Historian Douglas Brinkley to Mark Centennial of Teddy Roosevelt’s Visit to University of Idaho

Monday, March 28 2011

MOSCOW, Idaho – A century after former President Theodore Roosevelt visited the University of Idaho, one of his biographers will speak about Roosevelt’s contributions to the conservation movement in Idaho. Historian Douglas Brinkley will speak on Friday, April 8 – the day before the 100th anniversary of Roosevelt’s historic 1911 visit to Moscow.

Brinkley’s talk, “Wild America: From Theodore Roosevelt to Dwight Eisenhower,” will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the ballroom of the Student Union Building, at Sixth and Deakin in Moscow. It is free and open to the public. The talk is sponsored by the James A. and Louise McClure Center for Public Policy, with support from the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences and the university President’s Office.

Brinkley is the author of the critically acclaimed 2009 biography, “The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America.” President from 1901-09, Roosevelt was a key figure in setting aside millions of acres of public lands, forests and natural wonders, including the Grand Canyon, Crater Lake and Olympic National Park.

“In his time, Roosevelt was widely viewed as the world's most famous man,” said David Gray Adler, director of the McClure Center. “His progressive recognition that governmental power could be exercised to preserve and protect America's natural beauty, which he adored, resonates across the decades.”

Adler calls “The Wilderness Warrior” a “monumental, beautifully written masterpiece. It captures the energy and passion that characterized Roosevelt's crusade. His penetrating and lucid narrative will draw readers into the full sweep of TR's historical journey, which gave birth to the conservation movement."

Katherine Aiken, dean of the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, said Roosevelt’s presidency carried particular significance for Idahoans.

“He was the first American president to make a conscious connection with the West. His progressivism resonated with residents of Sen. William Borah’s state. Roosevelt’s ideas about conservation and the future of American forests had a dramatic impact on Idaho, since the federal government controls almost 40 percent of the state’s land.”

Brinkley’s talk is part of the commemoration of the first visit to the university by a sitting or former U.S. president. Roosevelt’s 1911 visit included a speech given on the front steps of the Administration Building and the planting of a tree in the Presidential Grove east of the building. A display of historic photographs and memorabilia from Roosevelt’s visit is on the ground floor of the University Library.

Born in Atlanta, Ga., and raised in Perrysburg, Ohio, Brinkley earned his bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University, and master’s and doctoral degrees from Georgetown University in U.S. diplomatic history.

He has published a comprehensive “American Heritage History of the United States” and written profiles or biographies of such distinguished American figures as business icon Henry Ford, President Jimmy Carter, Sen. John Kerry, civil rights activist Rosa Parks, writers Kurt Vonnegut, Norman Mailer and Ken Kesey, singer-composer Bob Dylan and Knights of Columbus founder Rev. Michael J. McGivney.

Brinkley has taught at Princeton University, the U.S. Naval Academy and Hofstra University, and holds several honorary doctorates. Brinkley is a fellow at the James Baker Institute for Public Policy, the history commentator for CBS News, and a contributing editor to Vanity Fair magazine. He has been a distinguished professor of history at Rice University since in 2007.

Historian Stephen E. Ambrose, who is Brinkley’s mentor, selected Brinkley to follow him as director of the Eisenhower Center, in Abilene, Kan., a position he held for five years.
Brinkley is the author of “The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast”, a record of the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast. Brinkley also served as the primary historian for Spike Lee's documentary about Hurricane Katrina, “When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts,” and “If God is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise.”

Brinkley lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and their three children.

The James A. and Louise McClure Center for Public Policy Research provides non-partisan public policy research for Idaho and the region, promotes sustainability, fosters collaborations, improves civic education and increases public dialogue. Research from the center also offers faculty opportunities to meld their scholarly interests with practical application of benefit for Idaho and the Northwest. For more information, visit www.uidaho.edu/class/mcclurecenter.

About the University of Idaho
Founded in 1889, the University of Idaho is the state’s land-grant institution and its principal graduate education and research university, bringing insight and innovation to the state, the nation and the world. University researchers attract nearly $100 million in research grants and contracts each year. The University of Idaho is classified by the prestigious Carnegie Foundation as high research activity. The student population of 12,000 includes first-generation college students and ethnically diverse scholars, who select from more than 130 degree options in the colleges of Agricultural and Life Sciences; Art and Architecture; Business and Economics; Education; Engineering; Law; Letters, Arts and Social Sciences; Natural Resources; and Science. The university also is charged with the statewide mission for medical education through the WWAMI program. The university combines the strength of a large university with the intimacy of small learning communities and focuses on helping students to succeed and become leaders. For more information, visit www.uidaho.edu.

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About the University of Idaho
The University of Idaho helps students to succeed and become leaders. Its land-grant mission furthers innovative scholarly and creative research to grow Idaho's economy and serve a statewide community. From its main campus in Moscow, Idaho, to 70 research and academic locations statewide, U-Idaho emphasizes real-world application as part of its student experience. U-Idaho combines the strength of a large university with the intimacy of small learning communities. It is home to the Vandals, and competes in the Western Athletic Conference. For information, visit www.uidaho.edu.