Talk:Robert Todd Lincoln

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Does anyone know where he really finished law school? It certainly wasn't the current University of Chicago---the one linked to in the article---which didn't exist at the time. Was there an earlier U of C?

Excellent catch -- I wrote this article originally, and neglected to check my facts. There are numerous sources that allude vaguely to his finishing law studies in Chicago (and several do claim it was "the University of Chicago" or "Chicago university"), but others make no mention of it. As you rightly note, the University of Chicago was founded 30 years too late to be a possibility. Chicago State University was founded in 1867, but it was founded as Cook County Normal School and held classes in 1867 in a boxcar for the 60-odd enrollees....an unlikely place for a Harvard alumnus and the son of the President to finish legal studies. I don't own or have access to a good biography of Robert, if indeed one exists. Can anyone find a good source to either establish what university it was, or else establish that he didn't attend university in Chicago? In the meantime, I'll vague up the entry a little so that it doesn't point to the obviously anachronistic U of C. Jwrosenzweig 22:53, 3 Oct 2004 (UTC)
The U of C had a previous incarnation, based on a grant of land from Stephen Douglas, in the location where it now stands. It went bankrupt pretty soon, and then Rockafeller and Harper brought it back for a second try. They're not officially connected, but they stood on the same spot, and sort of considered part of the same history. They definitely have the same name, for what that's worth. [1] TOO 18:18, Oct 4, 2004 (UTC)
Okay, I took a look at Robert Todd Lincoln: A Man in His Own Right by John S. Goff, 1969. I'll quote the relevant section here, and someone with more wikisperience can edit the article appropriately: "Robert Lincoln entered the law office of Scammon, McCogg, and Fuller, located on Lake Street in Chicago....Lincoln studied for over a year learning his chosen profession, and, in addition, he took law courses at the 'old' University of Chicago in 1865 and 1866." The author cites "records in the Archives Library, University of Chicago."
So it looks like he didn't actually get a law degree, and indeed he attended the old U of C discussed by TOO.

Please note, that while it has been correctly stated that the first University of Chicago, chartered in 1857, was built on land donated by Stephen Douglas, the current (second) University of Chicago was not built on the same site. The first U of C failed, in 1886, not only as a casualty of the external economic environment, but also due to its being under subscribed and over mortgaged regarding the monies that were employed for building on the land donated by Senator Douglas. While the new University’s Board was interested in rebuilding on the same site, the land had become too costly. The current University of Chicago, initially funded, in large part, through a grant from John D. Rockefeller, was chartered in 1890 and built, farther south than the original campus, on land conditionally donated and optioned from the prominent store proprietor, Marshall Field. [Nancy E. Albert, A³ & His Algebra (iUniverse, 2005)]

Is there any truth to the story that he was almost killed by a train, but was saved, ironically, by Edwin Booth? --SMWhat 20:40, 7 Nov 2004 (UTC)

I don't know how to address it. There is no source or citation. I changed it before to state that the guy claimed it. I don't know whether this is myth, entirely made up, or true.--Noitall 19:41, September 4, 2005 (UTC)

Contents

[edit] lack of sources

This article doesn't cite any sources at all. Boo. Blue Dinosaur Jr 23:49, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] irony

the story from Bill Stern was that lincoln saved a son of John Wilkes Booth (Anonymous, User:141.151.183.215-added from History Record)

If Stern actually said that (notice no source given and the commentor didn't give his id), he really screwed it up, didn't he? JWB had no children he ever admitted to and there's no record of successful paternity suits. CFLeon 23:27, 26 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Image side

It is customary for images to direct the reader into and not out of a page. Hence, portraits facing right should (if reasonable) go on the left, and portraits facing left should go on the right. I noticed this imbalance in this article and made the switch. A new editor reverted my change without explanation. I would like to encourage discussion of this matter here. I see no reason why this article should be an exception to good formatting standards. Rklawton 05:39, 10 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] NYC mayor's shooting

I haven't been able to find any documentation for the assertion that Lincoln was present at the shooting of Mayor William Gaynor, so I've removed the reference and the photo. While the gentleman in the photograph does bear a resemblance to Lincoln, I wasn't quite convinced it was actually him. Can someone can verify that it is or is not Robert Todd Lincoln in that photo? MDolson22 04:42, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Assassination Witness

Wikipedia says:

After McKinley's death, Lincoln let it be known that he wanted no further invitations from any US president, as three of them had invited him to be present at their assassinations.

That directly goes against this picture of Lincoln with Taft and Harding. Can someone clarify or debunk that he said he'd no longer visit any president?

[edit] His brother Jack also reached adulthood

The biography says that of all of Lincoln's children only he reached adultood. His brother Jack died when he was 18 which is the first year of adulthood. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 85.3.116.180 (talk) 14:12, 28 March 2007 (UTC).

Actually, it was Thomas (aka Tad) who also reached the age of maturity - he died at 18. Jack was Robert's son. Willl change article to reflect this - also made change in Mary Todd Lincoln article about this. 165.189.169.190 (talk) 14:57, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] RT Lincoln Did Not Witness Garfield Shooting

Robert Lincoln was at the train station in DC when Garfield was shot but he was on the train platform. Garfield was shot in a waiting room. However, Lincoln was at the President's side within a few seconds of the shooting. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.77.233.160 (talk) 13:26, 19 November 2007 (UTC)