The New England affiliate drew TRA members from throughout the region. This group sponsored Theodore Roosevelt ® Police Awards and was a mainstay in our Teddy Bears for Kids program. They also held special events at historical sites with ties to Theodore Roosevelt.
(This affiliate is not currently active.)
Key T.R. Sites in New England
The life and times of Theodore Roosevelt are linked indelibly to the six states (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine) served by the New England Chapter of the TRA. Here’s a sample:
Cambridge, MA—Theodore Roosevelt entered Harvard University in 1876 and graduated in 1880. Harvard also is the site of the renowned Theodore Roosevelt Collection, the world’s foremost assemblage of Roosevelt-themed books, periodicals, documents and photographs, originally maintained by the TRA [need link to TRA history page]. The collection also has historical displays and exhibits about Roosevelt. TRA members may arrange tours by advance reservations. http://hcl.harvard.edu/libraries/houghton/collections/roosevelt.cfm.
Brookline, MA—Alice Hathaway Lee, Roosevelt’s first wife, lived in the Brookline village of Chestnut Hill. The couple was married at the Unitarian Church in Brookline, October 27, 1880.
Pittsfield, MA—Roosevelt suffered a severe leg injury September 3, 1902 when his carriage was struck by a speeding trolley during a campaign tour. His Secret Service agent, William J. Craig, died in the accident; he was the first Secret Service agent to die in the line of duty. A memorial sponsored by the TRA and the town of Pittsfield is being planned.
Provincetown, MA—Roosevelt laid the cornerstone of the Pilgrim Monument on the tip of Cape Cod August 20, 1907. The monument celebrates the first landing of the Pilgrims in the New World.
Groton, MA—Roosevelt’s four sons, Ted, Kermit, Archie and Quentin, prepped at the esteemed Groton School before going on to Harvard University.
Newport, RI—Asst. Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt delivered an historic address at the Naval War College June 2, 1897, rallying the nation in support of a strong Navy. He returned, as President, to give similar remarks July 22, 1908.
Maine—TR’s love of the outdoors and his lifelong conservation ethic was nurtured early in his adult life by two friends, the skilled Maine hunting guides Bill Sewall and Wilmot Dow. Later they brought their naturalist skills to North Dakota to help T.R. with ranching and with his ranch houses.
Portsmouth, NH—In 1905, President Roosevelt negotiated the Treaty of Portsmouth that ended the Russo-Japanese War and ushered in a new era of international diplomacy through negotiations. For his efforts, in 1906, TR was the first American to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Brooklyn, CT—Late in her life, Edith Kermit Roosevelt, Theodore’s widow, maintained a summer retreat at Mortlake House, her maternal ancestral home.