56 
ROOSEVELT’S BIRTH AND EDUCATION. 
conspicuously tlie kind of college man lie was. In rowing, base-ball 
and foot-ball be was an earnest cbanipion, but never a prominent 
participant. In tbe other athletic contests he was often seen. It 
was as a boxer that he excelled. Boxing was a regular feature of 
the Harvard contests of that day, and Teddy,” as he was uni¬ 
versally called, was the winner of many a bout. 
He had his share in college journalism. During his senior 
year he was one of the editors of the “Advocate.” Unlike the 
other editors, he was not himself a frequent contributor. 
The range of his interests is shown by this enumeration of 
clubs in which he had membership. The Natural History Society, 
of which he was vice-president; the Art Club, of which Professor 
Charles Eliot Norton was the president; the Finance Club, the 
Glee Club (associate member), the Harvard Rifle Corps, the O. K. 
Society, of which he was treasurer, and the Harvard Athletic 
Association, of which he was steward. 
HIS APPEARANCE AT GRADUATION. 
Roosevelt’s share of class-day honors was membership in the 
class committee. All who knew Roosevelt in his college days 
speak of him as dashing and picturesque in his ways and hand¬ 
some appearance. His photograph, taken at graduation, shows 
no moustache, but a rather generous allowance of side whiskers. 
Although he was near-sighted, and wore glasses at the time, 
they do not appear in the photograph. Maturity and sobriety are 
the most evident characteristics of the countenance. A companion 
of student days tells a story to show that the future President did 
things then much as he does them now. A horse in a stable 
close to Roosevelt’s room made a sudden noise one night which 
demanded instant attention. Young Roosevelt was in bed at the 
time, but he waited not for daytime clothes—nor did he even wait 
to get down the steps. He bounded out the second-story window, 
and had quieted the row before the less impetuous neighbors 
arrived. 
It was while in college that he conceived the idea of his his¬ 
tory of the American Navy in the War of 1812. This volume 
