The Everything Theodore Roosevelt Book (48 page)

President Theodore Roosevelt and Family, 1903

Strangely enough, TR had nicknames for his children that he might not have tolerated when he was a child. At one time or another he called Quentin “Quenty-Quee,” Theodore “Ted,” Archibald “Archiekins,” and Ethel “Etheley-Bye.”

He did not use a pet name for Alice, to whom he seldom wrote. That may have been because she was practically a grown woman by the time TR became president. In fact, he did not write to the girls in general as often as he did to his sons.

Living in a Zoo

TR and his family did not live far from the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. They did not have to go there often. The White House was a miniature zoo of sorts, which was one of the factors that created camaraderie among the family members.

There was a parade of dogs, rabbits, owls, eagles, guinea pigs … the list went on. Some of them were children’s pets. Others, such as the eagle and the owl, were gifts to TR, which he donated to the real zoo.

When a pet died at the TR White House, it got a proper burial. On May 27, 1904, “poor Peter Rabbit died and his funeral was held with proper state. Archie, in his overalls, dragged the wagon with the little black coffin. Mother walked behind as chief mourner, she and Archie solemnly exchanging tributes to the worth and good qualities of the departed. Then he was buried, with a fuchsia over the little grave.” The family never got the chance to do the same for Quentin.

The entire family rallied around the menagerie that populated the White House and the family home at Sagamore Hill. They were just as fond of reading about animals as they were playing with them.

Books, Books, and More Books

TR had been brought up with books as constant companions. He made sure the tradition continued with his children. They read and discussed books constantly, ranging from classics to children’s stories. TR knew some of the authors and made sure that they met his children.

Alice and Kermit in particular were great fans of Joel Chandler Harris, who was known for his “Uncle Remus” stories, which delighted them. He recorded many stories from the African-American oral tradition. By doing so, Harris revolutionized children’s literature. TR and Edith read his stories to their children, most of them repeatedly.

There were regular book review sessions among them. TR never passed up an opportunity to express his opinions on Charles Dickens, William Makepeace Thackeray, and other authors. He entered discussions on the merits of the authors and their characters, the plots, and other aspects of literature.

A lot had changed since his days in the Badlands, when he professed his lukewarm interest in novels. The opportunity to discuss them with his children changed his mind about a lot of things in life.

Physical Activity

TR was proud of his children’s physical prowess, especially the boys’ participation in organized sports. He sent them off to Harvard with his blessings and praised them for their athletic endeavors. But he was not going to let them pursue the “strenuous life” without engaging in physical activity himself.

In 1904 TR took up Japanese wrestling. He worked out with two Japanese wrestlers three times a week to stay in shape. He admitted that he was not built well enough or at an age where he could keep up with them for long, but he had still not lost his desire to work on his physical well-being. The experiment lasted about one month.

He may have been the president of the United States, but he was not going to restrict himself to wrestling with problems. He took up wrestling—literally.

Even though the Roosevelt family life seemed “Edenesque” at times, there were a few of the proverbial skeletons in the closet endemic to most families.

A Problem or Two

Alice did not always fit well into the family structure. There had been friction between TR and Alice ever since she was a child. Bamie had done a great job raising her while TR was in the Badlands trying to forget Alice Hathaway Lee Roosevelt. Even though Edith had gladly consented to raise Alice as her own, there was always a wall between them.

After Alice got married at the White House on February 17, 1906, Edith sent her off with some less than friendly words. According to Stacy A. Cordery, author of a biography of Alice Roosevelt Longworth, Edith said, “I want you to know I am glad to see you leave. You have never been anything but trouble.”

TR did not live to see the type of life Alice led after she left the White House. He did hear, however, one of her quips about a major episode in his life. She and her husband, Ohio representative Nicholas Longworth, went to Cuba for their honeymoon. They visited Kettle Hill, where TR had led his charge in 1898. She said she found the hill “mildly sloping.”

Alice may have been a disappointment at times to TR. So was—or would have been—Kermit, who committed suicide on June 4, 1943, after struggling with alcoholism and depression. That, too, occurred after TR’s death. Only one of his children, Quentin, died before he did. He died a hero’s death. Quentin was just one hero among many in the Roosevelt family.

A Family of Heroes

TR and Edith raised their children to be patriotic and philanthropic. They had a duty to make the world a better place for everyone, at least to the extent of their abilities. That lesson never shone through more than when World War I began. Supporting the effort was a family affair. The immediate family did its part during the war—and paid a huge price.

All four of TR’s sons fought in Europe. Archie, an army infantry officer, was wounded in March 1918. Kermit served with the British Expeditionary Force. Theodore Jr., also an army infantry officer, was gassed once and wounded on July 18, 1918. All three also served in World War II. Quentin was killed in action on July 14, 1918.

Almost everyone pitched in. Ethel, who was married to Dr. Richard Derby, served overseas as a Red Cross nurse at the American Ambulance Hospital in Paris, where her husband was a surgeon. Later, he served with the U.S. Army Medical Corps. He caught pneumonia in 1918 while in the army.

Theodore Jr.’s wife, Eleanor Alexander Roosevelt, volunteered with the YMCA and worked in Paris. TR had a lot to be proud of, even if he could not serve on the front lines himself. But Quentin’s death meant heartbreak for Edith and TR.

The American Ambulance Field Service was made up of a small group of noncombatant ambulance drivers and medical specialists who volunteered for duty in France in WWI. Inspector General of the Field Service A. Piatt Andrew said of them, they “can best be thought of as only a symbol of millions of other Americans, men and women, who would gladly have welcomed an opportunity to do what these men have done—or more.”

There was no doubt that the Roosevelts would do their part. Shortly after a German U-boat sank the
Lusitania
, Theodore Jr. wrote to his brother Kermit, “I believe war is thoroughly possible … Should war be declared of course we all will go.” Their part in the war was preordained.

Worldwide Respect for TR

There was no doubt that TR had earned the world’s respect by the time World War I started. It was a war he believed had to be fought, and he made no secret of that. He had encouraged President Wilson to get the country involved and had even offered to raise a regiment and lead it into battle. Wilson declined, and TR had to participate vicariously through his sons’ military exploits.

Quentin was at Harvard when WWI began. He dropped out to join the army and train as a pilot. Two German aviators shot him down behind their lines in France on July 14, 1918—Bastille Day.

At first, the Germans did not know who he was. As far as they knew, he was just another American pilot who had died fighting for freedom. They learned quickly that was not the case.

Thirteen years before Quentin died in WWI, TR wrote a letter to Kermit regarding the reading of novels. One passage was a precursor of Quentin’s death: “I quite agree with you that if the hero has to die he ought to die worthily and nobly, so that our sorrow at the tragedy shall be tempered with the joy and pride one always feels when a man does his duty well and bravely.”

Once the Germans discovered that the deceased pilot was TR’s son, they buried him with honors where he had fallen. Approximately 1,000 Germans formed an honor guard near the crash site. They marked his grave with a wooden cross and the wheels and propellers from his plane.

The cross carried these simple words: “Lieutenant Roosevelt, buried by the Germans.”

Allegedly, Germans found a letter on Quentin’s body from his fiancée, Flora Payne Whitney. That is how they identified him. She had wanted to travel to Europe to marry Quentin while he was stationed there. Permission was denied. Married or not, she had a hand in identifying her sweetheart’s body and ensuring that he was buried with dignity and respect.

Inwardly, TR and Edith accepted Quentin’s death with a great deal of sadness. Outwardly, they put on a brave front for the world. He issued a simple statement saying, “Quentin’s mother and I are very glad that he got to the front and had a chance to render some service to his country and show the stuff that was in him before his fate befell him.” He had done the same himself twenty years earlier.