New Initiative At LIU Honors President Theodore Roosevelt's Legacy
OYSTER BAY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Former-President Theodore Roosevelt was born 160 years ago Saturday.
The United States' 26th president lived and died on Long Island and now, a new partnership has been formed to study his incredible legacy.
His history is taught to history buffs who tour Sagamore Hill, Roosevelt's summer White House, where the larger-than-life statesman raised a family and wrote periodically.
"Over 35 books and 150,000 pieces of correspondence," Sagamore Hill Superintendent Kelly Fuhrmann said. "He could read a book a day."
Now, Roosevelt's writings and archives will educate students of all ages at Long Island University. The newly minted Theodore Roosevelt Institute will be led by the president's great grandson, Tweed Roosevelt.
"This is a time of great turmoil, where we're having terrific problems of coming together," he said. "TR, I think, is one of many voices that can help us heal our system."
Tweed says he remembers his childhood at the 28-room mansion that's now open to the public.
As governor of New York Teddy fought corruption and ended the practice of segregation in New York schools. He then became our then-youngest president. He started unions, broke monopolies, created our national park system, and is still relevant a century after his presidency.
"The conversation he started so many years ago is still in place and will never be changed," Sagamore Hill visitor Drew Cacciola said.
He was also the first president to use the media to spread his message directly to the people.
"He believed everyone should be engaged in political life," Bill Reed from the Theodore Roosevelt Legacy Partnership said.
Through seminars, lectures, and research, the Institute will advance Roosevelt's ideals. It will launch next faul, and Tweet says it couldn't come at a more important time.
