Notable Man of Size: Teddy Roosevelt
Men of size have been part of the fabric of history since the dawn of time. These gents have been our entertainers, musicians, athletes, and leaders. At Chubstr, call these badasses “Notable Men of Size”. Since it’s an election year, our inaugural installment honors none other than our 26th President, Teddy Roosevelt.
Vice-President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt became President the old fashioned way – due to the assassination of his predecessor. President William McKinley was loved by many, sadly Leon Czolgosz was not one of them. At the tender age of 42, Teddy Roosevelt was sworn in as our nation’s youngest President. Not JFK… look it up! Sorry for yelling It’s hard not to get amped when talking about Teddy. Here are a few reasons why:
Trustbustin’ Teddy Roosevelt
Teddy broke up the big Banks before it was cool… sorry Bernie. No sooner than he set foot in the White House, Teddy got to work trustbusting (a 20th Century term for breaking up large corporations). The 26th president used antitrust laws to break up some of the largest companies in American history, including Northern Securities Company which was the largest Railroad Company at the time. Teddy Didn’t take any crap from nobody, especially not big banks!
Portrait of Teddy Roosevelt
In the early 20th century, food quality left much to be desired, but thanks to Teddy that would soon change. He pushed Congress to pass the Meat Inspection Act of 1906, and the Pure Food and Drug Act. These revolutionary laws mandated food inspections and made sure that falsely labeled products were not sold to the public. So next time you’re cruising the aisles at Whole Foods, if that organic peanut butter has a label on it So next time you stop by Whole Foods to pick up your favorite organic peanut butter, you can thank Teddy.
Teddy Roosevelt – War Hero
Before the term “Rough Rider” became synonymous with rapper DMX, Teddy Roosevelt was the original Rough Rider. He organized the first-ever volunteer Cavalry division at San Juan Hill near Santiago, Cuba during the Spanish-American War. Teddy, like the boss he was, led the attack himself.
“On the day of the big fight I had to ask my men to do a deed that European military writers consider utterly impossible of performance, that is, to attack over open ground, an unshaken infantry armed with the best modern repeating rifles behind a formidable system of entrenchments. The only way to get them to do it in the way it had to be done was to lead them myself.”
Top that, John Wayne.
Teddy Roosevelt with Cabinet
Do you know who the first Commander in Chief was to refer to the presidential mansion as the White House? Big Teddy baby! White House just rolls off the tongue. Presidential mansion… that’s a bit clunky.
Teddy Roosevelt Style
Teddy Roosevelt distinguished himself from his predecessors in many ways. One of those ways was fashion. The man could dress. Known for his stylish 3-piece look, President Roosevelt not only knew what to wear, he knew where to shop. Being a New Yorker Teddy went to Brooks Brothers for most of his formal dress. In fact, he was so fond of Brooks Brothers he used the designer to make his military dress uniform. Now that’s class.
Theodore Roosevelt was a gregarious guy
Many people are remembered. Few are immortalized, and even fewer become icons. Teddy Roosevelt was iconic. Need proof? Well, I mean besides his face being on Mount Rushmore and all. The man has a toy named after him. The Teddy bear is the most famous toy in history and it was named after the big bear himself. While on a hunting trip in Mississippi, aides thought it would be a good idea to tie up the young bear so the president could shoot it. Teddy thought this was unsportsmanlike, and refused to kill the bear. Once the Press got wind of the story, a cartoon was made. It depicted Roosevelt’s refusal to shoot the bear. Soon after, a toy manufacturer would make a stuffed bear and named it Teddy, in honor of the bear he refused to kill. Washington and Lincoln were good guys, but we don’t have products named after them, and for good reason. I don’t think Georgie’s Wooden Teeth Polish or Honest Abe’s Polygraph Test would have done too well commercially.
So there you have it, President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. Our inaugural Notable Man of Size. Keep your eyes peeled for the next installment of this ongoing series.
