There are several questions you might be wondering if you want to learn about Theodore Roosevelt. After all, he was a statesman, soldier, naturalist, historian, and writer. He was also the 26th president of the United States. However, one of the most fascinating facts about his family is the number of children he had.
Archie Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt’s fifth child, Archibald Bulloch Roosevelt, became a highly decorated U.S. Army officer and commander during World War I and World War II. He was wounded during both wars. However, he survived. The question remains, how many children did Archibald and Theodore Roosevelt have?
Archie graduated from Harvard University in June 1916. Later, he served in the army as a battalion commander with the 162nd Infantry in New Guinea. The second World War saw him seriously injured in the same leg and was discharged with 100 percent disability. During his time in the Army, he was awarded the Silver Star with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster and other campaign medals.
Archie spent most of his childhood in Washington, D.C., where he was close to his younger brother Quentin. He attended Force School and Sidwell Friends School before transferring to Phillips Academy to continue his education. After graduating from Phillips Academy, he attended Harvard University. In 1917, he married Grace Lockwood and had four children. The couple later remarried and settled in Oyster Bay.
Ethel Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt’s son, Theodore Roosevelt Jr., served as president from 1901 to 1909. He was a politician, statesman, naturalist, historian, and writer. He was also known as a writer and conservationist. Among other things, he was the father of numerous children.
Despite his success in politics, Teddy was very family oriented and believed that having children was the key to living a happy and fulfilled life. While many of his children did not follow in his footsteps, a few of them lived notable lives of their own. Listed below are some of his children.
Franklin Roosevelt suffered from asthma as a child. He also had weak eyesight throughout his life. However, physical exertion helped him develop a strong physique and a lifelong love of vigorous activity. This love of vigorous activity led Roosevelt to adopt the ideal of ‘the strenuous life’ as a politician and outdoorsman.
Archibald ‘Archie’ Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt had six children from two marriages. His first wife, Alice Hathaway, died after giving birth to their daughter, Alice Lee Roosevelt, in 1884. Theodore was devastated by this and decided to marry his childhood friend, Edith Kermit Crow, who helped him raise his five children. He viewed his children as an asset and made them available to the press to tell his story.
Roosevelt’s son, Archie, graduated from Harvard in 1916. He served in the military as an Infantry Captain for the 26th Infantry Regiment in the First Division. He was discharged from the army a few years later with a 100 percent handicap, but continued to serve his country as a civilian. He was awarded a Silver Star and Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster for his services in World War II.
Ethel Roosevelt died just two days after her baby was born
Ethel Roosevelt was the fourth child of President Theodore Roosevelt. She lived in Oyster Bay, New York for the rest of her life. She served in the American army during World War I and was the first Roosevelt child to serve overseas. She was very active in the Red Cross and later became one of the first female trustees of the American Museum of Natural History.
Ethel Roosevelt never liked to be the center of attention. Her father once remarked that she “had a way of doing everything.” She was the primary caregiver of her family and often filled in for her mother at the White House. She would order meals, care for her children and assign chores to the staff.
Archie Roosevelt served in World War II
Archie Roosevelt was the third son of US President Theodore Roosevelt. As a boy, he made headlines for walking on stilts inside the White House. He served with distinction in World War I. Later, he moved to the executive ranks of Sinclair Oil. However, he became involved in the scandal surrounding the Teapot Dome. He was an outspoken critic of the New Deal programs and volunteered to return to the Army during World War II. During the war, he became the oldest battalion commander in the history of the United States Army.
When the United States entered the World War I, Archie was the son of a bully former president. Nevertheless, he joined the military and commanded the battalion of the 162nd Infantry in New Guinea. In the war, he received the Purple Heart for his service. After the war, he was active in conservative political organizations. He survived all of his siblings, except for his half-sister Alice.