Artifact-of-the-Month

Monday, November 4th, 2019

Theodore Roosevelt’s death on January 6, 1919, came as a shock to the nation. Perhaps it should not have; the former president spent six weeks in the hospital in late 1918 and lived in constant pain from rheumatism, gout, anemia, arteriosclerosis, and more. He continued to suffer from the effects of tropical diseases contracted during his 1913-14 expedition in Brazil. He’d been deeply affected by the death of his youngest son Quentin, who was killed in combat the previous July. Despite all this, TR remained an active public figure. The day before he died, he was still advocating for postwar policies, endeavoring to shape the upcoming Paris Peace Conference, and planning to run in the 1920 presidential election. While his health struggles were real and ongoing, his doctors had not believed they might kill him. Roosevelt had remained active up until the very end. He was just sixty years old. 

 Memorials for the late president were widespread and well-attended. Buffalo mayor George S. Buck asked Buffalonians to gather to “pay tribute to [TR’s] memory and to express their grief at his untimely death.” A local committee arranged a memorial service held in Buffalo’s Elmwood Music Hall at the same time as TR’s January 8th funeral in Oyster Bay. It should be no surprise that TR’s old friend Ansley Wilcox served on this committee, as it was Wilcox’s Buffalo home where Roosevelt had first taken his oath of office. The Artifact-of-the-Month is Wilcox’s personal copy of the program. Originally gifted to the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society (now The Buffalo History Museum), the program was recently transferred to the TR Site. 

Buffalo’s memorial service appears to have been a “who’s who” of prominent citizens. The service was led by University of Buffalo Chancellor Charles P. Norton, who had been a Roosevelt’s classmate at Harvard. He remembered the late president as a man whose spirit would live on far after his death. This sentiment was echoed by Reverend Henry A Mooney, who invoked Roosevelt’s name alongside those of Washington and Lincoln and credited them each for leading the country in its times of need. Interestingly, Mooney credited TR for helping guide Americans through the tumult of the First World War, even though he was no longer president at this time. This speaks to his continued political engagement and popularity. Reverend Mooney also believed that the war had contributed to TR’s death; all four of his sons served in the war, Theodore Jr. and Archie were wounded, and Quentin had been killed. 

A month later, more memorials for TR were held. A Joint Session of Congress held a memorial tribute on his behalf on February 9, 1919, attended by members of both Houses of Congress as well as members of the Cabinet, the diplomatic corps, foreign dignitaries, Supreme Court justices, and former President William H. Taft (who would be appointed to the Court himself a few years later). President Woodrow Wilson, who had become Roosevelt’s prime adversary during his final years, did not attend - he’d just left for Europe to negotiate the Treaty of Versailles. At this service, TR was eulogized by his old friend, Massachusetts Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, Sr., who remarked that Roosevelt was a truly unique man who could never be seen as “commonplace.” House Chaplain Dr. Henry Couden memorialized TR as “one of the nation’s noblest sons” while commending his myriad of talents, interests, and contributions to the country.

On the same day, a number of memorials were being held for Roosevelt across the nation. Cleveland and Philadelphia were just two of the cities to hold services in honor of the late president. Senator Miles Poindexter honored TR at the Pan American Union, one of the two additional services being held in Washington, DC. In London, a memorial was hosted in Westminster Abbey. TR was so well-regarded that this service displaced the Abbey’s typical Evensong mass. Archdeacon Carnegie, who led the memorial for Roosevelt, recognized that this was just one of many signs that showed TR was held in great prestige by the British people. Roosevelt’s London memorial was attended by military officers, diplomats, and members of the Royal Family. Once again, Roosevelt was remembered as “a forceful and magnetic personality, vital and strong” who was a great friend, sportsman, and statesman. 

This widespread remembrance and praise shows just how fondly the former president was remembered--and how well-liked he was at the end of his life. Given this popularity, it’s interesting to wonder how the 1920 election might have played out if TR had survived. We can be sure of one thing: he would have kept things interesting.

n.b. The research in this article was made possible by reports published in the New York Times on February 10, 1919, as well as history.house.gov.

-- Kelly Brown, Collections Intern | Interpreter

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