Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt, 1858 - 1919
Portrait by B. J. Falk (1898)
Born: 27 October 1858, New York City
Died: 6 January 1919, Oyster Bay, New York
"TR" was sickly and asthmatic as a child, but managed to get into mischief, often involving dead animals which he brought home, studied, and learned to prepare for display. He was educated at home, entering Harvard in 1876; strong in science, philosophy, and rhetoric but coming up short in Latin and Greek. At Harvard he began an exhaustive analysis of the naval battles in the War of 1812 which he published soon after graduation, it was the first balanced analysis of the subject and was immediately adopted by the newly-created Naval War College and a copy was purchased for every major ship in the US Navy. He married Alice Hathaway Lee in 1880, but two days after the birth of their daughter Alice, his mother died of typhoid fever and his wife died of renal failure in a span of twelve hours. He decamped for North Dakota, raising cattle and serving as deputy sheriff until a severe winter wiped out his herd. After returning to New York and remarrying he continued his historical work, serving as president of the American Historical Association. He served on the US Civil Service Commission, the New York City Police Commission, and was named Assistant Secretary of the Navy. When the Spanish-American war broke out, Roosevelt organized the First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, known to the press as the Rough Riders they made good copy going up San Juan Hill in Cuba, even if Roosevelt was the only one with a horse. Returning to civilian life Roosevelt was elected governor of New York and became the scourge of the corrupt political machines. To get rid of him, they talked William McKinley into picking TR as his running mate, which backfired when McKinley died six months into his term. He fought monopolists, created the Forest Service and supported other conservation measures, and built the Panama Canal. Four years after leaving office he took another run at the presidency, this time as head of his own Bull Moose party, coming in second and getting shot in the process. (He delivered a ninety minute speech before seeing a doctor.) After the campaign he headed an exploratory mission into the Amazon basin, discovering a 625-mile-long river not previously charted, now know as Rio Teodoro. He received both the Medal of Honor and a Nobel Peace Prize (1906), the only person to combine those, and was the youngest person ever to serve as president.
Biography from Wikipedia and Theodore Roosevelt Association
Additional quotes from Wikiquote. Wikiquote entries are often "sourced" and may include items longer than those included here, particularly for poets, lyricists, and dramatists.
Theodore Roosevelt quotes:
Quotes found : 62 — (15 per page, this is page 1 of 5) 1 2 3 4 5 Next
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- A man who has never gone to school may steal from a freight car, but if he has a university education he may steal the whole railroad. permalink
Theodore Roosevelt - A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. permalink
Theodore Roosevelt - A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education. permalink
Theodore Roosevelt - All the resources we need are in the mind. permalink
Theodore Roosevelt - Black care rarely sits behind a rider whose pace is fast enough. permalink
Theodore Roosevelt - Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. permalink
Theodore Roosevelt - Don't hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting, but never hit soft. permalink
Theodore Roosevelt - Every special interest is entitled to justice full, fair and complete....but not one is entitled to a vote in Congress, to a voice on the bench or to representation in any public office. permalink
Theodore Roosevelt - Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing. permalink
Theodore Roosevelt - Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat. permalink
Theodore Roosevelt - Hardness of heart is a dreadful quality, but it is doubtful whether in the long run it works more damage than softness of head. permalink
Theodore Roosevelt - He shows all the backbone of a chocolate eclair. permalink
Theodore Roosevelt - on President William McKinley - I can be President of the United States, or I can control Alice. I cannot possibly do both. permalink
Theodore Roosevelt - I care not what others think of what I do, but I care very much about what I think of what I do. That is character! permalink
Theodore Roosevelt - I must be wanting to be President. Every young man does. But I won't let myself think of it; I must not, because if I do, I will begin to work for it; I'll be careful, calculating, cautious in word and act, and so — I'll beat myself. permalink
Theodore Roosevelt
Quotes found : 62 — (15 per page, this is page 1 of 5) 1 2 3 4 5 Next
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