The Bull Moose

Theodore Rex

A former governor, rough rider, New York City police commissioner and cowboy, Theodore Roosevelt was only 42 years old when he assumed the presidency in 1901 due to the McKinley assassination. T.R. was and remains the youngest person to ever hold the high office, and his administration marked a radical change for his country thanks to his seemingly superhuman levels of stamina.

But... could he have done more?

Of course he could have! Over the course of seven years, Roosevelt shattered the STRANGLEHOLD of monopolies, protected consumers and workers, began work on the Panama Canal, and even won the Nobel Prize for his role as a peacemaker. He also safeguarded vast tracts of the American wilderness, something he was particularly proud of - and something that quickly put T.R. at odds with his hand-picked successor, President Taft. Before the end of Taft's first year, a scandal simmered in Washington that threatened to quash Roosevelt's greatest legacy and ruin the Republican Party, and it all centered upon a certain mountain range in a little-known part of Alaska.

In short, what on Earth was Roosevelt thinking when he vowed not to seek a third term? Surely, something could be done to keep the Taft White House in check. Surely! But what? and how? T.R.'s mind was a mystery impossible to decipher, save for one person in Washington: Nellie Taft.

A Roosevelt By Any Other Name

After retiring from the presidency, Theodore Roosevelt preferred to be addressed as "Colonel Roosevelt," or simply "The Colonel." This took President Taft some getting used to since he enjoyed calling his friend "Mr. President" - much to Theodore Roosevelt and Nellie Taft's irritation.

However, such pangs paled in comparison to Roosevelt's detest for the nickname "Teddy," which he despised with a passion despite its widespread popularity.

The Hunter

T.R. had a problem keeping a low profile after his presidency, and it was mostly due to himself. According to his daughter Alice, her father "wanted to be the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral." And, just as likely, the president of every white house he passed.

Nellie Taft knew Theodore Roosevelt would haunt every moment of her husband's presidency. How, exactly, remained a secret known only to ROOSEVELTs.