CHAPTER IV 



ROOSEVELT'S BIRTH AND EDUCATION. 



Eight Generations of Knickerbockers — Quality of the 

 Roosevelt Stock — A Pale and Delicate Boy — Fishing on 

 A Steamship — Preparing for College — Amusing Incident 

 AT THE Preparatory School — Fond of Wrestling and 

 Boxing — Career at Harvard — An Original Character- 

 Partiality for Natural History — Member of Many Clubs — 

 His Idea of a Good Citizen — Roosevelt's Graduation and 

 Trip to Europe. 



T^HEODORE ROOSEVELT was born in New York city on 

 -^ October 27, 1858, and conies from a family that for genera- 

 tions has been noted for wealth, social position, high intelligence, 

 disinterested public spirit, general usefulness and philanthropy. 

 The list of his ancestors includes many who were distinguished in 

 public life, and were honored for their sterling qualities. 



He is a Knickerbocker of the Knickerbockers, being seventh 

 in descent from Klaas Martensen van Roosevelt, who, with his 

 wife, Jannetje Samuels-Thomas, emigrated from the Netherlands 

 to New Amsterdam in 1649, ^^^ became one of the most promi- 

 nent and prosperous burghers of that settlement. For two and 

 a half centuries the descendants of this couple have flourished in 

 and near the city of New York, maintaining unimpaired the high 

 social standing assumed at the beginning, and by thrift, indus- 

 try and enterprise adding materially to the wealth acquired 

 by inheritance. With the special opportunities for distinction 

 afforded by the Revolution, a number of them came into marked 

 prominence. 



Just previous to that struggle, and during its earlier years, 

 Isaac Roosevelt was a member of the New York Provincial Con- 

 gress. Later he sat in the State Legislature, and for several 

 years was a member of the New York City Council. For quite a 



long period he was President of the Bank of New York. Jacobus 

 2— M.L. 



