A Brief History
On October 12, 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt renamed the “Executive Mansion” the “White House,” giving America’s most famous home its name. Teddy was a man of many talents, adventures and firsts.
Digging Deeper
Born in 1858, Teddy went to Harvard and graduated in 1880, magna cum laude. He spent 1883 to 1887 in Dakota Territory, ranching and befriending former Deadwood sheriff Seth Bullock.
Political jobs included NY City Police Commissioner, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and Governor of New York. He became Vice President in 1901. Meanwhile, Teddy served with the “Rough Riders” in combat during the Spanish-American War.
In September of 1901, President McKinley was assassinated, and TR became the youngest President in history at the age of 42. In 1910 he became the first President to fly in an airplane, the first sitting President to publicly ride in a car and the first to ride in an electric car.
TR also went on an African safari from 1909 to 1910!
Note: The son of Teddy Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., was a Medal of Honor recipient and one of only two US generals on the beach on D-Day at Normandy. He died in France in July of 1944. Teddy’s youngest son, Quentin, was an American fighter pilot during World War I and died in combat in 1918, the only child of a US President to die in combat. Another son, Archie, served in combat in World War I and was wounded, earning a Silver Star. Son Kermit Roosevelt served with the British Army in combat in Norway and Egypt in World War II. Daughter Ethel joined her surgeon husband to tend to the wounded soldiers in France in 1914. TR’s eldest child, daughter Alice, married a man that would become Speaker of the House of Representatives of the US. Obviously, Teddy passed along to his children the passion for patriotism and valor that defined his own life.
Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: Who is your favorite President?
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Roosevelt, Theodore. Theodore Roosevelt on Bravery: Lessons from the Most Courageous Leader of the Twentieth Century. Skyhorse, 2015.
Stockton, Shaun. Learn Life and Leadership Lessons from the Grit and Determination of Teddy Roosevelt: Discover Great Habits, Motivation, and Personal Transformation from His Incredible Life Story. Winston Park Publishing, LLC , 2023.
