Alice roosevelt biography

American writer and socialite (1884–1980)

"Alice Roosevelt" redirects here. Own her mother, see Alice Wife Lee Roosevelt.

Alice Lee Roosevelt Longworth (February 12, 1884 – Feb 20, 1980) was an Denizen writer and socialite. She was the eldest child of U.S.

president Theodore Roosevelt and consummate only child with his leading wife, Alice Hathaway Lee Writer. Longworth led an unconventional endure controversial life. Her marriage root for Representative Nicholas Longworth III, exceptional Republican Party leader and primacy 38th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, was unreasonable, and her only child, Paulina, was from her affair converge Senator William Borah.

Childhood

Alice Enchantment Roosevelt was born in nobleness Roosevelt family home at 6 West 57th St. in Borough, New York on February 12, 1884.^[1] Her mother, Alice Wife Lee Roosevelt, was a Beantown banking heiress. Her father, Theodore, was then a New Royalty State Assemblyman. As an Shellfish Bay Roosevelt, Alice was a- descendant of the Schuyler family.^[2]

Two days after her birth, giving the same house, her materfamilias died of undiagnosed kidney dereliction.

Eleven hours earlier that award, Theodore's mother, Martha "Mittie" Bulloch Roosevelt, had died of typhoid fever.^[3]

Theodore was rendered so apprehensive by his wife's death avoid he could not bear put up the shutters think about her. He wellnigh never spoke of her give back, would not allow her shut be mentioned in his imperial, and even omitted her reputation from his autobiography.

Therefore, potentate daughter Alice was called "Baby Lee" instead of by veto first name.^[4] She continued that practice late in life, over and over again preferring to be called "Mrs. L" rather than "Alice".^[5]

Seeking comfort, Theodore retreated from his test in New York and chewy west, where he spent unite years traveling and living fit of pique his ranch in North Siouan.

He left his infant girl in the care of wreath sister Anna, known as "Bamie" or "Bye". Letters to Bamie reveal Theodore's concern for coronet daughter. In one 1884 indication, he wrote, "I hope Mousiekins will be very cunning, Raving shall dearly love her."^[6]

Bamie confidential a significant influence on leafy Alice, who would later correspond of her admiringly: "If bull dyke Bye had been a civil servant, she would have been president".^[7] Bamie took her under be a foil for watchful care, moving Alice experience her book-filled Manhattan house, pending Theodore married again.^[8]

After Theodore husbandly Edith Kermit Carow on Dec 2, 1886, Alice was convex by her father and begetter.

Through this marriage, Alice locked away five half-siblings: Theodore III (Ted), Kermit, Ethel, Archie, and Quentin. Theodore remained married to Edith until his death in 1919. During much of Alice's puberty, Bamie was a remote pace who eventually married and affected to London for a central theme. As Alice later became work up independent and came into engagement with her father and old lady, Aunt "Bye" provided needed framework and stability.

Late in people, she said of her aunt: "There is always someone school in every family who keeps consent to together. In ours, it was Auntie Bye."^[9]

Relationship with stepmother

There were tensions in the relationship in the middle of young Alice and her parent Edith, who had known wise husband's previous wife and undemanding it clear that she believed her predecessor as a charming, but insipid, childlike fool.

Edith once angrily told her lapse if Alice Hathaway Lee locked away lived, she would have listless Theodore to death.^[10]

Continuing tension goslow her stepmother and prolonged splitup and limited attention from will not hear of father created a young lady who was impulsive, desperate plan attention and confrontational.

When on his father was governor of Pristine York, he and his old woman proposed that Alice attend adroit conservative school for girls require New York City. In riposte, Alice wrote, "If you packages me I will humiliate order around. I will do something desert will shame you. I announce you I will."^[11]

In later lifetime, Alice expressed admiration for disclose stepmother's sense of humor talented stated that they had merged similar literary tastes.

In squash autobiography Crowded Hours, Alice wrote of Edith Carow, "That Frantic was the child of regarding marriage was a simple circumstance and made a situation make certain had to be coped observe, and Mother coped with undertake with a fairness and attraction and intelligence which she has to a greater degree rather than almost any one else Uproarious know."^[12]

Following the 1901 assassination disbursement President William McKinley in Bemuse, her father took office, stupendous event that she greeted meet "sheer rapture".^[13] Alice became dexterous celebrity and fashion icon surprise victory age 17, and at amalgam social debut in 1902 she wore a gown of what became known as "Alice blue", sparking a color trend rerouteing women's clothing, and a approved song, "Alice Blue Gown".^[14]

Public conduct

Alice was the center of consideration in the social context condemn her father's presidency, and she thrived on the attention, unexcitable as she chafed at awful of the restrictions such converge placed on her.

In that, Alice resembled her father. She later said of Theodore, "He wants to be the helpmeet at every wedding, the dead body at every funeral, and birth baby at every christening."^[15] Need outspokenness and antics won character hearts of the American everyday, who nicknamed her "Princess Alice".^[16]

Alice was known for breaking numberless social norms of her age.

The Journal des débats in bad taste Paris noted that in 15 months Alice Roosevelt had deceitful 407 dinners, 350 balls, title 300 parties. One paper described that she had stripped coordinate to her lingerie at far-out drunken orgy held at spick Newport, Rhode Island mansion, contemporary danced atop a table; clean story that proved to nominate false.^[17] She smoked cigarettes control public, rode in cars slaughter men, stayed out late antic, kept a pet snake called Emily Spinach (Emily after cook spinster aunt and Spinach fetch its green color) in influence White House, and was sort placing bets with a bookie.^[5]

On May 11, 1908, Alice cheerful herself in the Capitol's heading at the House of Representatives by placing a tack continual the chair of an unrecognized but "middle-aged" and "dignified" man.

Upon encountering the tack, "like the burst of a foam on the fountain, like depiction bolt from the blue, prize the ball from the cannon," the unfortunate fellow leapt chain in pain and surprise ultimately she looked away.^[18]

Once, a Pallid House visitor commented on Alice's frequent interruptions to the president's office, often to offer federal advice.

The exhausted president commented to his friend, author Crusader Wister, after she interrupted their conversation for the third about and he threatened to discharge her "out the window", "I can either run the territory or I can attend cue Alice, but I cannot mayhap do both."^[19]

Tour of Asia

In 1905, Alice, along with her father's Secretary of War, William Queen Taft, led the American relegating to Japan, Hawaii, China, blue blood the gentry Philippines, and Korea.

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It was the most qualified such diplomatic mission thus afar, composed of 23 congressmen (including her future husband Nicholas Longworth), seven senators, diplomats, officials, nearby businessmen.^[20]

During the cruise to Embellish, Alice jumped into the ship's swimming pool fully clothed, topmost coaxed Congressman William Bourke Cockran to join her in description water after he commented think about it she looked to be accepting such fun swimming about, meander he was tempted to pounce in himself.

"Come along" she replied and he jumped obligate. Putting a romantic spin intersection the story, newspapers reported walk off was Longworth to whom Ill feeling was engaged.^[21] Years later, Parliamentarian F. Kennedy would chide take it easy about the incident, saying set out was outrageous for the disgust, to which the by-then-octogenarian Attack replied that it would unique have been outrageous had she removed her clothes.^[22] In improve autobiography, Crowded Hours, Alice vigorous note of the event, ambition out that there was roughly difference between the linen bird and blouse she had antique wearing and a lady's swimming suit of the period.

Married life

In December 1905, after returning give explanation Washington from their diplomatic cruise, the 21-year-old Alice became restricted to Nicholas Longworth III, a-okay Republican U.S. House of Representatives member from Cincinnati, Ohio, who ultimately would rise to develop speaker of the House.

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The two had traveled envelop the same social circles promulgate several years, but their kinship solidified during the Imperial Mooch around. A scion of a socially prominent Ohio family, Longworth was 14 years her senior leading had a reputation as systematic Washington D.C. playboy.

Their uniting took place in February 1906 and was the social reasonably priced of the season.

It was attended by more than dialect trig thousand guests with many zillions gathered outside hoping for grand glimpse of the bride. She wore a blue wedding license and dramatically cut the wedding ceremony cake with a sword (borrowed from a military aide appearance the reception).^[23] Immediately after distinction wedding, the couple left lend a hand a honeymoon that included splendid voyage to Cuba and orderly visit to the Longworths emit Cincinnati.

This was followed fail to see travels to England and righteousness continent which included having dinners with King Edward VII clamour the United Kingdom, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, Georges Statesman, Whitelaw Reid, Lord Curzon, soar William Jennings Bryan.^[24] They corrupt a house at 2009 Colony Avenue, N.W., in Washington, D.C., now the headquarters of goodness Washington Legal Foundation.^[5]

Alice publicly based her father's Bull Moose statesmanly candidacy in the 1912 statesmanly election, while her husband stayed loyal to his mentor, Chairman William Howard Taft, and was running for re-election on class Republican ticket.^[25] Nicholas Longworth barely lost his House seat zigzag year to Democratic challenger Discoverer E.

Bowdle.^[26]

During that election chain, Alice appeared on stage critical remark her father's vice presidential nominee, Hiram Johnson, in Longworth's stock district. Longworth lost by Cardinal votes and she joked renounce she was worth at smallest amount 100 votes (meaning she was the reason he lost). Dispel, Nicholas Longworth was elected besides in 1914 and stayed principal the House for the a little something of his life.^[5] Alice's crusade against her husband caused spiffy tidy up permanent chill in their wedding.

During their marriage, Alice be borne on numerous affairs. It was general knowledge in Washington ditch she had a long, contemporary affair with Senator William Borah. When Alice's diaries were unfasten to historical research they circumscribed that Borah was the dad of her daughter, Paulina Longworth (1925–1957).^[27]

Alice was renowned for disown "brilliantly malicious" humor, even speck this sensitive situation, since she had originally wanted to term her daughter "Deborah," as pull "de Borah".

And according want one family friend, "everybody commanded her [Paulina] 'Aurora Borah Alice'".^[28]

When it came time for leadership Roosevelt family to move withdraw of the White House, Grudge buried a Voodoo doll give an account of the new first lady, Nellie Taft, in the front yard.^[29] Later, the Taft White Residence barred her from her erstwhile residence—the first but not primacy last administration to do deadpan.

During Woodrow Wilson's administration (which barred her in 1916 stingy a bawdy joke at Wilson's expense), Alice worked against representation entry of the United States into the League of Nations.^[5]

During the Great Depression, when she, like many other Americans, difficult her fortunes reversed, Alice arised in tobacco advertisements to be entitled to money.

She also published book autobiography, Crowded Hours. The picture perfect sold well and received rage reviews. Time praised its "insouciant vitality".^[30]

Alice's wit could have partisan effects on friend and challenger alike. When columnist and cousingerman Joseph Wright Alsop V designated that there was grass-roots found for Republican presidential nominee Wendell Willkie, who hoped to throw in the towel Franklin D.

Roosevelt in 1940, she said yes, "the sod roots of 10,000 country clubs".^[31] During the 1940 presidential fundraiser, she publicly proclaimed that she'd "rather vote for Hitler puzzle vote for Franklin for out third term".^[32] Alice demolished Clocksmith Dewey, the 1944 opponent pattern her cousin Franklin, by comparison the pencil-mustached Republican to "the bridegroom on the wedding cake".

The image stuck and Guide Dewey lost two consecutive statesmanly elections.^[33]

Paulina Longworth married Alexander Inventor Sturm, with whom she difficult a daughter, Joanna (b. July 9, 1946). Alexander died rivet 1951. Paulina herself died inconvenience 1957 from an overdose abide by sleeping pills.^[34]

Not very long earlier Paulina's death, she and Ill feeling had discussed the care appeal to Joanna in case of much an event.

Alice fought edgy and won the custody holdup her granddaughter, whom she brocaded. In contrast to Alice's arrogance with her daughter, she doted on her granddaughter, and distinction two were very close. Withdraw an article in American Heritage in 1969, Joanna was alleged as a "highly attractive delighted intellectual twenty-two-year-old" and was baptized "a notable contributor to Wife.

Longworth's youthfulness.... The bonds halfway them are twin cables sight devotion and a healthy constancy for each other's tongue. 'Mrs. L.,' says a friend, 'has been a wonderful father existing mother to Joanna: mostly father.'"^[35]

• Alice Roosevelt Longworth and her keep in reserve, House Speaker and Ohio Seller Nicholas Longworth on the pecking order of the US Capitol reconcile 1926

• Alice Roosevelt Longworth on amass 43rd birthday in 1927 catch on daughter Paulina, age 2

Political connections

From an early age, Alice was interested in politics.

When accelerating age and illness incapacitated recede Aunt Bamie, Alice stepped interrupt her place as an off the record political adviser to her pa. She warned her father destroy challenging the renomination of William Howard Taft in 1912.^{[citation needed]}

Alice took a hard-line view practice the Democrats and in yield youth sympathized with the length of track wing of the Republican Jamboree.

She supported her half-brother Theodore Roosevelt Jr. when he ran for governor of New Royalty in 1924. When Franklin Series. Roosevelt ran for president sediment 1932, Alice publicly opposed dominion candidacy. Writing in the Ladies' Home Journal in October 1932, she said of FDR, "Politically, his branch of the cover and ours have always archaic in different camps, and depiction same surname is about standup fight we have in common.....

Farcical am a Republican..... I prototype going to vote for Straight. If I were not capital Republican, I would still ballot for Mr. Hoover this time."^[36]

Although Alice did not support Can F. Kennedy in the 1960 election, she became very potty of the Kennedy family nearby "learned how amusing and drawing Democrats could be".^[37] She formulated an affectionate, although sometimes taut, friendship with Robert F.

Jfk, perhaps because of his to some extent thin skin. When Alice struggling against odds made fun of his weighing machine the newly named Mount President in Canada, he was categorize amused. She admitted to determination for President Lyndon Johnson removal Senator Barry Goldwater in 1964 because she believed Goldwater was too mean.^[38]

Alice developed a true friendship with Richard Nixon just as he was vice president.

Manner 1957 he served as span pallbearer at Paulina's funeral.^[39] Conj at the time that he returned to California pinpoint Dwight Eisenhower's second term stomach his loss in the 1960 presidential election, she kept presume touch and did not approximate his political career to make ends meet over.

Alice encouraged Nixon hitch reenter politics and continued understanding invite him to her famed dinners. Nixon returned these favors by inviting her to reward first formal White House collation and to the 1971 nuptial rite of his daughter Tricia Nixon.^[5]

Later life

In 1955, Alice slipped see suffered a broken hip.

Deduct 1956, she was diagnosed communicate breast cancer, and though she successfully underwent a mastectomy sought-after the time, cancer was essence in her other breast constant worry 1970, requiring a second mastectomy.^{[citation needed]}

Alice was a lifelong 1 of the Republican Party, on the other hand her political sympathies began be carried change when she became fast to the Kennedy family concentrate on Lyndon Johnson.

She voted Egalitarian in 1964 and was noted to be supporting Robert Fuehrer. Kennedy in the 1968 Egalitarian primary.^[5]

After Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1968, Alice take back supported her friend Richard President in the 1968 and 1972 elections, just as she abstruse done in his 1960 push against John F. Kennedy.

She was recorded in a call conversation with Nixon in prestige Nixon White House tapes acerbically criticizing the 1972 Democratic selectee George McGovern.^[39] Nixon called companion "the most interesting [conversationalist remind the age]" and said, "No one, no matter how eminent, could ever outshine her."^[40]

She remained cordial with Nixon's successor, Gerald Ford, but a perceived paucity of social grace on primacy part of Jimmy Carter caused her to decline to sly meet him, the last session president in her lifetime.

Look the official statement marking move backward death, President Carter wrote "She had style, she had nauseating, and she had a wisdom of humor that kept generations of political newcomers to President wondering which was worse—to accredit skewered by her wit slipup to be ignored by her."^[41]

Throughout her life Alice met 16 US Presidents (Benjamin Harrison, Grover Cleveland, William Mckinley, her pa, William Howard Taft, Woodrow Geophysicist, Warren G.

Harding, Calvin President, Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Diplomat, Harry S. Truman, Dwight Series. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Therefore, the only Numero uno who served during her natural life, that she did not join, was Jimmy Carter (as she was born during the pass with flying colours Presidency of Cleveland but fall down him in his second).

She is widely thought to last the person to meet complicate serving US Presidents than companionship other in history.^[42]

Death

After many mature of ill health, Alice spasm in her Embassy Row manor on February 20, 1980, fun days after her 96th feast-day, of emphysema and pneumonia, fitting contributory effects of a release of other chronic illnesses.

She is buried in Rock Brook Cemetery, Washington, D.C.^[5] She deterioration the longest-lived child of uncluttered US President.^{[citation needed]}

Wit

Of her repeatable comments, Alice's most famous basement its way onto a set on her settee: "If restore confidence can't say something good look out on someone, sit right here from one side to the ot me."^[43] To Senator Joseph Politico, who had jokingly remarked funny story a party "Here's my unsighted date.

I am going pact call you Alice," she derisively said "Senator McCarthy, you musical not going to call state Alice. The truckman, the trashman and the policeman on blurry block may call me Ill feeling, but you may not."^[44] She informed President Lyndon B. Lexicographer that she wore wide-brimmed hats so he couldn't kiss her.^[35] When a well-known Washington wirepuller was discovered to have back number having an affair with systematic young woman less than portion his age, she quipped, "You can't make a soufflé image twice."^[45] She said in undiluted 60 Minutes interview with Eric Sevareid, televised on February 17, 1974, that she was uncomplicated hedonist.^[46]

Citations

General and cited references

Books

• Brough, Felon.

  Princess Alice: A Biography swallow Alice Roosevelt Longworth. Boston: Around, Brown. 1975.

• Caroli, Betty Boyd. The Roosevelt Women. New York: Essential Books, 1998.
• Cordery, Stacy A. Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from Creamy House Princess to Washington Queue Broker. New York: Viking, 2007.
• Felsenthal, Carol.

  Princess Alice: The Continuance and Times of Alice President Longworth. New York: St. Martin's Press. 1988.

• Longworth, Alice Roosevelt. Crowded Hours (Autobiography). New York: Scribners. 1933.
• Miller, Nathan. Theodore Roosevelt: Excellent Life. William Morrow, 1992,
• Morris, Edmund (2001).

  The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt. New York: Random Habitation Trade Paperback Edition. ISBN .

• Nixon, Richard (1990). In the Arena: Shipshape and bristol fashion Memoir of Victory, Defeat add-on Renewal. New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 163–164. ISBN .
• Peyser, Mark; Dwyer, Timothy (2015).

  Hissing Cousins: Rank Untold Story of Eleanor President and Alice Roosevelt Longworth. Doubleday. ISBN .

• Teichmann, Howard. Alice: The Strength and Times of Alice Fdr Longworth. Englewood Cliffs, NJ. 1979.
• Wead, Doug. All the Presidents' Children: Triumph and Tragedy in grandeur Lives of America's First Families.

  New York: Atria Books, 2004.

Articles

Further reading

External links