Theodore Roosevelt Family Tree: 7 Facts About President's Relatives

The nation’s 26th president was a devoted family man whose family tree is filled with noteworthy individuals. Here are seven facts about Theodore Roosevelt’s relatives.

Theodore Roosevelt Sr. – Roosevelt said his father was his greatest influence. In a 2012 Washington Post article, presidential historian Douglas Brinkley listed Theodore Sr., as the best first father, noting that he took his son on trips to the Amazon and provided such things as private tutors in foreign language, taxidermy lessons, and a set of weights.

Vote Now: Who Was the Greatest American President?

Martha "Mittie" Bulloch Roosevelt and Alice Hathaway Lee Roosevelt – Roosevelt’s mother and first wife died on the same day just two days after his first daughter was born, casting Roosevelt into despair, according to the Theodore Roosevelt Association. Roosevelt wrote "The light has gone out of my life." He never spoke of his first wife again.

Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt – Roosevelt and his second wife were childhood sweethearts who married two years after Alice Hathaway Lee Roosevelt’s death.

Theodore Roosevelt Jr. – All four of Roosevelt’s sons served in the military, with his eldest son standing out as a World War II hero. Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt Jr. led the invasion of Utah Beach on D-Day at age 57, for which he was posthumously given the Medal of Honor.

Urgent: Who Is the Greatest American President in History?

Franklin D. Roosevelt – The nation’s 26th and 32nd presidents were fifth cousins. FDR greatly admired his cousin and followed his example into public service through politics, but as a Democrat.

Eleanor Roosevelt – The former first lady was Roosevelt’s niece, whom Roosevelt gave away when she wed FDR. She championed many of the causes that Roosevelt supported, such as interventionist government, regulation of women's and children's labor, and taxes on utility and insurance interests, according to the George Washington University.

Kermit Roosevelt Jr. – Roosevelt’s grandson led a 1953 coup that overthrew the leader of Iran, Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh.

Vote Here: Which U.S. President Would Be Considered the Greatest in History?

Related Stories:

• Theodore Roosevelt Timeline: How 26th President Spent His Early Years
  
• Theodore Roosevelt Accomplishments: Teddy's Military Legacy