Ethel Roosevelt Derby

Ethel Carow Roosevelt Derby (née Roosevelt) was born on August 13, 1891, in Oyster Bay, New York. She was the youngest daughter and fourth child of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, and Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt. Her family included a half-sister, Alice Roosevelt, and four brothers: Ted (Theodore III), Kermit, Archie, and Quentin.

From an early age, Roosevelt demonstrated leadership qualities. Her father remarked that she "had a way of doing everything and managing everybody." During her childhood at Sagamore Hill, her family’s estate on Long Island, she participated actively in various activities, especially horseback riding with her mother.

Roosevelt's education included attending the National Cathedral School. During her father’s presidency, she often assisted by placing meal orders and delegating tasks to White House staff, particularly filling in for her mother, Edith Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt became president in 1901 after the assassination of William McKinley, when Ethel was 10 years old. She sought to maintain a low profile during the White House years, contrasting with her half-sister Alice Roosevelt, who was noted for her more public persona.

Ethel Roosevelt had her debut at the White House on December 28, 1908, at the age of 17. She attended school in Washington, D.C., and experienced difficulty making friends due to her father’s prominent position in society.

During World War I, Ethel served as a nurse in France, working in the same hospital where her husband was a surgeon. Her wartime activities included involvement with the Red Cross; she served as Nassau County Chairman during World War II and later as Chairman of the Nassau County Nursing Service. Her correspondence with the Red Cross indicates long-standing service, with records showing she was honored with a sixty-year service pin, which was initially misreported as fifty years.

In 1913, she married Richard Derby, a surgeon. During World War I, she also assisted in France, working as a nurse at the American Ambulance Hospital. Ethel was notably the first of her father’s children to serve in the war. The couple had four children: Richard Derby Jr. (1914–1922), who died at age eight from sepsis; Edith Roosevelt Derby (1917–2008), who married Andrew Murray "Mike" Williams; Sarah Alden Derby (1920–1999), who married Vermont State Senator Robert T. Gannett; and Judith Quentin Derby (1923–1973), who married Adelbert "Del" Ames III.

After her husband's death, Ethel dedicated more time to the American Civil Rights Movement, focusing on local issues. She was involved in efforts to bring low-income housing to Oyster Bay amid initial resistance, successfully convincing residents and organizing community support.

In her later years, Ethel participated in political events such as the 1960 Republican National Convention, where she, along with her daughter Edith, seconded Richard Nixon's nomination. By 1975, her health declined. In 1977, she visited the White House for the last time, meeting President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter.

Ethel Roosevelt Derby died on December 10, 1977, at the age of 86 at the Adam-Derby House in Oyster Bay, New York. She was buried in Youngs Memorial Cemetery alongside her parents, husband, and other relatives.