Corinne Roosevelt Robinson

Corinne Roosevelt Robinson (September 27, 1861- February 17, 1933) was the younger sister of former President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt and an aunt of former First Lady of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt.

Early years

Corinne Roosevelt (nicknamed "Conie") was born on September 27, 1861 at 28 East 20th Street in New York City, the fourth and youngest child of Theodore Roosevelt, Sr. and Martha Bulloch. Her siblings were Anna Roosevelt (1855-1931), Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), the future President of the United States, Elliott Roosevelt (1860-1894), the father of future First Lady of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt. Robinson was a playmate of Edith Kermit Carow, Theodore's future wife and later the First Lady of the United States. Corinne's father was a supporter of the North during the Civil War, while her mother supported the South. Martha's home state was Georgia and she had moved to New York only due to her marriage to Theodore. Martha's brothers were also members of the Confederate Navy. The conflict between Corinne's parents' political ideals did not hamper a privileged childhood of the best schools and regular travel, along with a formal societal debut expected of families of prominence.

Career

Robinson was a published poet, lecturer, and orator. She began writing at an early age, through the encouragement of her friends, in particular Edith Wharton who helped critique her poetry. In 1911, Robinson published her first poem, “The Call of Brotherhood”, in Scribner's Magazine. Her first book of poems of the same title was published in 1912. This volume was quickly followed by One Woman to Another and Other Poems (1914) dedicated to her daughter, also named Corinne, commemorating the loss of Robinson's brother Elliott and son, Stewart. Other volumes of poetry by Robinson include Service and Sacrifice (1919) dedicated to her brother Theodore Roosevelt, The Poems of Corinne Roosevelt Robinson (1924), and Out of Nymph (1930) dedicated to Charles Scribner. She also wrote the prose memoir My Brother Theodore Roosevelt (1924). In 1920, Robinson became the first woman ever to address a nomination convention speaking before a crowd of 14,000.

Personal life

On April 29, 1882, the then Corinne Roosevelt married Douglas Robinson. Their marriage produced four children: # Theodore Douglas Robinson (1883-1934) a member of the New York State Assembly. He married his distant cousin, President Franklin D. Roosevelt's niece, Helen Rebecca Roosevelt. # Corinne Douglas Robinson (1886-1971), mother of columnists Joseph and Stewart Alsop # Monroe Douglas Robinson (1887-1944) # Stewart Douglas Robinson (1889-1909), committed suicide by jumping from his college dormitory window after a party.

Throughout the 1920s, Robinson's health failed her a number of times and she had a total of sixteen eye surgeries.

Robinson, a lifelong Republican, voted for her fifth cousin Franklin Roosevelt when he ran for Governor of New York in 1928 and in 1932 when he was elected President of the United States. Robinson commented that she voted for Franklin because: "Eleanor is my niece after all." Eleanor was Corinne's favorite niece and she said of her, "Eleanor was more like Theodore than any of his own children were."

Robinson died on February 17, 1933, age 71, of pneumonia, in New York City less than a month before Franklin Roosevelt was inaugurated President.

Some Published Works

• The Call of Brotherhood (1912) (poetry)
• One Woman to Another and Other Poems (1914) (poetry)
• Service and Sacrifice (1919) (poetry)
• The Poems of Corinne Roosevelt Robinson (1924) (poetry)
• Out of Nymph (1930) (poetry) dedicated to Charles Scribner
• My Brother Theodore Roosevelt (1924) Biography of her brother Theodore Roosevelt

Source

• Howard Hilles-Corinne Roosevelt Robinson Collection - Special Collections - University Libraries at www.wmich.edu