A new documentary on TR from the History Channel
TR: An American Lion
DON'T WORRY THAT YOU MISSED IT!
TR: AN AMERICAN LION can be purchase from A&E on DVD or VHS

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Four hour documentary features Richard Dreyfuss as voice of TR, Edmund Morris, Karl Rove, former President Bill Clinton, Governor George Pataki, Doug Brinkley, Tweed Roosevelt, John Gable, H.W. Brands, and others

History Channel Link with excellent TR and show information
Link to History Channel trailer for TR: An American Lion
TR: An American Lion, a dynamic and epic new four-hour documentary on the life of Theodore Roosevelt, will be seen on The History Channel on two successive evenings in January, Monday, January 20 and Tuesday, January 21, 2003, at 9:00 PM (ET). The film is directed by David de Vries and produced by Greystone, and features interviews with historians such as H.W. Brands, Douglas Brinkley, John Milton Cooper, James MacGregor Burns, Sylvia Morris, John Allen Gable, Susan Dunn, Kathleen Dalton, and Edmund Morris, as well as appearances by diverse public figures, united in their admiration for TR: President Bush's assistant, Karl Rove, former President William J. Clinton, and New York's Governor George Pataki. American Lion also shows interviews with two of TR's granddaughters, Edith Derby Williams and Nancy Roosevelt Jackson; and two of the President's great grandsons, Tweed Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt, IV.

Dreyfuss and Hermann
The distinguished actor Edward Hermann is the narrator of TR: An American Lion, and Richard Dreyfuss, the star of Jaws and numerous other films, is the voice of Theodore Roosevelt. Historic film footage-- some of it never seen before-- and historic photographs are used in conjunction with some reenacted scenes from TR's life. American Lion includes no less than five TR reenactors, portraying Roosevelt at different stages of his life. The TR reenactors include Jonathan Roosevelt, Jr., a great-great grandson of TR, and well-known TR impersonator James Foote, who has appeared all over the nation in recent years. Scenes for the documentary were filmed in TR Birthplace in New York City, the New York State Capitol in Albany, the Badlands of North Dakota, Sagamore Hill at Oyster Bay, Long Island, and elsewhere. Some of the historic film footage discovered by director David de Vries, and not previously known to exist, shows First Lady Edith Kermit Roosevelt.

American Lion promises to be the most complete documentary ever done on TR's life.

John Allen Gable, Executive Director of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA), was the historical consultant for American Lion. The single most important source for historic film in the documentary is the distinguished Theodore Roosevelt Association Film Collection in the Library of Congress, Washington, which contains over 20 hours of film. The collection was assembled by the TRA in the 1920s and 1930s, and then donated to the Library of Congress in the 1960s. For years the collection was of little use because the technology was lacking to speed-correct and clean up the old footage; but since the 1980s the collection has become a treasure chest for film makers from all over the world. The main source for historic photographs was the great Theodore Roosevelt Collection at Harvard, which was donated to TR's alma mater, Harvard, in 1943; and which includes over 10,000 photographs and about 5,000 historic cartoons, as well as manuscripts, letters, books, magazines, artifacts, and other materials. "It is hard to see how a decent documentary could be made without the collections the TRA gave to Harvard and the Library of Congress," says John Allen Gable. " As it is, the material is so extensive in both collections that there is much that has never been seen since it was assembled 80 years ago. Thomas A. Edison personally donated films to the collection now in the Library of Congress, and the Roosevelt family has been very generous over the years in giving family correspondence to the TR Collection at Harvard."

A preview of TR: An American Lion was shown by director David de Vries at the TRA conference in Buffalo, NY in October. Those present seemed enthusiastic about the documentary. TRA Members: Please spread the word about TR: An American Lion!

Be sure to check your local listings as times and dates may vary from region to region.

Theodore Roosevelt's Medal of Honor returned to the White House

September 16, 2002

In an inspiring and occasionally humorous ceremony, President George W. Bush, on behalf of the American people, received Theodore Roosevelt's Medal of Honor from the Roosevelt family, so that it might be placed next to TR's Nobel Peace Prize in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, signifying "strength and honor" of America.

Tweed Roosevelt's remarks on Monday, September 16, 2002, when TR's Medal of Honor was returned to the White House.
These remarks, if copied in their entirety, may be reproduced and forwarded.

REMARKS DELIVERED IN THE ROOSEVELT ROOM, THE WHITE HOUSE
By Tweed Roosevelt, Sept. 16, 2002

Mr. President: Theodore Roosevelt's descendants and members of the Theodore Roosevelt Association are pleased and honored to be here today in the Roosevelt Room to present his Medal of Honor to the White House. In this room in 2001, Theodore Roosevelt, posthumously of course, was awarded the Medal of Honor, for his part in the taking of San Juan Hill.

Many people are aware of the fact that Theodore Roosevelt's son, General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. was also awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on D-Day. He was the only general officer to go ashore that day, and was in the first boat to hit Omaha Beach. General Omar Bradley was once asked to describe the bravest action involving an U. S. soldier and he told the story of Uncle Ted on the beach that day.

What many people, even my family members, are not aware of is that another Roosevelt also was awarded the Medal of Honor. George Washington Roosevelt, a young private in the Pennsylvania Volunteers, fought in the Civil War. Twice, first at Bull Run and later at Gettysburg, he single-handed captured the Confederate Colors. For this he was awarded the medal, fortunately for him, not posthumously.

Back to TR's medal. Several years ago, the family joined the effort to have TR awarded the Medal - not because we felt that TR needed another honor, he had received more that enough already. We got involved because we thought placing the Medal here on the mantel along side TR's Nobel Peace Prize might be of some use to future presidents. This room is often used by every President to host private meetings with various foreign dignitaries, not all of whom are cooperative. When faced with an obstinate foreign leader, perhaps it might be useful for the President to point to the mantel place and say that these medals represent the highest aspirations of the United States - peace with honor; two medals, two sides of the same concept.

In the year that the medal has been away from this room, the family has taken it on a tour of the United States from coast to coast where it has been on public display in all kinds of locations. It has been to the D-Museum in New Orleans, to many towns in North Dakota, a state of particular importance to TR, to Sagamore Hill, TR's home, to the US Aircraft Carrier, Theodore Roosevelt, just before she sailed for the war against terrorism, and to many other locations across the country. Everywhere it was greeted most warmly. TR's legacy still lives.

As a representative of the family, I want to publicly thank all who have been involved in making the awarding of this medal a reality. Particularly we thank Representatives Lazio and McHale who together started the ball rolling in the House, and Sen. Conrad who kept it moving in the Senate. And finally, the Theodore Roosevelt Association, and especially John Gable, for all they did.

TR was awarded this medal in this room, the Roosevelt room, which he built, and we of the family think it is a most appropriate time and place to give this medal to the White House and to the Country.

Get the full story with pictures of the medal and the citation

President Clinton conferred the Medal of Honor posthumously upon Colonel Theodore Roosevelt in a private ceremony in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Tuesday, January 16, 2001. Roosevelt was honored along with African American Civil War hero Andrew Jackson Smith who was the Color Sgt. of the 55th Massachusetts Infantry.

TR becomes the only President of the United States to ever win the the Medal of Honor. He also becomes the only person to hold both the Medal of Honor and the Nobel Peace Prize. TR received the medal for his actions on July 1, 1898 at Kettle Hill and San Juan Heights during the Battle of San Juan Heights in Cuba.

Attending were descendants of TR, representing each of his five children who had children of their own, and Dr. John Gable, Executive Director of the Theodore Roosevelt Association.

Looking back in history, the President's son, Brig. General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. also received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his service in D-day during WWII.

The only other father and son to receive Medals of Honor were General of the Armies, Douglas MacArthur and his father General Arthur MacArthur who won the medals respectively in WWII and the Civil War.

HR2263 entitled "A BILL TO AUTHORIZE AND REQUEST THE PRESIDENT TO AWARD THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR POSTHUMOUSLY TO THEODORE ROOSEVELT FOR HIS GALLANT AND HEROIC ACTIONS IN THE ATTACK ON SAN JUAN HEIGHTS CUBA DURING THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR", had been passed unanimously by the House on Oct. 8, 1998 and by the Senate on Oct. 21, 1998. The President signed the bill on November 12, 1998. HR2263 authorizes and requests the award at the President's discretion. The President recommitted the request to the Army. There followed further investigation of the case by a special army historical panel, which ultimately voted to approve the award of the Medal, finishing its investigation in June, 2000.

Read Theodore Roosevelt's book
The Rough Riders

Colonel Theodore Roosevelt at Camp in Montauk Point, Long Island, New York where the Rough Riders spent time in quarantine after returning from Cuba.

More about the Rough Riders and Colonel Roosevelt

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