Corinne Roosevelt Robinson
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Corinne Roosevelt Robinson (September 27, 1861 – February 17, 1933) was an American poet, writer and lecturer. She was also the younger sister of former
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
and an aunt of future
First Lady of the United States The first lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is the title held by the hostess of the White House, usually the wife of the president of the United States, concurrent with the president's term in office. Although the first lady's role has never ...
,
Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...
.


Early years

Corinne Roosevelt was born on September 27, 1861, at 28 East 20th Street in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, the fourth and youngest child of businessman/philanthropist
Theodore Roosevelt Sr. Theodore Roosevelt Sr. (September 22, 1831 – February 9, 1878) was an American businessman and philanthropist from the Roosevelt family. Roosevelt was also the father of President Theodore Roosevelt and the paternal grandfather of First Lady E ...
and socialite Martha Stewart Bulloch. Her siblings were
Anna Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century) * Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 1221) ...
, Theodore Jr. (who became president), and Elliott (the father of future
First Lady of the United States The first lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is the title held by the hostess of the White House, usually the wife of the president of the United States, concurrent with the president's term in office. Although the first lady's role has never ...
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...
). As an Oyster Bay Roosevelt Corinne was a descendant of the
Schuyler family The Schuyler family ( /ˈskaɪlər/; Dutch pronunciation: xœylər was a prominent Dutch family in New York and New Jersey in the 18th and 19th centuries, whose descendants played a critical role in the formation of the United States (especiall ...
. She received most of her education from private tutors. Corinne was best friends with Edith Kermit Carow, her brother Theodore Roosevelt's second wife and later the
First Lady of the United States The first lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is the title held by the hostess of the White House, usually the wife of the president of the United States, concurrent with the president's term in office. Although the first lady's role has never ...
. Theodore Sr. was a supporter of the North during the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, while Mittie supported the South. Mittie's home state was
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
, and she had moved to
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
only because of her marriage to Theodore. Mittie's brothers were members of the
Confederate Navy The Confederate States Navy (CSN) was the Navy, naval branch of the Confederate States Armed Forces, established by an act of the Confederate States Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the Amer ...
. However, the conflict between Corinne's parents' political loyalties did not prevent her from experiencing a privileged childhood, including the best schools and regular travel, or the formal debut into society expected of the daughters of prominent families.


Career

Robinson began
writing Writing is a medium of human communication which involves the representation of a language through a system of physically Epigraphy, inscribed, Printing press, mechanically transferred, or Word processor, digitally represented Symbols (semiot ...
at an early age, through the encouragement of her friends, in particular
Edith Wharton Edith Wharton (; born Edith Newbold Jones; January 24, 1862 – August 11, 1937) was an American novelist, short story writer, and interior designer. Wharton drew upon her insider's knowledge of the upper-class New York "aristocracy" to portray ...
who helped critique her
poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings i ...
. In 1911, Robinson published her first poem, "The Call of Brotherhood", in ''Scribner's Magazine''. Her first book of poems of the same title was published in 1912. This volume was quickly followed by ''One Woman to Another and Other Poems'' (1914) dedicated to her daughter, also named Corinne, commemorating the loss of Robinson's brother Elliott and son, Stewart. Other volumes of poetry by Robinson include ''Service and Sacrifice'' (1919) dedicated to her brother Theodore Roosevelt, ''The Poems of Corinne Roosevelt Robinson'' (1924), and ''Out of Nymph'' (1930) dedicated to Charles Scribner. She also wrote the prose memoir ''My Brother Theodore Roosevelt'' (1924).


Political career

Robinson was a member of the executive committee of the
Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in fu ...
and the
New York State Republican Committee The New York Republican State Committee, established in 1855, is the New York State affiliate of the United States Republican Party (GOP). The party has headquarters in Albany, Buffalo, and New York City.
. During the election of 1920, Robinson became the first woman ever called upon to second the nomination of a national party convention candidate; speaking before a crowd of 14,000, she endorsed General
Leonard Wood Leonard Wood (October 9, 1860 – August 7, 1927) was a United States Army major general, physician, and public official. He served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Military Governor of Cuba, and Governor-General of the Philippi ...
as the 1920 Republican candidate for president. After Wood lost the nomination to Harding, Robinson came out strongly for Harding and his vice-presidential candidate,
Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer ...
. In the 1924 election, she served as a member of Coolidge's advisory committee. Also in 1924, she wrote a letter to ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' commenting on the election loss of her nephew,
Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. Theodore Roosevelt III ( ), often known as Theodore Jr.Morris, Edmund (1979). ''The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt''. index.While it was President Theodore Roosevelt who was legally named Theodore Roosevelt Jr., the President's fame made it simple ...
, for Governor of New York. Despite being a prominent Republican, Corinne voted for her fifth cousin and nephew-in-law
Franklin Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...
when he ran for
Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
of
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
in 1928, and in 1932 when he was elected
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
. During the 1932 election, she declined the designation of a Republican elector-at-large, and wrote to Franklin saying that she had refused to take an active part in the campaign. She also stated that:
You must understand why I cannot comment on the national campaign. My own beloved niece is the wife of the Democratic candidate. She is the daughter of the brother who was nearer to me in age than Theodore. For her I have the deepest affection and respect. So, much as I would like to pay the highest tribute to President Hoover, I cannot do so in this campaign.


Personal life

On April 29, 1882, she married
Douglas Robinson Jr. Douglas Robinson Jr. (January 3, 1855 – September 12, 1918) was an American businessman who was married to Corinne Roosevelt, a sister of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and an aunt of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Early life Robinson was b ...
(1855–1918), son of Douglas Robinson Sr. and Frances (
née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Monroe) Robinson at the
Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) church in New York City. The church, on Fifth Avenue at 7 West 55th Street in Midtown Manhattan, has approximately 2,200 members and is one of the larger PCUSA congregations. The ...
. Robinson's maternal grandfather,
James Monroe James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was ...
(1799–1870), a member of the
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
, was a nephew of
U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
James Monroe James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was ...
(1758–1831). Their marriage produced four children: *
Theodore Douglas Robinson Theodore Douglas Robinson (April 28, 1883 – April 10, 1934) was an American politician from New York who served as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy from November 1924 to 1929. He was a member of the Roosevelt family through his mother and was ...
(1883–1934), a member of the
New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate. Partisan com ...
who married his distant cousin, Helen Rebecca Roosevelt (1881–1962), daughter of James Roosevelt "Rosey" Roosevelt (1854–1927) and Helen Schermerhorn Astor (1855–1893) of the
Astor family The Astor family achieved prominence in business, society, and politics in the United States and the United Kingdom during the 19th and 20th centuries. With ancestral roots in the Italian Alps region of Italy by way of Germany, the Astors settle ...
, and half-niece of
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
* Corinne Douglas Robinson (1886–1971), a member of the
Connecticut House of Representatives The Connecticut State House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an ...
. * Monroe Douglas Robinson (1887–1944) who married Dorothy Jordan, the daughter of merchant Eben D. Jordan and granddaughter of
Eben Dyer Jordan Eben Dyer Jordan Sr. (October 13, 1822 − November 15, 1895) was an American business executive, best remembered as the co-founder of the department store chain Jordan, Marsh & Co. with Benjamin L. Marsh in 1841. Early life Jordan was born in ...
. * Stewart Douglas Robinson (1889–1909), who died after falling out of his college dormitory window after sustaining a head injury at a
party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature f ...
. Throughout the 1920s, Robinson's health failed her a number of times and she had a total of sixteen eye
surgeries Surgery ''cheirourgikē'' (composed of χείρ, "hand", and ἔργον, "work"), via la, chirurgiae, meaning "hand work". is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a person to investigate or treat a pat ...
. Robinson died on February 17, 1933, age 71, of
pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...
, in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, less than a month before
Franklin Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...
was inaugurated as
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
. Her funeral was held at St. Bartholomew's Protestant Episcopal Church and was attended by more than 1,000 people, including President-elect Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt,
Sara Roosevelt Sara Ann Roosevelt ( Delano; September 21, 1854 – September 7, 1941) was the second wife of James Roosevelt I (from 1880), the mother of President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt, her only child, and subsequently the mother ...
, Anna Roosevelt, and Curtis B. Dall. The bulk of her estate was divided among her three surviving children with smaller bequests made to grandchildren, nephews, friends and institutions. She left all real and personal property she had received from her uncle, Cornelius V. S. Roosevelt to her daughter, Corinne. The household furniture, residue of the property, including $30,000 left to her by another uncle, James King Gracie (1840–1903), was to be shared equally among her children. A portrait of Harriet Douglas (1790–1872), sister-in-law of
James Monroe James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was ...
, painted by
Sir William Beechey Sir William Beechey (12 December 175328 January 1839) was an English portraitist during the golden age of British painting. Early life Beechey was born at Burford, Oxfordshire, on 12 December 1753, the son of William Beechey, a solicitor, an ...
, was left to her grandson, Douglas Robinson (1906-1964), of whom Harriet was his great-great-great aunt. A memorial was held for her by the
Women's Roosevelt Memorial Association A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regardl ...
, of which she was a director, at Roosevelt House at 28 East 20th Street. The benediction was pronounced by the Rev. Dr.
Henry Sloane Coffin Henry Sloane Coffin (January 5, 1877, in New York City – November 25, 1954, in Lakeville, Connecticut) was president of the Union Theological Seminary, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, and one of the mos ...
. The Association also planned a memorial fund in her honor to augment the Roosevelt endowment fund for the preservation of the Roosevelt House. In 1942, two oriental plane trees were planted in front of the Roosevelt House and dedicated to the memory of Anna Roosevelt Cowles and Corinne.


Residences and clubs

Robinson, who was born at the Roosevelt House at 28 East 20th Street in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, had her own home in New York City at 147 East 61st Street, as well as a country home called
Gelston Castle Gelston Castle, located near Castle Douglas in Kirkcudbrightshire in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, was built by Sir William Douglas of Castle Douglas, who had acquired the lands of Gelston in 1799. However, Sir William Douglas died withou ...
in Mohawk near
Jordanville, New York Jordanville is a hamlet in the town of Warren, Herkimer County, New York, United States. Jordanville is in the northwestern part of Warren, at the intersection of New York State Route 167 and County Route 155. The community was settled by Eu ...
where she cultivated her interest in flowers. In 1925, she leased her former home, 422 and 424 Madison Avenue, a five-story building adjoining the southwest corner of 49th Street, to Bernard A. Ottenberg and Roy Foster for a period of 80 years with annual rent of about $25,000 a year for the first 20 years. At the time, the entire building was occupied by the Braus Art Galleries. After the expiration of the Braus lease, the new lessees planned to construct a nine-story store and loft building with foundations for twelve to fifteen stories. She was a member of the
Colony Club The Colony Club is a women-only private social club in New York City. Founded in 1903 by Florence Jaffray Harriman, wife of J. Borden Harriman, as the first social club established in New York City by and for women, it was modeled on similar ...
, Cosmopolitan Club,
Women's National Republican Club The Women's National Republican Club is the oldest private club for Republican women in the United States, and was founded by Henrietta Wells Livermore in 1921.The club grew out of the earlier women's suffrage movement in New York which led to the ...
, Town Hall Club,
MacDowell Club The MacDowell Clubs in the United States were established at the turn of the twentieth century to honor internationally recognized American composer Edward MacDowell. They became part of a broader social movement to promote music and other art forms ...
and Essex Country Club.


Descendants

Robinson was the grandmother of columnists Joseph Wright Alsop V (1910–1989) and Stewart Johonnot Oliver Alsop (1914–1974).


Some published works

*''The Call of Brotherhood'' (1912) (poetry) *''One Woman to Another and Other Poems'' (1914) (poetry) *''Service and Sacrifice'' (1919) (poetry) *''The Poems of Corinne Roosevelt Robinson'' (1924) (poetry) *''Out of Nymph'' (1930) (poetry) dedicated to Charles Scribner *''My Brother Theodore Roosevelt'' (1924) Biography of her brother
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
*''My Brother The 26'' (1932) (poetry)


References


Sources


Howard Hilles-Corinne Roosevelt Robinson Collection – Special Collections – University Libraries
at www.wmich.edu


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Corinne Roosevelt 1861 births 1933 deaths Roosevelt family Writers from New York City New York (state) Republicans American women poets People included in New York Society's Four Hundred 20th-century American poets Deaths from pneumonia in New York City