Alice Roosevelt

Alice Lee Roosevelt Longworth was born on February 12, 1884 in New York City, U.S. Daughter to president Theodore Roosevelt, she was an American socialite who lived a life full of controversy. Her mother died in 1884 of Bright's Disease, two days after giving birth. Alice was sent to her aunt, Anna Roosevelt, who raised her until she was three, after which her father regained custody after marrying his second wife, Edith Kermit Carow. Tensions were especially high between these two, as Carow's jealousy for Alice's mother caused her to reduce her anger on Alice. She also butted heads with her father, who refused to call her by her name after the death of her mother, which slowly distanced them. Her stepmother suggested that she be sent to boarding school, to which she stated that she would humiliate her father as much as possible. Her father eventually relented, causing her to exhibit her worse behavior at all times, running around almost uncontrollably.

When her father became president, the press took a great interest to her, constantly following her unusual resistance to customs and stark comments. She often disliked the attention, which in turn caused the public to love her even more. She didn't believe in marriage, due to a distrust of men. This was extremely unusual for the times, as marriage was seen as the main path for women at this time, especially for one of her place in high society. Throughout her life, she adopted a very outspoken persona, similar to that of her aunt, whom she spent many years with.

Her strange antics include, but are not limited to: Racing a car along the streets, smoking on the roof of the White House, playing poker, partying through nights, carrying a dagger, bringing around her pet snake named Emily Spinach, and phoning media companies about her location to receive cash rewards. According to the New York Herald, over the course of a 15 month period, she went to "407 dinners, 350 balls, 300 parties, 680 teas, 1706 socials calls, and 32,000 people by shaking their hands." Years later, Alice reflected on her life, calling herself a sort of "hedonist." After her father left office, she would be banned from the White House two times, one for the burial of a voodoo doll of William Howard Taft's wife in the yard, and again for heavy criticism of President Wilson.

Even with her radical behavior, many young women admired her and believed that she was where the future of the gender was headed. She was seen as an equivalent of today's celebrities, if not more well known then many today.

She was a very active member in the political scene. She served on the national board of directors of America First, and had many connections to major U.S. political figures including the Kennedys and the Nixons. She died in 1980 at the age of 96, remembered, according to President Carter, as having "style", "grace". and a "sense of humor that kept generations of political newcomers to Washington wondering which was worse—to be skewered by her wit or to be ignored by her."

Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alice-Roosevelt-Longworth
Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington by Stacy Cordery
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