Description:

Roosevelt Edith

2pp postcard sized note inscribed overall and signed by former First Lady Edith Kermit Roosevelt as “Edith Kermit Roosevelt (Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt)” at second page bottom. Greige colored card with “Sagamore Hill” letterhead in black ink. In near fine condition, measuring 5.25" x 3.25".

 

On May 18, 1924, former First Lady Edith Kermit Roosevelt (1861-1948) replied to an inquiry from Sharpless Dodson Green, a public school administrator from Trenton, New Jersey. Green had written Mrs. Roosevelt to ask if she could give any life lesson advice to his graduating seniors, and if she would consider becoming their mentor.

 

Edith Roosevelt replied: “I can do no better than to give the group of students who have so kindly chosen me as guardian, one of my husband’s favorite texts ‘Spend and be spent’. Life faced in this spirit with a generous heart brings great rewards”.

 

“Spend and be spent” was indeed a favorite saying of 26th U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt (1858-1919). It was a prominent talking point of Roosevelt’s unsuccessful 1912 presidential campaign. Disappointed with his protégé Taft’s political pragmatism, Roosevelt decided to run again, this time on the Progressive platform. Roosevelt declared that he was running not because he wanted to, but because someone had to do it. The maxim appeared in his March 20, 1912 “Right of the People to Rule” speech at Carnegie Hall: “In the long fight for righteousness the watchword for all of us is spend and be spent. It is of little matter whether any one man fails or succeeds; but the cause shall not fail, for it is the cause of mankind.” The adage encapsulated Roosevelt’s all-consuming spirit of service.

 

Sagamore Hill, the primary residence of Teddy and Edith Roosevelt, was a 23-room Queen Anne shingle-style bungalow near Oyster Bay on northern Long Island designed by New York architectural firm Lamb & Rich during the early 1880s.

 

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. ***PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR SHIPMENT TO BE SENT TO AN ADDRESS OTHER THAN THE ONE YOU HAVE ON FILE WITH INVALUABLE, YOU WILL NEED TO INFORM US OF THIS AS SOON AS PAYMENT IS SUBMITTED FOR YOUR WINNINGS*** Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 20% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000