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Collection Overview

Creator:
Russell family.
Title:
Theodore Roosevelt Family Letters to the Russell Family
Repository:
Public Policy Papers
Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/kk91fk571
Dates:
1881-1925
Size:
1 box
Storage Note:
  • Mudd Manuscript Library (scamudd): Box 1
Language:
English

Abstract

The Roosevelt and Russell families became acquainted in Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York, where both had homes. Theodore Roosevelt, a Republican politician, was the twenty-sixth president of the United States. Alexander G. Russell and his son Gordon M. Russell were both Presbyterian pastors, Alexander Russell in Oyster Bay and Gordon Russell in Merchantville, New Jersey. The majority of the Theodore Roosevelt Family Letters to the Russell Family collection consists of personal letters written by Theodore Roosevelt and members of his family to Gordon M. Russell.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

The majority of the Theodore Roosevelt Family Letters to the Russell Family collection consists of personal letters written by Theodore Roosevelt and members of his family to Gordon M. Russell. The correspondents include Theodore Roosevelt, Ethel Carow Roosevelt (Roosevelt's wife), Kermit Roosevelt (Roosevelt's son), and Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. (Roosevelt's son). In this correspondence, the Roosevelts express their appreciation for letters received, offer invitations to Russell to visit, discuss upcoming travel and marriage plans of the Roosevelt family, and offer condolences upon the death of Russell's father. Also included are two letters of recommendation that Theodore Roosevelt wrote for Russell.

The collection also contains correspondence from Theodore Roosevelt to Russell's father, Reverend Alexander G. Russell, a Presbyterian pastor. Most of this correspondence consists of pleasantries to a friend, thanking him for letters received and sending him well wishes, and also includes comments about Roosevelt's donations to his church, invitations to political events, and an 1881 letter in which Roosevelt included a few sentences on why he entered politics. Also included in the collection are a speech by Theodore Roosevelt on the importance of knowledge of the Bible for good citizenship, a poem entitled "The Norman Baron's Prayer" by Matthew Hern, invitations to Gordon M. Russell to attend the weddings of Theodore Roosevelt's children, and a newspaper article on the history of the name MacGregor.

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by document type. Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by correspondent.

Collection History

Acquisition:

Acquisition information is not available for this collection.

Appraisal

No information about appraisal is available for this collection.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Adriane Hanson in 2007. Finding aid written by Adriane Hanson in November 2007.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Credit this material:

Theodore Roosevelt Family Letters to the Russell Family; Public Policy Papers, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/kk91fk571
Location:
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library
65 Olden Street
Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
(609) 258-6345
Storage Note:
  • Mudd Manuscript Library (scamudd): Box 1

Find More

Related Materials

Related collections at Princeton University include the Julian Street Collection of Theodore Roosevelt and the Henry N. Russell Papers housed at the Mudd Manuscript Library, the Roosevelt Family Collection housed at Special Collections in Firestone Library, and microfilms of the Theodore Roosevelt Papers housed in the Microforms Department in Firestone Library. Collections of the papers of Theodore Roosevelt are available at other repositories, including the Library of Congress, Harvard University, and Cornell University.

Bibliography

The following sources were consulted during the preparation of the biographical note: Obituary of Alexander G. Russell, The New York Times, November 12, 1911. Russell, Gordon MacGregor File; Alumni Records, Box 278, Folder 40; University Archives, Special Collections, Princeton University Library. William H. Harbaugh. "Roosevelt, Theodore;" http://www.anb.org/articles/06/06-00569.html; American National Biography Online Feb. 2000. Access Date: November 7, 2007. Copyright 2000 American Council of Learned Societies. Published by Oxford University Press.

Subject Terms:
Politicians -- United States -- Correspondence.
Presbyterian Church -- Clergy.
Genre Terms:
Correspondence
Names:
Roosevelt family
Roosevelt, Théodore, 1858-1919
Russell, Gordon M., 1880-1933.
Places:
Oyster Bay (N.Y.) -- Social life and customs.