Theodore Roosevelt signature

Who Theodore Roosevelt was

Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) was a New York politician, rancher, naturalist and soldier who became the 26th President in 1901 after the assassination of William McKinley. At 42 he was the youngest person to hold the office. He served until 1909, greatly expanded federal protection of forests and wildlife, and won the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize for mediating the end of the Russo-Japanese War.

He was also a prolific author, with dozens of books on history, nature, hunting and politics, and a huge correspondence.

The story of the signature

Roosevelt signed his full name, “Theodore Roosevelt”. The public called him Teddy, and the teddy bear was named after him following a 1902 hunting trip, but he disliked the nickname and did not sign with it.

Because he wrote so much, his signature survives on an unusual range of material: official papers, letters, photographs and books he inscribed.

The Library of Congress holds the largest collection of his papers. A photograph of his signature from its collections, dated 1900, is reproduced on Wikimedia Commons (see the sources below).

What makes it distinctive

How to give your signature a similar feel

• For a long full-name signature, choose a font that stays lively. Kristi on the Type tab of the signature generator has a scratchy, spontaneous line; set Slant to 10° or more.
• Let the capitals of your first name and surname do the work, and allow the lowercase to run together a little.
• On the Draw tab, write the whole name in one go instead of letter by letter. A confident pace gives the line energy.
• If your name is long, reduce Size slightly so the signature fits a normal signature line.

Where to see the original

These links lead to archives, libraries, museums and Wikimedia Commons.

• Wikimedia Commons: Signatures of Theodore Roosevelt
• Wikimedia Commons: Theodore Roosevelt’s signature, 1900 (Library of Congress photograph)