Theodore Roosevelt III
Theodore Roosevelt IV (June 14, 1914 – May 2, 2001), commonly known as Theodore Roosevelt III, was an American banker, government official, veteran of World War II, and a grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt through his father, Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt Jr., a politician and World War II military leader, and Eleanor Butler Alexander.[1] His name suffix varies since President Roosevelt's father was Theodore Roosevelt Sr., though the same-named son did not commonly use a "Jr" name suffix.
Theodore Roosevelt IV | |
|---|---|
| Secretary of Commerce of Pennsylvania | |
| In office 1949–1951 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Theodore Roosevelt IV June 14, 1914 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | May 2, 2001 (aged 86) Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania |
| Resting place | Near Somesville, Maine |
| Spouse(s) | Anne Mason Babcock
( m. 1940; died 2001) |
| Relations | See Roosevelt family |
| Children | Theodore Roosevelt IV |
| Parents | Theodore Roosevelt III Eleanor Butler Alexander |
| Education | Groton School |
| Alma mater | Harvard University |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  |
| Service/ |  |
| Rank |  |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Air Medal |
Early life
Roosevelt was born on June 14, 1914 in New York City.[1] He was the second born and the last surviving of four children to Theodore Jr./III and Eleanor Butler Alexander. Theodore had an older sister, Grace Green Roosevelt, who married William McMillan, and two younger brothers, Cornelius Van Schaack Roosevelt III and Quentin Roosevelt II. Following his father, Ted, and paternal grandfather, T. R., Theodore went to Groton School and graduated from Harvard in 1936, where he was a member of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals and the Owl Club.[2] While at Harvard, Roosevelt played for the Harvard Crimson men's soccer team, and was named a second-team All American in 1934.[3]
When his grandfather, President Theodore "T. R." Roosevelt Jr., died in 1919, his father took on the "Junior" last name suffix. As a result, he was known as Theodore, III rather than Theodore IV. As an Oyster Bay Roosevelt, Ted was a descendant of the Schuyler family.[4] [5] His maternal grandparents are Henry Addison Alexander and Grace Green.
Career
After graduating from Harvard, Roosevelt worked for the DuPont company from 1936 to 1941.[6]
Service in World War II
Following the Roosevelt tradition of military service during times of national emergency, during World War II, Roosevelt volunteered as a Navy pilot, serving as a flag lieutenant (i.e. an aide to an admiral) in the Pacific theater.[7] For his service as a naval aviator, Theodore was awarded the Air Medal. He was promoted to lieutenant on April 1, 1944 and left the Navy as a lieutenant commander.
His father, Theodore "Ted" Roosevelt Jr., also volunteered for service, participated in the Allied invasion of North Africa and led soldiers at Utah Beach on D-Day in France before dying of a heart attack a month afterward. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.[8]
Post-war life
Upon his return from the Pacific Theater, Theodore joined the Philadelphia brokerage firm of Montgomery, Scott, becoming a partner in 1952.[2] Appointed by Governor James Duff, Ted served as Secretary of Commerce of Pennsylvania from 1949 to 1951.[9]
For many years, he was president of the Competitive Enterprise System, Inc., a nonprofit group that promoted free markets in the United States. Roosevelt was a trustee of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) for many years and a generous supporter of the organization. In recent years, he attended TRA Police Awards ceremonies in Boston and Philadelphia as well as TRA annual meetings in Boston and Norfolk, VA. He was an honorary plank owner in the USS Theodore Roosevelt, and a strong supporter of the efforts to preserve the Pine Knot site in Virginia, his grandparents' presidential retreat.
Personal life
On February 3, 1940, Roosevelt married Anne Mason Babcock (December 3, 1917 — January 29, 2001),[10] daughter of George Wheeler Babcock (May 12, 1879 — November 21, 1950) and Anne Mason Bonnycastle Robinson (January 10, 1886 — February 4, 1923).[11][12] They had one son:
- Theodore Roosevelt IV (born 1942).[2]
Roosevelt died on May 2, 2001 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.[2][13] He and his wife are buried near Somesville, Maine.
See also
- Theodore "Ted" Roosevelt III, father
- Eleanor Butler Alexander, mother
- Theodore "T. R." Roosevelt Jr., paternal grandfather
- Edith Kermit Carow, paternal grandmother
- Theodore Roosevelt Sr., patrilineal great-grandfather
- Martha Stewart "Mittie" Bulloch, patrilineal great-grandmother
- Theodore Roosevelt Association
References
- "Introduced by Roosevelt". Reading Eagle. October 18, 1949. p. 16. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
- "Theodore Roosevelt III; Brokerage Partner, 86". The New York Times. 2001-05-05. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-06-28.
- "Harvard Men's Soccer All-Americans" (PDF). Harvard Crimson. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
- Taylor, Robert Lewis. Along The Way: Two Paths From One Ancestry Xlibris Corporation, 2014
- Brogan, Hugh and Mosley, Charles American Presidential Families October 1993, page 568
- "Theodore Roosevelt Iii, 86". Retrieved 2016-06-28.
- "Advocates for Harvard ROTC " (PDF). Harvard.edu.
- "Theodore Roosevelt Jr., President's Son and WWII Hero, Thrived in Military Life". Retrieved 2016-06-28.
- Inc, Time (8 May 1950). "Duff's Men". Life. p. 121. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
- "Paid Notice: Deaths ROOSEVELT, ANNE MASON BABCOCK". The New York Times. 2001-02-02. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-06-28.
- http://genealogy.kolthammer.org/Bonnycastle-o/p13718.htm
- "Anne Roosevelt, 86, Sportswoman". Retrieved 2016-06-28.
- "Editors "Theodore Roosevelt III — Obituary," Oyster Bay Enterprise-Pilot (May 11, 2001) Online Edition". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2006-06-11.