Alice Roosevelt Longworth

Alice Roosevelt Longworth was a prominent American socialite and political figure, renowned for her wit, independence, and influential presence in Washington, D.C. society for over eight decades. The eldest child of President Theodore Roosevelt, she became a national celebrity during her father's administration, captivating the public with her unconventional behavior and sharp political commentary. Her Washington, D.C. salon was a legendary gathering place for the political elite throughout much of the 20th century, and she remained a keen observer of American politics until her death.

Early life and family

Born in New York City, she was the only child of Theodore Roosevelt and his first wife, Alice Hathaway Lee Roosevelt, who died just two days after her birth from complications of Bright's disease. Her father, devastated, left her in the care of his sister, Anna Roosevelt Cowles, while he retreated to the Dakota Territory. Following his marriage to Edith Kermit Carow, Alice was raised alongside her half-siblings at the family estate, Sagamore Hill, in Oyster Bay. Her relationship with her stepmother was often strained, and she chafed against the formal expectations of her prominent family, developing a rebellious streak that would define her public persona. Her father's ascent to the presidency following the assassination of William McKinley in 1901 thrust the entire Roosevelt family into the national spotlight.

Marriage and children

In 1906, she married Ohio Congressman Nicholas Longworth III, a prominent member of the United States House of Representatives and future Speaker of the House. The lavish wedding at the White House was a major social event. The marriage, however, was marked by mutual infidelities and political differences, as Longworth was a staunch Republican regular while she often sympathized with the more progressive wing of the party. Their only child, Paulina Longworth, was born in 1925, and rumors persisted that her biological father was Senator William Borah, with whom Alice had a long-term affair. Following Nicholas Longworth's death in 1931, she never remarried, focusing instead on raising her daughter and maintaining her political salon.

Political influence and public life

As the president's daughter, known as "Princess Alice," she became a media sensation, with her antics, including smoking in public, driving cars, and placing bets with a bookmaker, regularly making headlines. She served as an unofficial diplomat, joining the Great White Fleet voyage and a congressional delegation to Asia, where she met figures like the Qing dynasty's Empress Dowager Cixi. Her famous pillow, embroidered with the phrase "If you can't say something good about someone, sit right here by me," epitomized her acerbic wit, which she wielded against politicians of all stripes. She was a vocal critic of her cousin, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and his New Deal policies, and later maintained complex relationships with figures like President Richard Nixon and Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Later years and death

She remained a fixture in Washington, D.C. throughout the latter half of the 20th century, continuing to host gatherings at her home on Massachusetts Avenue and offering candid opinions on events from the Cold War to the Watergate scandal. She published an autobiography, *Crowded Hours*, in 1933. Her later years were shadowed by the 1957 suicide of her daughter, Paulina Longworth, after which she assumed guardianship of her granddaughter, Joanna Sturm. Alice Roosevelt Longworth died of pneumonia at her home in Washington, D.C. in 1980, just days after her 96th birthday, and was interred at the Rock Creek Cemetery.

Legacy and popular culture

Remembered as "the other Washington Monument," her legacy is that of a sharp-tongued, independent woman who navigated the male-dominated world of politics with unparalleled style and influence. Her life has been the subject of numerous biographies, and she has been portrayed in various media, including in the HBO series *Boardwalk Empire* and the film *The Wind and the Lion*. The color "Alice blue," named for her, remains a cultural reference to her era. As a direct link from the Gilded Age to the late 20th century, she embodied a unique and enduring chapter in the social and political history of the United States.

Category:American socialites Category:Roosevelt family Category:1884 births Category:1980 deaths