Roosevelt | |
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Political family | |
Current region | New York and New England |
Earlier spellings | Rosevelt, van Rosenvelt, van Rosevelt |
Etymology | Dutch for "Rose field" |
Place of origin | Dutch American Community, English American Community — Netherlands, United Kingdom (England), United States (New York) |
Connected families | Delano family Du Pont family Astor family Latrobe family Livingston family Longworth family Hoffman family Schuyler family Goodyear family Lowell family de Peyster family Whitney family Brooke Family |
Estate(s) | Sagamore Hill (Oyster Bay, New York) Springwood (Hyde Park, New York) |
The Roosevelt family is an American political family from New York whose members have included two United States presidents, a First Lady, [1] and various merchants, bankers, politicians, inventors, clergymen, artists, and socialites. The progeny of a mid-17th-century Dutch immigrant to New Amsterdam, many members of the family became nationally prominent in New York State and City politics and business and intermarried with prominent colonial families. Two distantly related branches of the family from Oyster Bay and Hyde Park, New York, rose to global political prominence with the presidencies of Theodore Roosevelt (1901–1909) and his fifth cousin Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945), whose wife, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, was Theodore's niece. The Roosevelt family is one of four families to have produced two presidents of the United States by the same surname; the others were the Adams, Bush, and Harrison families.
Claes Maartenszen van Rosenvelt (c. 1626–1659), the immigrant ancestor of the Roosevelt family, arrived in New Amsterdam (present-day New York City) sometime between 1638 and 1649. About the year 1652, he bought a farm from Lambert van Valckenburgh, comprising 24 morgens (i.e., 20.44 ha or 50.51 acres) in what is now Midtown Manhattan, including the present site of the Empire State Building. [2] The property included approximately what is now the area between Lexington Avenue and Fifth Avenue bounded by 29th St. and 35th St.
Claes van Rosenvelt's son Nicholas was the first to use the spelling Roosevelt and the first to hold political office, as an alderman. His sons Johannes and Jacobus were, respectively, the progenitors of the Oyster Bay and Hyde Park branches of the family. By the late 19th century, the Hyde Park Roosevelts were generally associated with the Democratic Party and the Oyster Bay Roosevelts with the Republicans. President Theodore Roosevelt, an Oyster Bay Roosevelt, was the uncle of Eleanor Roosevelt, later wife of Franklin Roosevelt. Despite political differences that caused family members to actively campaign against each other, the two branches generally remained friendly.
Arms of the Roosevelt family | |
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Adopted | 17th century |
Crest | Upon a torse argent and gules, Three ostrich plumes each per pale gules and argent. [3] |
Shield | Argent upon a grassy mound a rose bush proper bearing three roses Gules barbed and seeded proper.. [3] |
Motto | Qui plantavit curabit ("He who planted [us] will care [for us]") |
Other elements | The mantling, gules doubled argent. [3] |
The Roosevelt arms feature a rose bush in reference to the name: "Roosevelt", which is Dutch for "rose field", [4] making these an example of canting arms. |
In heraldry, canting arms are a visual or pictorial depiction of a surname, and were and still are a popular practice. It would be common to find roses, then, in the arms of many Roosevelt families, even unrelated ones; the name Rosenvelt means "rose field". Also, grassy mounds or fields of green would be a familiar attribute.
The Van Roosevelts of Oud-Vossemeer in Zeeland have a coat of arms that is divided horizontally, the top portion green with a white chevron between three white roses, while the bottom half is gold with a red lion rampant. A traditional blazon suggested would be, Per fess vert a chevron between three roses argent and Or a lion rampant gules. [3]
The coat of arms of the namesakes of the Dutch immigrant Claes van Rosenvelt, ancestor of the American political family that included Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt, was white with a rosebush with three rose flowers growing upon a grassy mound, the crest being of three ostrich feathers divided into red and white halves each. In heraldic terms this would be described as, Argent upon a grassy mound a rose bush proper bearing three roses gules barbed and seeded all proper, with a crest upon a torse argent and gules of Three ostrich plumes each per pale gules and argent. Franklin Roosevelt altered his arms to omit the rosebush and use in its place three crossed roses on their stems, changing the blazon of his shield to Three roses one in pale and two in saltire gules barbed seeded slipped and left proper. [3]
This section needs additional citations for verification .(September 2017) |
The following is a list of companies in which the Roosevelt family have held a controlling or otherwise significant interest.
Kermit Roosevelt Sr. MC was an American businessman, soldier, explorer, and writer. A son of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, Kermit graduated from Harvard College, served in both World Wars, and explored two continents with his father. He fought a lifelong battle with depression and died by suicide while serving in the US Army in Alaska during World War II.
Theodore Roosevelt IV, also known as Theodore III, was an American banker, government official, and veteran of World War II. He was a grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt through his father, Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt III. His name suffix varies since President Roosevelt's father was Theodore Roosevelt Sr., though the same-named son did not commonly use a "Jr." name suffix.
Robert Barnhill Roosevelt, also known as Robert Barnwell Roosevelt, was a sportsman, author, and politician who served as a United States representative from New York (1871–1873) and as Minister to the Hague (1888–1889). He was also a member of the Roosevelt family and an uncle of US President Theodore Roosevelt.
Elliott Roosevelt Sr. was an American socialite. He was the father of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and the younger brother of Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), the 26th president of the United States. Elliott and Theodore were of the Oyster Bay Roosevelts; Eleanor later married her Hyde Park distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882–1945), the 32nd President.
Corinne Roosevelt Robinson was an American poet, writer and lecturer. She was also the younger sister of President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt and an aunt of First Lady of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt.
Cornelius Van Schaack "C.V.S." Roosevelt was an American businessman from New York City. He was a member of the prominent Roosevelt family and the paternal grandfather of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt.
Corinne Alsop Cole was an American politician who served two terms as a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives.
Cornelius Van Schaack Roosevelt III was an American intelligence officer, business executive and World War II veteran, who was a grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt. He worked for the CIA from the close of World War II until his retirement in 1973.
The Schuyler family 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, in leading government and business in North America and served as leaders in business, military, politics, and society. The other two most influential New York dynasties of the 18th and 19th centuries were the Livingston family and the Clinton family.
Jacobus "James" Roosevelt III was an American businessman and politician from New York City. A member of the Roosevelt family, he was the son of Isaac Roosevelt and great-grandfather of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The Livingston family of New York is a prominent family that migrated from Scotland to the Dutch Republic, and then to the Province of New York in the 17th century. Descended from the 4th Lord Livingston, its members included signers of the United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. Several members were Lords of Livingston Manor and Clermont Manor, located along the Hudson River in 18th-century eastern New York.
George Emlen Roosevelt a banker and philanthropist, was a first cousin once-removed of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and one of the most prominent railroad financiers of his day, involved in no fewer than 14 railroad reorganizations. He also held directorships in several important companies, including the Morgan-controlled Guaranty Trust Company, the Chemical Bank, and the Bank for Savings in New York.
Nicholas Roosevelt was an American politician. He was an early member of the Roosevelt family and a prominent Dutch-American citizen of New Amsterdam, and was the 4th great-grandfather to Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) and Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882–1945). He was the first Roosevelt to hold an elected office in North America, as an alderman, as well as the first to use the familiar spelling of the family name.
Johannes Roosevelt, known as John Roosevelt, was a New York City businessman and politician and the progenitor of the Oyster Bay Roosevelts, including Theodore and Eleanor Roosevelt.
James Alfred Roosevelt was an American businessman and philanthropist. A member of the Roosevelt family, he was an uncle of President Theodore Roosevelt.
Eleanor Butler Alexander Roosevelt was an American philanthropist. She was the wife of General Theodore Roosevelt III, and a daughter-in-law of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States.
James Jacobus Roosevelt was an American businessman from New York City who was a member of the prominent Roosevelt family and a paternal great-grandfather of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt.
Douglas Robinson Jr. 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.
John Gorham Palfrey Jr. was an American academic, administrator, and government official. He was a professor at law at Columbia University and served as dean of Columbia College from 1958 to 1962. He also served on the United States Atomic Energy Commission from 1962 to 1966.
editions:LCCN93004831.