The Peabody Award‑winning series profiling the men who have served as chief executive of the United States.

Theodore RooseveltView Program

26th President - Theodore Roosevelt
Born: October 27, 1858
Died: January 6, 1919

  • Personal
  • First Lady: Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt
  • Children: 6
  • Education Level: College
  • School Attended: Harvard University
  • Profession: Writer, Military
  • Military Service: Colonel
  • Public Service
  • Dates of Presidency: September 14, 1901 - March 3, 1909
  • # of Terms: 2
  • Vice President: None, Charles Fairbanks
  • Party: Republican
  • Vice President For: William McKinley (1901)
  • Governor: New York (1898-1900)
  • State Legislature: New York (1882-1884)
  • Other Offices: US Civil Service Commission; President of New York Police Board; Assistant Secretary of Navy
  • Did You Know?
  • His wife and mother died in the same house, on Feb. 14, 1884. He was so distraught there is no known record of him mentioning his wife's name again.
  • He was the first president to win the Nobel Peace Prize; he was awarded it for the Russo-Japanese Treaty.
  • In 1903 a stuffed toy bear was given to him which led to the naming of "teddy" bears.
  • He led the Rough Riders, which were comprised of football players, eastern polo players and cowboys.
  • Did You Know?
  • His wife and mother died in the same house, on Feb. 14, 1884. He was so distraught there is no known record of him mentioning his wife's name again.
  • He was the first president to win the Nobel Peace Prize; he was awarded it for the Russo-Japanese Treaty.
  • In 1903 a stuffed toy bear was given to him which led to the naming of "teddy" bears.
  • He led the Rough Riders, which were comprised of football players, eastern polo players and cowboys.
  • He pushed for the creation of the Panama Canal.
  • Roosevelt’s First Lady, Edith Kermit Cardow Roosevelt, was his childhood friend. They reunited and were married in 1886 after his first wife died.
  • He was shot in the chest en route to Milwaukee, but refused to go to the hospital before he gave his speech. He spoke for an hour, then was taken to the hospital.
  • "A man who has never gone to school may steal from a freight car; but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad."
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About This Series

The Peabody Award-winning series profiles the men who have served as chief executive of the United States. This website, created as a companion to C-SPAN's 20th anniversary television series, provides an in-depth look at each of the presidents, their lives, families and administrations.