The Mystery of "Men"

Friday, August 9th, 2019

Throughout his life, Theodore Roosevelt was a frequent contributor to magazines and journals, receiving acclaim for his work. After his presidency ended, TR used his writings to maintain his voice in the public discourse, and he was often featured in national publications. His status as a former president (and an outspoken one at that) meant that his articles would be widely read regardless of their quality. Perhaps this is why TR tried writing without a byline, anonymously penning the column “Men” for the Ladies Home Journal (LHJ) for just over a year, from 1916 to 1917. A decade earlier, then-President Roosevelt briefly had a column in the LHJ, so he was acquainted with the magazine and its publisher, Edward Bok. According to Bok, there was some curiosity about why there was no male-centric page in the LHJ. TR stepped in to fill that void, and was considered the perfect man to speak on issues critical to the country. “Men” explored the changing definitions of manhood and masculinity in American society, emphasizing themes that TR held dear, like self-sufficiency, discipline, parenthood, education, and more. He was deeply concerned that Americans were raising a generation of young men that would be ill-equipped to handle the challenges of government and leadership in a constantly modernizing world. 

The fact that “Men” was published anonymously makes it endlessly intriguing. Perhaps it was TR’s idea to forego a byline; perhaps it was Bok’s. Either way, the two men went to some lengths to conceal TR’s involvement with the column. Even now, there is not a lot of widely available information about “Men”. My interest in the subject was piqued by a few small but notable items in our collection: checks written to Roosevelt from Bok, who paid TR from his personal bank account in order to hide the money trail. 

In the April, 1917 edition of the Ladies’ Home Journal, Bok included a note describing the purpose and mission of “Men”. He argued that men represent a significant portion of the readership of his magazine, despite its title. Consequently, he felt it was only appropriate to give men one page in LHJ written by a man and with a male reader in mind. By modern standards it seems a bit counterintuitive that a magazine geared towards women would require a male-centric column, but that’s the 1910s for you. There was apparently only one man in America who understood men, masculinity, and the modern society well enough to properly reflect upon and “solve practically the everyday problems of men.” We know now that this man was Theodore Roosevelt, but at the time his identity was left a mystery. “Men” was given no byline; its author remained anonymous but readers were assured that if his identity was known, it would draw the attention of the entire nation. In a few short sentences, Bok manages to stoke intense public interest in the identity of his anonymous columnist, leading to public speculation about who the author could be. 

Even though his column lacked a byline, the arguments in “Men” are typical of TR’s viewpoints and opinions about everything from public education to finances. He believed strongly in the need for a man to have autonomy over his own life. He also feared that men would grow soft as they worked more with their minds and less with their bodies. Because he believed so strongly in the importance of building strength and self-reliance, he worried that men who did not have to struggle to secure their positions in life would have weak character. Without the ability to handle rough work, TR felt they would not match up to their rugged forefathers and the country would backslide. He credited the country’s success on the valor and strength of its people, and wanted to ensure the preservation of these rugged, masculine qualities in future generations. Each month, TR addressed a different issue in his column, and discussed how he felt the country should handle it. As Bok promised, TR used this soapbox to walk his readers through solutions to any number of problems, from public education to fatherhood. 

The pages of “Men” are packed with nuggets of wisdom and reflections upon early twentieth-century America. They also provide some great insight into the mind of a former president who had very strong ideas of what the United States should be. What intrigues me the most, though, isn’t the content of the columns. Mostly, I enjoy the idea of TR chuckling to himself, delighting in watching Americans debate who could be writing “Men.”

Note: If you would like to check out the articles for yourself, the entire 1917 volume of the Ladies Home Journal can be found  by following this link. TR’s articles are found on pages 34 (January), 97 (February), 194 (March) and 315 (April).

-- Kelly Brown, Collections Intern | Interpreter

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