8
FEATURES
The Clarion
Roosevelt legacy in national forests
President Theodore (Teddy)
Roosevelt became our twenty-sixth
president of the United States when
President William McKinley was as
sassinated in 1901. Roosevelt’s tak-
mg over the oath of office angered
many conservatives who disliked his
unconventional approach to politics.
Roosevelt’s entrance into the presi-
BY JOSEPH
MOERSCHBAECHER
dency would become a giant step for
the conservationist movement in the
United States. President Roosevelt
would redefine the U.S. Forest Ser
vice. After his presidency Roosevelt
looked back and said that his conser
vation program was his greatest con
tribution to the United States m do
mestic affairs.
Theodore Roosevelt was born
on October 27, 1858 in New York
City. As a child Roosevelt suffered
from life threatening asthma attacks,
which could explain his love of the
forest air that he worked so hard to
conserve as president. Although suf
fering from this and other medical
conditions as a child, Roosevelt never
lacked the energy to improve men
tally or physically. This exuberant
energy led to an interest m natural
science, ornithology and hunting,
which became lifelong hobbies. In
1884 Roosevelt’s mother and wife
both died. Distraught by these two
tragic losses Roosevelt left the city
and went to the Dakota Badlands to
begin his emotional healing in the
company of nature. On this country
side Roosevelt worked as a cowboy
on his ranch raising cattle. After
spending two years in Badlands
Roosevelt returned to New York.
Roosevelt became a powerful
figure in New York legislature and
later the police commissioner in New
York City. He soon resigned from this
position when he was asked by
President McKinley to become as
sistant secretary to the Navy. In this
position and war with Spain near
ing Roosevelt formed a group of
soldiers known as the Rough Rid
ers, which consisted mostly of cow
boys on horseback. After war with
Spain Roosevelt was looked at as
great hero, which largely boosted his
political career. Roosevelt won the
governorship of New York and soon
after that held the position of Vice
President of the United States. When
McKinley was assassinated, he be
came president.
As president Roosevelt was sure
to use his executive power as an
equal branch of government, espe
cially in matters of conservation. He
used executive order to establish the
first of the fifty-one national bird
sanctuaries created under his presi
dency. Roosevelt redefined the U.S.
Forest service, which got the U.S.
government involved in forestry and
conservation efforts for the first time.
To lead the Forest Service Roosevelt
named Gifford Pinchot Chief Forester.
Pinchot was well schooled in the field
spending time in France studying for
estry. Before becoming Chief For
ester he had also helped restore the
woodlands we know as Pisgah Na
tional Forest. Pinchot understood
Roosevelt’s ideas and together they
made the perfect match. During his
time as presi
dent, Roosevelt
with the help of
Pinchot in
creased the
number of na
tional forests
from 32 to 149.
Roosevelt later
credited Pinchot
for his work by
saying, “among
the many, many
public officials
who under my
administration
rendered invalu
able service to
the American
people of the
United States,
Gifford Pinchot
on the whole
stood first.”
Roosevelt’s conservation efforts
did not end with his presidency. Soon
after leaving office Roosevelt went
on a yearlong, safari in Africa, which
he made as scientific as possible. He
convinced the Smithsonian institute
to join the safari; the institute gath
ered a large collection of wildlife
specimens on the safari. A few years
later Roosevelt went to South America
on a scientific expedition in which he
would raise awareness of the conser
vationist movement. This expedition
nearly killed Roosevelt when he con
tracted malaria, but the former presi
dent was credited by one of the other
explorers as the reason anyone in the
group survived. Never fully recov
ering from the expedition Roosevelt
died five years later. Before his death
Roosevelt gave his thoughts on life
saying, “Life is a great adventure and
Photo by Michelle Crabtree.
The conservation efforts of Rooseveh helped create many of the
national forests we appreciate today.
I want to say to you, accept it in such
spirit.”
Roosevelt lived a life of great
adventure as a cowboy, Rough Rider,
president, and conservationist.
Roosevelt’s efforts made Americans
realize the importance of our forests.
Roosevelt taught America that our for
ests offered much more than just lum
ber and raw material. Roosevelt told
of forests that offered recreation, heal
ing, and knowledge. Roosevelt ‘s
efforts as a conservationist opened
the door to forestry preservation, be
cause the largest wilderness system
in the world today is found in Na
tional Forests. A reminder of this
president’s contribution to the Ameri
can people can be seen in the National
Forests, many of which he helped set
aside as president.
Future freshman “spring” onto campus
Around 80 students, registered for next year, along with their families
attended the Mountain Spring 2000 Orientation. Below, TWISTER
Productions introduced them to some of each other and some other
interesting characters over an evening of events.
Photo Essay by Wendy Byerly