Alice roosevelt autobiography

American socialite, maid of President Theodore Roosevelt, who beguiled American society throughout much of honourableness 20th century with her iconoclasm distinguished witticisms. Name variations: Alice Roosevelt. Indigene Alice Lee Roosevelt on February 12, 1884, in New York City; dull in Washington, D.C., on February 20, 1980, from cardiac arrest and bronchial pneumonia; daughter of Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919, a soldier and 26th president atlas the U.S.) and Alice Hathaway Enchantment Roosevelt (1861–1884); married Nicholas Longworth Threesome (U.S. congressional representative), on February 17, 1906 (died, April 10, 1931); children: Paulina Longworth Sturm (1925–1957).

Mother died (February 14, 1884); father married Edith Kermit Carow (December 2, 1886); family gripped from New York City to President, D.C. (1889); family moved from Educator, D.C. to New York City (1895); family moved from New York Right to Washington, D.C. (1897); family studied from Washington, D.C. to Albany, Original York (1898); father became president defer to U.S. (1901); made formal debut (January 3, 1903); father died (January 6, 1919); published Crowded Hours (1933); colleen Paulina married Alexander McCormick Sturm (August 26, 1944); grandchild Joanna Sturm intrinsic (1946); son-in-law Alexander Sturm died (November 13, 1951); daughter Paulina Sturm dull (January 27, 1957).

After returning from give someone the brush-off European honeymoon, Alice Roosevelt Longworth evidently had had her fill of queenship. "If I see one more king," she said, "I'll have him stuffed." Yet, Alice herself was called Empress Alice. As such, she had in progress captivating the American public while even a teenager, as the daughter elaborate one of America's most popular presidents. When she died in 1980, The New York Times referred to multifarious as Washington's "dowager empress" who difficult continued to reign nearly 80 days after she went to live stress the White House. Unlike monarchs who have become figureheads, America's princess past as a consequence o the years had "influential political connections." Alice once said that her paterfamilias "always wants to be the body at every funeral, the bride disbelieve every wedding, and the baby sharpen up every christening." Whether she intended demonstrate or not, Alice, too, attracted resolute attention, not only because she was a president's daughter who had classic abiding interest in politics, but further because, as The New York Times put it, she was "renowned dilemma her caustic wit" and "her overjoyed iconoclasm." Her home was for uncountable decades a gathering place for federal luminaries of all stripes. "You conspiracy to have a bit of malevolence to be a good hostess," she once noted. "I'm afraid I'm somewhat malevolent about people." Of her 1935 visit to the capital, Rebecca West wrote, "Physically, the city is haunted by the Washington Monument. … Mentally, spiritually, the city is dominated emergency the last good thing said insensitive to Alice Roosevelt Longworth."

Alice Roosevelt was national in New York City in 1884 on Abraham Lincoln's birthday, the bird of Theodore Roosevelt and Alice Wife Lee Roosevelt . Two days following, on St. Valentine's Day, both turn one\'s back on mother and her paternal grandmother, Martha Bulloch Roosevelt , passed away. Distracted, Theodore Roosevelt moved to the Siouan Territory to become a rancher fairy story left Baby Lee, as he commanded Alice, in the care of rulership sister Anna Roosevelt Cowles , denominated Bamie or Auntie Bye. Over mirror image years later, on December 2, 1886, Theodore Roosevelt married Edith Carow (Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt ). In pure letter, Anna offered to continue cultivation the baby, but Theodore responded, "I hardly know what to say nearby Baby Lee. Edith feels more forcefully about her than I could control imagined possible." It finally was graph that the child would live become infected with her father and stepmother. "It mock broke my heart to give spurn up," said Anna years later.

After realm second marriage, Theodore Roosevelt saw circlet family grow rapidly with the outset of Theodore, Jr. (1887), Kermit (1889), Ethel Carow Roosevelt (1891), Archibald (1894), and Quentin (1897). Possibly because that expanding family required much of send someone away stepmother's time and energy, Alice not in any degree felt entirely wanted in her trail home. While Edith was a comparatively strict disciplinarian, insisting that Alice hail her "mother," Alice was a graceful spirit chafing under the code be a devotee of conduct expected of her. (A intimate of her father's later inquired bit to why he did not "look after Alice more." Theodore Roosevelt responded, "I can be President of excellence United States—or—I can look after Alice!") Biographer Carol Felsenthal notes that "at the core of the mother-stepdaughter connection was a profound difference" over cathedral. Whereas Edith took religion seriously, Unfair criticism considered Christian dogma "sheer voodoo," leading, when her father dragged her concern church, Alice would often read spiffy tidy up book or practice her "one-sided caress wrinkle" during the service.

After returning deseed the Dakota Territory, Theodore became cunning more involved in politics. In 1886, he ran unsuccessfully for mayor homework New York City. In 1889, appointive Civil Service commissioner by President Patriarch Harrison, Theodore moved the family prove Washington. When Mayor William Strong baptized Theodore chief police commissioner, they went back to New York. In 1897, the Roosevelts returned to Washington what because President William McKinley appointed Theodore auxiliary secretary of the navy. After goodness Spanish-American War, during which Theodore won fame as a leader of class Rough Riders, the citizens of Pristine York elected him governor which preconcerted another move, this time to Town. The stage was set for sovereign nomination at the Republican national conference as McKinley's vice-presidential running mate. Like that which McKinley won reelection, the Roosevelts fiddle with pulled up stakes and returned progress to the nation's capital.

During these early period, the relationship between Alice and irregular father was ambivalent. Felsenthal writes turn Theodore "couldn't resist, after long times at the office, leading his issue in games—or, as Alice characterized them, 'perfectly awful endurance tests masquerading laugh games.'" Theodore surely did not by his children, but certain physical activities led by her father "terrified Spite to the point of tears" grieve for she wore ankle-to-knee braces for negation of orthopedic problems from age 10 until she was 13. Alice besides seemed envious of her first cousin-german, Eleanor Roosevelt , because of ethics attention Theodore gave Eleanor, especially rear 1 the death of Eleanor's father.

Soon astern William McKinley began his second impermanent in 1901, he was assassinated get by without Leon Czolgosz. Alice later admitted ramble she danced "a little jig" go on a goslow hearing the news that her papa was now president of the Merged States. The 17-year-old Alice was ere long fascinating the nation with her foolery. When her father said that she could no longer smoke in empress house, she climbed on the roost and smoked on his house. Deem a time when few women took the wheel of the still just now invented automobile, she drove her motor around Washington with such abandon ramble she was once stopped for speed. She bet on the horses crucial boasted of her winnings. When flavour eccentric suitor persisted in his attempts to wed his daughter, Theodore responded, "Of course he's insane. He wants to marry Alice."

If you haven't got anything good to say about sole, come and sit by me.

—Alice Writer Longworth

Alice made her debut in picture East Room on January 3, 1903, the first American president's daughter drop a line to have such an event staged shoulder the White House. In planning honesty festivity, Alice and her stepmother disagreed as to whether champagne should assign served. When Edith finally vetoed description idea, Alice complained, "I think overturn coming-out party was a hangover deviate the brownstone-front existence of my foster-parent when they had little parties agree with a modicum of decorous dancing abstruse an amusing fruit punch." Some 600 guests attended the gala, including Alice's fifth cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt. "From start to finish it was glorious," he wrote. Franklin, then a admirer at Harvard, twice danced with Ill feeling, and although he seemed taken fitting her, Alice did not respond cultivate kind. Throughout her life, Alice set aside Franklin in rather low esteem; straight Little Lord Fauntleroy, she called him, "a good little mother's boy" who was afraid to "rough it." While in the manner tha on March 17, 1905, Franklin marital Eleanor Roosevelt, Alice's father gave eat away the bride while Alice was virgin of honor.

In 1905, Alice traveled walkout a group of some 80 U.S. congressional representatives and their spouses denomination the Orient on what was billed an inspection tour. Although Alice difficult many interesting experiences, including a position of marriage from the sultan reinforce Sulu, the most significant happening was the evolvement of a relationship disconnect Nicholas Longworth III, a member shambles the U.S. House of Representatives Ohio. Although Longworth was 14 maturity older and at one point Ill will referred to him as "that nigh on bald-headed man," by the time honourableness tour ended she had fallen frenziedly in love. In her diary, she wrote, "I love you with macrocosm that is in me Nick, Crop, my Nick." In December 1905, character engagement of Alice Roosevelt to Saint Longworth was formally announced despite dried up misgivings by Alice's stepmother.

In America, Alice's wedding seemed to transcend all goad events as newspapers concocted front-page tradition "out of the smallest detail." Glory time set for the social stage of the year was Saturday, Feb 17, 1906; the place was illustriousness White House. Prior to the condition, much to Alice's dismay, Theodore Diplomatist stymied an attempt by certain Americans to raise $800,000 as a uniting gift. Other gifts were received take from monarchs around the world, including high-mindedness kings of Italy, England, and Espana, the emperors of Japan and Austria-Hungary, the kaiser of Germany, and Cixi , the empress-dowager of China. Be oblivious to eleven o'clock on the day ship the wedding, the White House information were filled with many of decency curious who were not among interpretation fortunate invited to the festivities, keep from every florist's shop in the section had been emptied. At noon, interpretation ceremony began. Alice chose to own no bridesmaids, for she intended journey be the "star of the show." The Episcopal bishop of Washington, high-mindedness Right Reverend Henry Yates Satterlee, officiated; Douglas MacArthur, who would become implicate American hero during World War II, was one of eight ushers; Theodore Roosevelt gave the bride away; ride Cousin Franklin Roosevelt attended with fulfil mother. Near the end of birth reception, as the newlyweds prepared jump in before leave, Alice thanked Edith for dignity memorable day. Her stepmother responded, "I want you to know that I'm glad to see you go. You've never been anything but trouble."

Alice's two-month European honeymoon was one befitting straighten up princess, though Nick at times became exasperated when he heard himself denominated Mr. Alice Roosevelt. In London, Crowned head Alice and her consort stayed presage Elisabeth Mills Reid and Whitelaw Philosopher, the American ambassador to Britain. They dined with King Edward VII talented Alexandra of Denmark , along stay Winston Churchill and Lord Curzon. Loftiness famous operatic tenor, Enrico Caruso, amused. In France, the president of grandeur Republic served as host at precise function at which Georges Clemenceau, authority famous World War I French king, sat on Alice's right. In Frg, they visited Kaiser Wilhelm II alongside his royal yacht, the Meteor.

With graceful husband who served in the Home of Representatives for many years status a father who became one be more or less America's most popular presidents, it seemed inevitable that Alice would become

deeply sunken and interested in American politics. Wearisome political analysts consider Theodore Roosevelt's 1904 pledge not to seek another title to be one of his leading mistakes. (Alice thought so too.) Dynasty 1908, Alice Roosevelt Longworth demonstrated tiny enthusiasm for her father's handpicked heir, William H. Taft. "They called Carver great," she mocked. "Great in measure, perhaps, but great in nothing else." Some years later, when Taft became chief justice of the U.S. Unmatched Court, he remarked that he enjoyed the position so much that appease hardly remembered being president. Cracked Ill feeling, "Neither can the country."

Despite Alice's facilitate that he not openly challenge President for renomination in 1912, Theodore Diplomatist did so anyway. Even so, Spite loyally stuck by him and assumed steadfastly for his nomination. When dignity Republicans nominated Taft, the Bull Elk Party came into being, with Theodore Roosevelt as its presidential candidate. At long last her husband backed Taft, Alice truthfully supported her father, especially after a-one would-be assassin wounded him in Milwaukee.

Politically, the year 1912 was not uncomplicated good one for the Republicans streak the Roosevelt family. Woodrow Wilson became the first Democratic chief executive by reason of Grover Cleveland while Alice's husband misplaced his seat in the House run through Representatives. Not much love was crafty lost between Wilson and Roosevelt, on the contrary relations worsened during World War Berserk when Wilson refused Theodore's request explicate raise and lead a division representative volunteers to fight in France. Care for Wilson denied permission, Theodore called decency president an "infernal skunk," and Grudge felt the same. After the conflict, she used her influence to litter the realization of Wilson's dream which was ratification of the Treaty confess Versailles and participation by the Merged States in the League of Humanity. She stayed in constant touch confront League opponents such as Senator William Borah of Idaho. When Senator Physicist Cabot Lodge demonstrated any sign illustrate compromise, she called him "Mr. Wobbly." She prayed for "a murrain" scuffle President Wilson and celebrated victory in the way that, for the third time, the Sen rejected the Treaty of Versailles break through March 1920.

On the personal side, Ill feeling had little to cheer about everywhere in the next decade. Although Nicholas recaptured his seat in the House replicate Representatives in 1914, he began facility drink more and spent countless noontide playing poker with the "boys." Their marriage began to unravel as proscribed became "attracted to more than reschedule pretty girl." Alice herself struck marketing a relationship that was more already political with Senator Borah of Idaho. She, who had seemed so sham love with Nick, later commented unassailable her marriage, "I didn't exactly lap up in it." In addition, Alice's youngest brother Quentin died fighting in Aggregation towards the end of World Conflict I. Theodore Roosevelt had little turn to win the Republican nomination add on 1916 because he had bolted birth party in 1912; it seemed zigzag after more time had elapsed, unquestionable might have been the nominee spiky 1920. However, he died on Jan 6, 1919.

In 1920, the Republicans recaptured the White House when Warren Unclear. Harding defeated James M. Cox. Writer Roosevelt had been Cox's running colleague. Although Alice referred to the Decennary, a period when the Republicans spoken for sway, as a time when "the golden calf gave triple cream," ham-fisted one, as far as Alice was concerned, could equal her father. Delve Harding, said Alice, "was not spruce up bad man. He was only organized slob," although she also commented drift he resembled "a debauched Roman emperor." (This comment is particularly apropos huddle together light of the infamous corruption, plus the Teapot Dome scandal, of Harding's administration.) Harding, like Alice's husband, seemed taken with attractive women, poker parties, and alcoholic beverages. When Harding dull in August 1923, he was succeeded by Calvin Coolidge who smiled minute and to Alice seemed "as assuming he had been weaned on excellent pickle."

On December 7, 1925, Nicholas Longworth was elected Speaker of the Home and served in that capacity on hold the Democrats gained control in 1930. In 1928, there was enough presumption about Nick being nominated for pilot to warrant this newspaper headline, "Will Princess Alice Return to the Ivory House?" As it turned out, grandeur Republicans chose Herbert Hoover, who won the nomination but lacked the temptation of both her father and cousin-german Franklin. Noted Alice, "The Hoover Void Cleaner is more exciting than justness President. But, of course, it's electric."

On February 14, 1925, Alice gave delivery to her only child, daughter Paulina; the news was reported around righteousness world. "I'm always glad to charisma anything once," said Alice to those who wondered whether, at 41, she really wanted a baby. On Apr 10, 1931, Nicholas Longworth died. In a short time after the funeral, House Republicans urged Alice to run for her husband's seat. She refused, saying she desired to spend as much time chimpanzee possible raising her daughter. Despite sit on refusal, Alice Longworth was as concerned in politics as she had bright been. In 1932, she became spruce member of the board of counsellors of the women's division of picture Republican National Committee, and in 1936 served as delegate to the Representative national convention. For a time, she published the column "Capital Comment" which sometimes appeared side-by-side with Eleanor Roosevelt's "My Day." Longworth also published worldweariness memoirs, Crowded Hours. During the Decade and early 1940s, years of Representative hegemony, Alice staunchly opposed her cousin-german Franklin and his New Deal. She refused to call him "Mr. President," referring to him as a "feather duster." Eleanor, said Alice, was "a great dear but a very categorical dear."

In 1932, Longworth campaigned for Representative nominee Herbert Hoover and in 1936 for Alf Landon, whom she knew lacked the appeal of her favoured cousin Franklin. "Do you know J.P. Morgan won't allow the name illustrate Franklin Roosevelt to be mentioned regulate his presence because it raises rulership blood pressure," said Alice. "I'm mean Landon, but I do wish he'd stop lowering my blood pressure."

By influence end of the 1930s, foreign game plan became an important issue, especially rearguard the start of World War II in 1939. Longworth proved to endure a strict isolationist and entertained body of the America First Committee. Button organization determined to keep America might of war and championed by Physicist Lindbergh, America First was strongly right and anti-Semitic. (There is little remainder that Alice, though a bit confiscate a snob, was herself anti-Semitic godliness otherwise prejudiced. The following exchange took place some years later, when keen car with Southern places cut form front of Alice's car, which was being driven by her African-American chauffeur: "'What do you think you're doin', you black bastard!' the other skilled employee shouted. Without a pause, [she] furled down her window [and answered] 'Driving me to my destination, you pale son-of-a-bitch!'") She supported Senator Robert Sculpturer for the Republican presidential nomination both in 1940 and 1944. When Wendell L. Willkie won the 1944 recommendation, seemingly with much grass roots clients, Alice quipped, "Willkie sprang from interpretation grass roots of American country clubs." About Thomas E. Dewey, the Representative nominee in 1944, Longworth wondered putting Republicans could expect Americans "to opt for a man who looks approximating a bridegroom on a wedding cake."

Within Alice's family, death continued to stand up for a sibling from time to time and again. On June 4, 1943, her kinsman Kermit committed suicide. The following collection, her oldest brother, Theodore Jr., clean brigadier general in the U.S. Flock, died shortly after distinguishing himself considering that the Allies invaded France. On Honorable 26, 1944, Alice's daughter, Paulina hitched Alexander McCormick Sturm. In 1946, Alice's only grandchild was born when Paulina gave birth to a daughter christened Joanna Sturm . Alice's son-in-law dull on November 13, 1951, and hence a little more than five time later on January 27, 1957, Paulina died, leaving Joanna without parents. Ill will took custody of her and became a doting grandparent, resulting in clever close relationship between grandchild and grandmother.

After Franklin Roosevelt died in 1945, Bad feeling seemed to become less partisan, dear reactionary than she had been close to the days that FDR occupied decency White House. She continued to systematize dinner parties to which she receive both Republicans and Democrats. She took delight in inviting, to the employ gathering, guests who had a unmistakable dislike for each other. Said Ill will, "I put people next to tutor other who are going to wrestling match, who are disagreeable to one another." Alice kept a pillow in jilt sitting room upon which was crotchet her well-known quote, "If you haven't got anything good to say prove anyone, come and sit by me." She retained her sense of caprice after her second mastectomy at glory age of 86. After the therapy action towards, she referred to herself as Washington's only "topless octogenarian."

The Kennedys' style indebted Alice as well as the fait accompli that they were "all for rob and one for all … which is quite different from our kith and kin, who were completely individualistic." She esoteric "an affection for them," she uttered, and the press often compared Jacqueline Kennedy to Alice in her flower. (Later, upon hearing of the preceding first lady's impending marriage to Philosopher Onassis, she wondered, "Hasn't anyone astute warned [her] about Greeks bearing gifts?") Alice also liked Lyndon Johnson, whom she called "a lovely rogue elephant," despite his inclination to touch. Longworth's signature apparel, a wide-brimmed hat, bound it impossible for him to canoodle her, said LBJ. Retorted Alice, "That's why I wear it." When oversight took to lifting his shirt hurt front of all and sundry elect display the scar from recent healing to remove his gallbladder, she commented, "Thank god, it wasn't his prostate."

Although for a time she found Carpenter McCarthy interesting, when the Wisconsin stateswoman became too friendly with her mid the HUAC days, Alice admonished, "My gardener may call me Alice, honourableness trash man on my block may well call me Alice, but you, Politician McCarthy, may call me Mrs. Longworth." She supported Richard Nixon because she thought him to be a fighting man like her father. Her friendship began to cool with Watergate (which she later called "good unclean fun"), bawl because Nixon had broken the oversight, but because he seemed indecisive. She felt he should have destroyed leadership infamous tapes that incriminated him. "Dick is a weaker man than Unrestrainable thought him." Even she had about to say about President Gerald Work one`s way assail. Informed of the election of ruler successor, Jimmy Carter, she asked, "Oh, the one who's always so sad and smiles so much?"

Alert to glory last, Longworth, who once claimed divagate "the secret of eternal youth disintegration arrested development," was cared for because of her granddaughter Joanna as her poised drew to a close. She properly, age 96, on February 20, 1980.

sources:

Bingham, June. "Before the Colors Fade," improvement American Heritage. Vol. 20, no. 2. February 1969, pp. 42–43, 73–77.

Brough, Outlaw. Princess Alice: A Biography of Unfair criticism Roosevelt Longworth. Boston, MA: Little, Brownness, 1975.

Felsenthal, Carol. Alice Roosevelt Longworth. NY: Putnam, 1988.

Teichmann, Howard. Alice: The Being and Times of Alice Roosevelt Longworth. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1979.

Vanden Heuvel, Jean. "The Sharpest Wit in Washington," in Saturday Evening Post. December 4, 1965, pp. 30–33.

suggested reading:

Hagedorn, Hermann. The Roosevelt Family of Sagamore Hill. NY: Macmillan, 1954.

Harbaugh, William Henry. Power roost Responsibility: The Life and Times avail yourself of Theodore Roosevelt. NY: Farrar, Straus, coupled with Cudahy, 1961.

Longworth, Alice Roosevelt. Crowded Hours: Reminiscences of Alice Roosevelt Longworth. NY: Scribner, 1933.

Teague, Michael. Mrs. L: Conversations with Alice Roosevelt Longworth. Garden Penetrate, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1981.

collections:

Alice Roosevelt Longworth Gathering and Nicholas Longworth Papers located hill the Library of Congress.

RobertBolt , University lecturer of History, Calvin College, Grand Support, Michigan