TR and the French Ambassador
NOTE: This community was spammed today, for the second time by a porn site. I've banned the user and deleted the post. To try and prevent this from happenning, I've changed the community settings so that memberships must be pre-approved. I will promptly address any membership applications and approve all that are from legitimate non-spamming LJ users.
Today in U.S. President History tells us that on this day in 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt opened the White House Conservation Conference in Washington, DC. I've already journalled on what a great environmentalist that TR was and how far ahead of his time the man was. So permit me a little digression by recounting this anecdote from a series of lectures produced by the Teaching Company called "Great Presidents". In the series on Teddy Roosevelt, this story was told:
TR developed a friendship with the French Ambassador, Jules Jusserand. One day, early in their friendship, TR invited Jusserand to go for a walk. The Ambassador agreed and showed up for the walk dressed like a dandy in a top hat, a suit jacket, white pants and black kid gloves. TR showed up in hiking gear. The two went off on a brisk stroll. Jusserand kept up with TR, but ruined his fancy clothes. The two of them came to the Potomac Rover and the President stripped off all of his clothes to swim in the river and insisted that the Ambassador join him. Jusserand complied, but otherwise naked, he kept on his black kid gloves as he approached the river. When Roosevelt demanded an explanation on why on earth the Ambassador would keep his gloves on for the swim, Jusserand replied, “we might meet some ladies.”
TR should have had his own sitcom, with all the zany and wacky adventures he had.
For anyone interested in the Teaching Company's "Great Presidents" series by Professor Allan Lichtman, here is a link. I highly recommend them (but wait for them to go on sale as they do once a year.)
Today in U.S. President History tells us that on this day in 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt opened the White House Conservation Conference in Washington, DC. I've already journalled on what a great environmentalist that TR was and how far ahead of his time the man was. So permit me a little digression by recounting this anecdote from a series of lectures produced by the Teaching Company called "Great Presidents". In the series on Teddy Roosevelt, this story was told:
TR developed a friendship with the French Ambassador, Jules Jusserand. One day, early in their friendship, TR invited Jusserand to go for a walk. The Ambassador agreed and showed up for the walk dressed like a dandy in a top hat, a suit jacket, white pants and black kid gloves. TR showed up in hiking gear. The two went off on a brisk stroll. Jusserand kept up with TR, but ruined his fancy clothes. The two of them came to the Potomac Rover and the President stripped off all of his clothes to swim in the river and insisted that the Ambassador join him. Jusserand complied, but otherwise naked, he kept on his black kid gloves as he approached the river. When Roosevelt demanded an explanation on why on earth the Ambassador would keep his gloves on for the swim, Jusserand replied, “we might meet some ladies.”
TR should have had his own sitcom, with all the zany and wacky adventures he had.
For anyone interested in the Teaching Company's "Great Presidents" series by Professor Allan Lichtman, here is a link. I highly recommend them (but wait for them to go on sale as they do once a year.)