Theodore Roosevelt Characteristics

In any poll by historians or American citizens, Theodore Roosevelt ranks among the top five presidents of the United States. He is undoubtedly one of the two or three unique individuals who ever held the office and was an instrumental figure in shaping the nation we now know. Without his passion for education, he would have never been in the position or had the determination to be one of the youngest presidents of the United States. Without his education, he would not have been able to accomplish what he did and had the keen mind and other traits that he had. He was a keen observer of life around him and his education was very important to him. He strove to learn as much as he could in all studies, despite his obstacles. Truly, throughout

Whenever Theodore had a moment, he would spend it reading. He usually read several books at a time, reading on average a book a day all throughout his life. He specifically loved stories about the American frontier because he loved learning about history. As soon as he learned to read, he read classics such as Swiss Family Robinson, Little Men, Little Women, and Robinson Crusoe in a heartbeat. Sometimes, instead of reading them himself, he would beg his father to read them to him. “As a small boy,” he remembered, I had Our Young Folks, which I then firmly believed to be the very best magazine in the world. . . . ’Cast Away in the Cold,’ ‘Grandfather’s Struggle for a Homestead’ . . . and a dozen others like them were first class, good healthy stories, interesting in the first place, and in the next place teaching decency, good conduct, leadership, and responsibility. ” He also read books of contemporary fiction, poetry, ancient philosophy, military histories, and natural history studies. At an early age, reading these magnificent books, combined with his father’s unique example, helped Theodore form ideas and opinions that would remain with him throughout his life. Some parents, including Theodore’s mother, worried about their children, since they spent all there time reading. However, Theodore’s father encouraged Theodore to learn and educate himself in many different ways. This was definitely not the only

Theodore worked hard and played hard. While many classmates took pride in being dis-passionate, a popular student poem was entitled “Ode to Indifference.” Theodore loved to argue and exhort about anything that interested him, which his classmates and professors sensed was nearly everything . This gave him the great strength and courage to move forward in his studies. Theodore insisted that he would become a scientist, despite the fact that it was seen as a profession far less suitable to a man of his upbringing. Those who knew him described him as, “eccentric,” or even “half-crazy.” However, after a few important events, Theodore had changed his mind. His father, his biggest role model, died during his junior year. During a tragedy like this, most students would drop out of college, but Theodore kept working vividly. However, even though Theodore did not stop receiving amazing grades, it did change his perspective of his career immensely. Theodore knew that his father did not like the idea of him being a scientist, and so this was a small impact on him. During college, Roosevelt fell in love with Alice Hathaway Lee, a young woman from a prominent New England banking family he met through a friend at Harvard. Alice Lee also was a very big impact throughout his education period and made it clear that she did not want Theodore to become a scientist. Most graduates would go on with the rest of