas City Star: TR's World War I Editorials, edited by Ralph Stout, were published by the Association in 1921. The Americanism of Theodore Roosevelt: Excerpts from Roosevelt's Writings, edited by Hagedorn, came out in 1923. In 1923-1926, the Association sponsored the Charles Scribner's Sons Memorial (24 volumes) and National (20 volumes) editions of the Works of Theodore Roosevelt, edited by Hagedorn.
[edit] 1953 Name Change and Merger with the Women's Association
In 1953, the RMA changed its title to the current name, the Theodore Roosevelt Association. and the modern organization was born. On January 6, 1955, the Women's Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Association officially merged with the TRA.
[edit] Annual Dinner/Meetings
Annual meetings of the Theodore Roosevelt Association - which normally take place in October - have been held in Boston, New York, Norfolk, Washington DC, Portland OR, Atlanta and elsewhere. These are generally small affairs attracting between one- and two-hundred die-hard members whom some have affectionately dubbed "Tedheads" and see as the Rooseveltian equivalent of "Trekkies." The annual dinner frequently includes the awarding of the Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal which has been given to Americans from all walks of life that the TRA has felt have embodied Theodore Roosevelt's ideals. 2006 saw the award of the medal to a Vietnam era war hero, Medal of Honor recipient, and conservative activist Colonel George E. "Bud" Day, USAF (Ret.) - an event that triggered some measure of debate within the ranks of the nominally nonpartisan TRA.
[edit] Political Orientation
Although nominally and officially non-partisan, the TRA has nevertheless demonstrated a distinct Republican/conservative bent in recent years. This situation reflects the dominance of conservative elements on the board of trustees and the disquietude of a vocal liberal minority in the same body, the latter wishing that the TRA would do more to celebrate TR's legacy as a Progressive and Conservationist. During the same 2006 annual meeting at which it honored Bud Day, the TRA welcomed Barbara Comstock to its Board of Trustees. Comstock is a conservative Republican stalwart who served as chief investigator for Representative Dan Burton during the period of the Whitewater investigations. Comstock subsquently worked as director of public affairs in John Ashcroft's Justice Department, and for a time led opposition research for the Republican National Committee. She is currently on the staff of the lobbying firm Black Rome. Another new trustee as of 2006 is Robert Charles, who worked in both the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush White Houses, served as counsel to US House Speaker Dennis Hastert, and was President George W. Bush’s Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement. Other trustees include the Hon. Lee Yeakel, a Federal Judge appointed by President George W. Bush.
[edit] Mission Statement
In its latest mission statement, adopted 1992, the Association noted that "The purpose of the Theodore Roosevelt Association of Oyster Bay, New York, is to perpetuate the memory and ideals of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, for the benefit of the people of the United States of America and the world; to instill in all who may be interested an appreciation for and understanding of the values, policies, cares, concerns, interests, and ideals that Theodore Roosevelt held; to preserve, protect and defend the Places, Monuments, Sites, Artifacts, Papers, and other important physical objects associated with Theodore Roosevelt's life, work, presidency, historical legacy, and current interpretations of his varied beliefs or actions; and, in general, to do all things appropriate and necessary to insure that detailed and accurate knowledge of Theodore Roosevelt's great and historic contributions are made available to any and all persons."
[edit] Activities and Public Advocacy
Traditional TRA activities of manuscript collection and preservation have largely subsided in recent years, now that most Rooseveltian sites and artifacts have been safely preserved, even though the organization continues to receive previously unknown Roosevelt documents from time to time. In recent years, the organization's endeavors have been limited to the conduct of Theodore Roosevelt Police Awards (given in New York, Dallas, Boston, and other cities 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 conducts occasional historical and educational conferences, sponsors public speaking contests for high school students in New York, and provides some measure of support to various public sites dedicated to TR. In 2007, the TRA hired a historian to beef up its sporadically published scholarly journal.
[edit] Future of the TRA
With the advent of the 21st Century, there began to emerge in the TRA a consensus that the organization needed to reconsider its mission and place in society. A reform wing has developed in the leadership of the organization that has encouraged the formation of several committees to study the organization's strategic goals and direction. Not a few previous stalwarts believe that with all Rooseveltian historical sites stabilized and preserved, all relevant papers placed safely in archives, and Roosevelt himself virtually canonized as a secular saint of American culture, the work of the TRA is done, and that the organization should be abolished. Others believe an as-yet undefined refinement on the traditional model of the TRA will give the organization a raison d'etre in the coming decades. The outcome remains to be seen.
On January 11, 2007, the History News Network reported that TR biographers Edward Renehan and Edmund Morris, the latter the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for the first volume in his three-volume series on TR, had advised the Theodore Roosevelt Association to disband. "Both ... argue in letters to the Association that the organization should declare victory and close up shop. There is no longer any danger, they contend, that TR will ever be forgotten. Wrote Renehan: 'The war is over. TR has won. His face is on the mountain. And the decades-long work of the TRA in preserving sites, establishing collections, and fostering scholarship has been no small part of the mix. However, the organization has outlived its mission. Today, books and films and conferences regarding Roosevelt emerge with frequency -- hardly ever with the facilitation of the TRA. And this is a good thing.'" [7] Edward Renehan and Edmund Morris both resigned from the TRA in early 2007.
[edit] Debate Over Presidential Library/Museum
Press announcements in March 2007 concerning the presidential appointment of James Bruns noted a plan to build at Oyster Bay what was variously described as a "a world-class museum and research facility dedicated to the 26th president" [8] and a "a presidential museum and library honoring the 26th U.S. president." [9] In an interview with the Oyster Bay Enterprise Pilot, Bruns described the project as a challenge to build "a permanent home for [the TRA] and create a fitting place of national reflection in honoring the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt." [10]
However, the TRA's own press release concerning the appointment, dated March 20, 2007, contained no such reference because, in fact, there is no broad concensus within the TRA that a presidential library/museum and research center is a worthy idea. [11]
As some members of the executive committee and broader board of trustees have pointed out, Theodore Roosevelt's papers are housed variously at the Library of Congress (which holds TR's presidential papers as well as the papers of his children Alice, Theodore Jr., and Kermit) and Harvard, to which institution the TRA donated its own massive collection of Rooseveltian papers and publications during the 1940s (see above for details). (The Harvard Collection also contains the papers of TR's children Ethel and Archibald, as well as items related to TR's youngest son, Quentin, and other family members.) Given that the bulk of the major Rooseveltian holdings are in the hands of the Library of Congress and Harvard University, many on the TRA board are now concerned to know exactly what in the way of manuscript material will be available to form the core of a relevant TR research library at Oyster Bay.
When it comes to a museum dedicated to TR at Oyster Bay, not a few observers have been quick to point out that two museums exist there already. As noted above, Theodore Roosevelt's home, Sagamore Hill, and the adjacent Old Orchard (home of Theodore Roosevelt Jr.) were both given to the National Park Service by the TRA in the early 1960s. Sagamore Hill remains open to visitors, who can view it just as it was furnished during the presidential years. Old Orchard, meanwhile, was recently gutted on its ground floor and redone into a state-of-the-art museum featuring even more artifacts, as well as multimedia presentations documenting the life and career of TR. Many believe that yet another TR museum in Oyster Bay would not only be redundant, but insignificant, given that the vast majority of major Rooseveltian artifacts are already on display either at Old Orchard, Sagamore Hill, or in the museum of the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace in NYC.
As far as establishing "a fitting place of national reflection in honoring the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt" is concerned, a number of these exist already. Not only does the National Park Service administer Sagamore Hill and Old Orchard in Oyster Bay, as well as the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace in NYC, but also the aforementioned Theodore Roosevelt Island, an 80 acre tract in the Potomac at Washington, DC, which incorporates an imposing national memorial to Theodore Roosevelt dedicated in 1967. There is also the enormous (more than 70,000 acres) Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. As well, Theodore Roosevelt's face is enshrined on Mount Rushmore beside those of Lincoln, Jefferson and Washington. Additionally, hundreds of wildlife sanctuaries, dams, roads and college halls across the country bear his name.
[edit] Membership
The TRA’s membership numbers under 2000 and is as varied as were Theodore Roosevelt's own interests. Members include hunters and outdoor enthusiasts, supporters of the Navy, Rough Rider fans, political buffs and collectors, and TR impersonators. Some members join simply because they are serious collectors of "Teddy" bears. Several descendants of Theodore Roosevelt are actively involved including great-grandsons Tweed Roosevelt and Mark Ames, both of whom serve on the TRA's Executive Committee.
[edit] Rights and Privileges of Members
Membership in the Association includes a subscription to the 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.
[edit] Contacts
The Association can be reached by writing:
Theodore Roosevelt Association P.O. Box 719 Oyster Bay, NY 11771-0719
For the phone number, one can go the TRA Web Site listed under External Links
[edit] See Also
[edit] 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.theodore-roosevelt.com Theodore Roosevelt Almanac - Site sponsored by H. Paul Jeffers with much useful information on the President
- http://rooseveltinstitution.org The Roosevelt Institution
- http://www.trcp.org Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
- 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
- http://hnn.us/roundup/entries/33633.html History News Network Article (1/2/07) concerning Nolan Resignation
- http://hnn.us/roundup/entries/33850.html History News Network Article (1/11/07) documenting Recommendation by Edmund Morris and Edward Renehan that the TRA Shut Down
