ROOSEVELT, THEODORE, an Amer ican statesman, historian, essayist, pub licist, naturalist, explorer, civil and politi cal reformer, soldier, 26th president of the United States. Born, New York City, Oct. 27, 1858; was graduated from Har vard University 1880, and was subse quently the recipient of many honorary degrees from American and European universities. During early life Roosevelt was frail, but succeeded in building up a strong physical constitution by exercise and open air life.
After graduation he engaged in the study of law, but abandoned the pursuit to become a member of the New York State Legislature, 1882-84, representing the 21st Assembly District of New York. The key to his later attitude as a reformer will be found in his indignation over the decision of the Court of Appeals that a law he had fathered in favor of public health by prohibiting the manufacture and the preparation of tobacco in tene ment-housec was declared unconstitu tional.
He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention, 1884, and during the campaign supported James G. Blaine. From 1884-86 he lived on a ranch in North Dakota, which gave the background for his subsequent writings on life in the far west. In 1886 he was defeated for the mayoralty of New York City by Abram F. Hewitt. Upon appointment by Presi dent Benjamin Harrison, Roosevelt be came a member of the United States Civil Service Commission serving 1889-95. Into this work he threw great enthusiasm, and forced the question of civil service reform upon Congress and the American people. He resigned in 1895 to become President of the Board of Police Commis sioners for the City of New York, in which position he probably made himself more felt than any other official in the history of the city.
At the request of President McKinley in 1897 he resigned to become Assistant Secretary of the Navy under John D. Long of Massachusetts. Foreseeing that war with Spain was inevitable, he in sisted on putting the United States fleet in preparation for instant action. When the war with Spain came he resigned his naval position, May 6, 1898, and en tered the military service as Lieutenant Colonel, First United States Cavalry Volunteers, known subsequently as the "Rough Riders." He was in command of his regiment in the fight at San Juan Hill, was commended for gallantry and promoted to he Colonel.
In November, 1898, Roosevelt was elected Governor of the State of New York. During his incumbency he fought _strenuously against boss control and for the many measures he had advocated while United States Civil Service Com missioner.
The Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, 1900, nominated him fot the Vice-Presidency on the McKinley ticket, a candidacy which Roosevelt was very reluctant to accept. President McKinley was assassinated on Sept. 14, 1901, and Roosevelt succeeded to the Presidency at the age of 43. During his term of office he fulfilled his promise and ad hered strictly to the Republican plat form and principles as enunciated by McKinley during the campaign, and re tained the Cabinet which McKinley had chosen. One of his outstanding acts was to appoint the Anthracite Strike Arbi tration Commission, which brought about peace in the anthracite coal regions for many subsequent years.
The Republican National Convention at Chicago in 1904 unanimously nominated Roosevelt for the Presidency, and he re ceived 7,623,486 popular votes and 336 electoral votes to 5,077,970 popular votes and 140 electoral college votes given for the Democratic candidate, Alton B. Parker. During his presidency Roosevelt endeavored to regulate the influence of large corporations without destroying their equities. He resisted the German Kaiser and brought about the submission of the Moroccan dispute to a conference of the Powers of Algeciras. Evidence has come to light that both Roosevelt and his Secretary, John Hay, were well aware at that time of the plai.s of the German Emperor for universal dominion, and they succeeded in frustrating those plans so far as American interests were concerned, and particularly in relation to China. Through Roosevelt's influence in 1905 Russia was persuaded to come to terms with Japan and thus close the costly Russo-Japanese War, for which he re ceived the Nobel Prize in 1906. Through out his administration Roosevelt's chief domestic policy was the conservation of natural resources. The most conspicuous and spectacular of Roosevelt's acts as President was the recognition of the new republic of Panama which led to the sub sequent completion of the Panama Canal.