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Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt

Chuck Clampitt
Mt Etna Lodge 333
Huntington, Indiana

Four presidents are carved on Mount recommended for the Congressional Medal
Rushmore: George Washington, Thomas of Honor. Returning to the U.S., Roosevelt’s
Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore popularity propelled him into the New York
Roosevelt. It is interesting that all four men Governor’s Office when he was elected in
made major contributions to make America 1898.
what it is today. Roosevelt was a long time thorn in the

To say that Teddy Roosevelt was born side of New York State Republican Machine
with a silver spoon in his mouth would be Politicians. He had a real reputation of voting
an understatement. If anything, his was also his conscience instead of dutifully following
gold plated. Born of rich parents in New York decisions made by the party bosses. Finally
City, Teddy as he was called was a sickly the bosses came up with the perfect plan of
asthmatic child. His father had a gymnasium ridding themselves of Roosevelt for good. At
built on the back of the house to toughen the 1900 Republican Presidential Convention,
him up and taught him to box, use “Indian clubs,” and they saw that he was nominated as the Vice Presidential
lift weights. Educated by family and hired tutors, young Candidate, and as a result, nobody would ever hear
Roosevelt was a bright child who learned quickly and from him again. William McKinley was re-elected and, in
developed a love for reading and natural sciences. His March of 1901 was inaugurated President, to be killed by
love for natural sciences led to a boy’s home natural an assassin in September of that same year.
history museum of anything he could find, trap, or shoot
to bring home and preserve. Later, Teddy attended Roosevelt was The United States’ first modern President,
and graduated from Harvard with honors and entered taking to his new position like a duck to water. Roosevelt
Columbia Law School, where after one year he quit to go saw the country as a new world power and wasn’t afraid
into politics. to advance that belief. In 1904 he “made it possible” for
the U.S. to acquire rights to complete the failed attempt
Thus began a succession of elected and appointed of building the Panama Canal for commercial and military
positions. In 1882 he was elected to the State Legislature, purposes. He also restated the Monroe Doctrine, telling
but in 1884 his wife died two days after the birth of a the world that any foreign country meddling in the
daughter (Alice Longworth Roosevelt). Leaving his Western Hemisphere affairs would have to deal with
newborn in the care of his mother and sister, Roosevelt the United States. He further expanded and modernized
escaped his grief by heading to the Dakota Territory, where the Navy’s “Great White Fleet” and in 1906 mediated a
he took up ranching. There he learned to ride, rope, and settlement in the Russo-Japanese War, for which he was
shoot…an east coast dandy among real cowboys. After to be given the Nobel Peace Prize.
three years he returned to New York City and served as
a Civil Service Commissioner, Police Commissioner of the At home, Roosevelt was just as busy. In 1906 the Food
New York City Police Department, and undersecretary and Drug Act created the government agency of the FDA
of the Navy. Following the explosion of the USS Maine to control those two previously unregulated industries.
in Havana Harbor in 1898, Roosevelt’s do nothing boss He also became famous as the “Trust Buster” as he took
as Navy Secretary decided to take an afternoon off on powerful monopolies in a wide variety of industries.
for a massage. Roosevelt took action, declared himself While all of these accomplishments were noteworthy,
to be the acting Secretary, requisitioned supplies and one of his greatest contributions was as “The Great
munitions for the Navy to prepare it for War, and went Conservationist,” creating national parks, monuments
to Congress, where he received permission to increase and forests so that future generations could enjoy
Navy manpower to needed levels to fight a war. All this America’s scenic beauty.
was accomplished in the span of one afternoon.

Shortly after, Roosevelt resigned to recruit a cavalry Good to his word, Roosevelt said that following his
regiment comprised of his Ivy League East Coast friends election in 1904, he would not seek a 2nd elected term of
and out west Cowboy buddies. Roosevelt was made a office. Roosevelt supported William Howard Taft for the
Lt Colonel of the 1st Cavalry, more commonly known Presidency, and following Taft’s election, Roosevelt went
as the Rough Riders, and was shipped to Cuba without into retirement at age 53. The first order of business
horses. Roosevelt gallantly led his Rough Riders up Kettle was to go on a big game hunting expedition to Africa
Hill and San Juan Hill, for which he was promoted and that lasted 11 months, cost $1.8M in today’s dollars, and
yielded 512 big game animals, of which most were salted
Montana Freemason Page 16 Jan/Feb 2022 Volume 98 No.1