Theodore Roosevelt
Roosevelt was a sickly child. However, by sheer will and heavy-duty exercise, he grew into a robust man. He was 5’ 8” and weighed 200 pounds. He had a great barrel chest, thick neck, wide-set blue eyes, a bushy, droopy mustache and a large nose. Roosevelt read a great deal and was known to have a photographic memory. He also loved to ride horse back, play tennis, hike over rough terrain and in winter, skinny-dipped in icy waters. As President, he often played tennis and even boxed with a sparring partner. One time, he got clocked on the left side of his head so hard that it resulted in blindness in one eye. While most sane people would have thought this to be a setback, I think this was the type of thing that motivated him more. One amazing story about Roosevelt was when he was campaigning for President in 1912, while delivering a speech, he got shot in the chest while at the podium. In true Teddy fashion, Roosevelt finished his speech with a bullet 3 inches inside him before seeking any medical attention. According to eye witnesses, he hardly knew he was injured. He was certainly lucky, as the bullet had passed through a 50 page document folded in half and a steel glasses case.
Roosevelt was an interesting mix of conservative and progressive ideals. He was admired by both the left and the right during his time in office. He loved animals, yet took pleasure in hunting them. He was a highly educated man who came from money, yet he sought out the approval of cattlemen and hooligans. He excelled in war, yet was known for making peace. He believed in individualism, yet felt that government was supposed to help people who were underprivileged. One of his biggest accomplishments in foreign affairs was the establishment of the Panama Canal. He was also responsible for making the US Navy one of the largest in the world.
Roosevelt will go down in history as the first modern President of the United States. He was largely responsible for bringing back power to the executive branch that had been slowly eroding since the Lincoln administration. He made his own office. He was in no way going to be led by Congress. Through the sheer force of his personality, he willed as much as he could into law that was possible. He had charisma and knew exactly how to use the media to do his own bidding. He really felt strongly that his first obligation as President was to the people of the United States above everything else. He was always ready for instant action and his mental speed ran faster than most any other person in his time.
Roosevelt died in his sleep at the age of 60 in January 1919. The way things were going, he was likely going to be the winner of the 1920 election. At the time of his death, Woodrow Wilson’s Vice President remarked, “Death had to take him sleeping, for if Roosevelt had been awake there would have been a fight.”
