Frontmatter [chapter]

Governor Theodore Roosevelt  
This study of Theodore Roosevelt's governorship of New York was first begun in 1948, when scholars were just beginning to reappraise the historical position of the Republican Roosevelt. By 1950 the manuscript was acceptable as a doctoral dissertation, but as Elting E. Morison remarked, it said "too much about too many things." The pruning for publication proved to be a lengthy process, interrupted again and again by teaching duties and other research. To all those who prodded and encouraged me
more » ... o finish this book, I wish now to express my warm thanks. The work owes much to other historians: Richard W. Leopold first directed me toward Theodore Roosevelt; Frederick Merk and the late Hermann Hagedorn approved the particular topic for the initial award of a Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Association Fellowship at Harvard University (1948-1950); Elting E. Morison and John M. Blum gladly shared their knowledge of Roosevelt's letters, which they were then assembling for publication; Oscar Handlin patiently directed the dissertation, and has since given unsparingly of his counsel and skill in revision; William H. Harbaugh has reviewed the whole manuscript in constructive fashion; my colleague, William Preston, Jr., advised me on the labor section. To them all, and to the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Association for its generous assistance, I am most grateful. Librarians in Massachusetts, New York, and the District of Columbia also contributed. The late Nora Cordingly was a gracious PREFACE / Vili guide through the Roosevelt Collection. The curators of manuscripts at Houghton Library, the Library of Congress, Low Library,
doi:10.4159/harvard.9780674732933.fm fatcat:rgcxufijb5flrnjz36gavnubi4