|
Quentin was the Roosevelt's youngest child. He was was also born in Washington D.c., but before his father became president and a national figure. Quentin was probably his father's favorite, as is often the case of the youngest. Quentin and Archie becamne very famous as the press reported their White House exploits in great detail. The photograph on the previous page shows Quintin, wearing a sailor suit, with a black friend. I'm not sure who the black boy is, but believe he is one of the children of the White House staff. As far as we know, Archie and Quintin were the only presidential kids with black playmates, other than early presidents who may have played with slave children when they were young. Quentin was universally loved by both his family and all who came in contact with him. He was one of the most engaging of all the presidential children. All of the Roosevelt boys as might be expected enlisted in World War I. During the War, his comrads in armed expected to meet a haughty rich kid expecting special treatment, but were surprised to encounter one of the most personable individuls they had ever known. If he had a flaw, it was an absolute disregard for personal danger. Quetin was killed as a fighter pilot in aerial combat over France. The President and Edith were crushed. This great personal tragedy caused his father to rethink his attitude toward war in his later years.
Quentin Roosevelt was the youngest child of Theodore and Edith Roosevelt. Both were ideally suited to parenthood, in contrast with the second presidential Roosevelts. Theodore and Edith have to be among the very best presidential parents. Their father was like an overgrown playmate who opened up the White House as a fantastic playground. Their mother had her feet more solidly grounded. She did all the things that mothers should and made sure the boys toed the line--to a degree. Throughout theor childhood the overiding environment of the Rosevely family was one of love and respect for each other. All of the children, except perhaps for Alice, idealized their parents in different ways.
Quentin was the Roosevelt's youngest child. He was born in Washington D.c., but before his father became president and a national figure. Quentin was probably his father's favorite, as is often the case of the youngest. Quentin and Archie becamne very famous as the press reported their White House exploits in great detail. The photograph on the previous page shows Quintin, wearing a sailor suit, with a black friend. I'm not sure who the black boy is, but believe he is one of the children of the White House staff. As far as I know, Archie and Quintin were the only presidential kids with black playmates, other than early presidents who may have played with slave children when they were young. His father was concerned that he was a little "soft". He called him "Qunitikins". Quentin and Archie became very famous as the press reported their White House exploits in great detail, although they did not find out about all of them. The best stories were aboit Quetin wbo way the most playful and imaginative of the four boys. Quenin was Roosevelky's favorite child, probably because he was the youngest and most playful. Roosevelt has been described as a grown-up boy. Roosevelt probably came as close to explaining why Quentin was his favorite. He wrote to Archie who was away at school telling him thast until Quentin went to bed that the White House was lively, but once in bed everything was quiet. Quentin may have not matched Tad Lincoln in White House disruprions, probably because the Roosevelts were better parents, but his exploits are impressive. Quentin loved animals and had a impressive menegerie. He added to it once by bringing aglet home on astreetcar. He would invite his classmtes home to ply baseball on the White House lawn. He was prone to expeimenting with his body, lodging a mothvall in his nose and a stone in his hear. When asked about, he simply replied that he thought they would fit. He was asked to knock before entering, but commonly ignored such niceties. The story is told about Quentin barging in on a meeting the President was having with the Attorney General, Philander C. Knox. Quentin had a big snake around his neck and two smaller ones in his hands which he wanted shew his father. Know was agast at the snakes and that presidentil business would be interupted by Quentin. The President showing that he was a kindrid spirit had a sollution to dealing with his son. Not uncommonly the Presiudent was an accomplice in Quentin's adventures and this was a case. There were some Congressmen waitoing to see hm in an adjoing room who he was not all that excited about seeing. So he suggested that Quentin show off his smakes to them, telling Quentin that they were probably bored and the smakes might liven them up. Not all of Quentin's exploits reached the press. This one was reported in the New York Times the next day. One where he ws not an accomplice was the sword incident. The President's Rough Rider sword was hung in a place of honor in the White House. Of course it a tempting potential play item for Quentin. He go it down a proceeded to attack playmate, in this case the son of future president William Taft. Edith had to apply First Aid. [Burns] Quentin was not all activity. He had aood mind on his shoulders. At age 199 he had a bad case of sun burn. Looking had ruddy red legs he told his father that the looked like a Turner sunset.
Quentin and Archie are the best chroinicled of the Rossisevelt childrem because they were the youngest. As a result they were the subject of enormnous press interest. And just as the Roosevelts moved into the White House, the technology of photo lithougraphy had reduced the price of printing photoigraphs, thus you begin to see photograpohs in both newspsapers and magazines. Quentin was often depoicted wearng sailoir suits ad tunic suits. Thus the public was delighted with images of the boys. We see Quentin wearng a tunic suit. Colorized postcards usually show the tunic suit as yellow. We notice a chromolithograph showing the tunic as pink. We are not sure what the actual color was.
The Press loved President Roosevelt. He was a larger than life figure that was always good for an interesting story. The press tends to like charismatic figures and Roosevelt was just the kind of figure that appealked to a young, boisdterous country. And the President was alert enough to take advantage of this. President McKinley effectively used the press. Roosevelt was a good student and made the White House the center of news every day. He provided both interviews and photo opportunities. He noticed the White House reporters standing outside in the rain. Hedecided to make a room available for them in the White House. In doing so he invented the presidential press room and briefing. [Rouse] This only further endeared the press to the press. Not all Americas were interested n affaiurs of state. Here President had a trump card. It was his large and equally appealing famly. The public loved to read about them and their goings on. This of course meant that the press was always nosing about for a good story. Edith was reticent amd rather difficult to draw out. But there were always kids about the White house who were easy to talk with and could often come up with a good story about the family. And the two most accesable were Archie and Quentin--the two youngest boys. They were like little secret agents. And they bcame stars in their oiwn right. They were the two most popular Presidential kids since Willie and Tad Lincoln.
President Roosevelt's letters are full of comments about his children. There are also many letters to them. The letters tell of intimacies with the children as well as interesting comments on world decelopments and meetings with foreign dignataries. The President was a busy man and he had several children, so most were rather short. There is a sweetness about them that one would not expect from a president as bellicose as Roosevelt. The letters back from Quentiwn are equally xharming and also often short. .
Oyster Bay, Aug. 18, 1906: DEAR KERMIT, Quentin is the same cheerful pagan philosopher as ever. He swims like a little duck; rides well; stands quite severe injuries without complaint, and is really becoming a manly little fellow. Archie is devoted to the Why (sailboat). The other day while Mother and I were coming in, rowing, we met him sailing out, and it was too cunning for anything. The Why looks exactly like a little black wooden shoe with a sail in it, and the crew consisted of Archie, of one of his beloved playmates, a seaman from the Sylph, and of Skip [the Rooevelt dog] very alert and knowing."
Our favorite letter from Quentin was, "Dear Father, Please send me a mountin.
All of the Roosevelt boys, including Quentin, voluteered for military serviuce after America entered the War (April 1917). Quentin was universally loved by both his family and all who came in contact with him. He was one of the most engaging of all the presidential children. All of the Roosevelt boys as might be expected enlisted in World War I. During the War, his comrads in armed expected to meet a haughty rich kid expecting specul treatment, but were surprised to encounter one of the most personable individuls they had ever known. Presdent Roosevelt had a romantic notion of war and passed this concept on to his children. The Spanish American War and the Rough Riders charge up San Juan (Kettle) Hill was a very different experience than the slaughter and trench warfare of World War I. Roosevelt wrote admiringly of war and delivered belicose speeches criticising President Wilson for keeping America out of World War I. All of the Roosevelt boys volunteered and served in the military after America finally entered the War (1917). Theu mist have flet a need to proive themselves to their father, perhaps uentin more than the other older boys. Quentin became a fighter pilot. Flying was glamerous. It was also a virtual death sentence, the most dangerous service imaginable. Young men were sent into deadly aerial combat withbobly the most basic training. We so not think that either Quentin or especially his father were fully aware of the dangers involved. Nor the high probability that Quentin would not survive the War. And Quentin was fearless, recklessly so, without the least thought of personal safety. He was even cautioned about this by his commanding officer. He was tragically killed in aerial combat over the trenches in France (July 1918). His parents had just received word of his heroics in the air over France when the next day they learned that he had been killed. The President and Edith were crushed.
Quintin's death was shattering for the Roosevelts. The President was heard to cry "Quintikins, Quintikins," afterward. His father, grievously afflicted, wrote this tribute to his son: "Only those are fit to live who do not fear to die, and none are fit to die who have shrunk from the joys of life and the duty of life. Both life and death are part of the same Great Adventure." Roosevelt was never quite the same after Quintin's death. One wonders how this must have affected his view of war. He died not long afterwards (1919).
Burns, Eric. The Golden Lad: The Haunting Story of Quentin and Theodore Roosevelt (2016)
Wead, Doug. All the President's Children: Triumph and Tragedy in the Lives of America's First Familirs (Atria: New York, 2003), 456p.
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to the Main President Roosevelt's children page]
[Return to the Main Theodore Roosevelt page]
[18th Century]
[19th Century]
[20th Century]
[21st Century]
