Corinne Roosevelt Robinson

Corinne Roosevelt Robinson (September 27, 1861 – February 17, 1933) was an American poet, writer, and lecturer. She was the youngest child of Theodore Roosevelt Sr. and Martha Stewart Bulloch, and the younger sister of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States. She was also the aunt of Eleanor Roosevelt, the First Lady of the United States.

Born in New York City at 28 East 20th Street, Robinson was the fourth and youngest child in her family. Her siblings included Anna Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt Jr., who served as president and was the father of Eleanor Roosevelt, and Elliott Roosevelt. She was a descendant of the Schuyler family through her residence in Oyster Bay. Her education was primarily conducted under private tutors.

Robinson maintained close personal relationships with Edith Kermit Carow, who became the second wife of Theodore Roosevelt and served as First Lady. Her parents held different political loyalties; Theodore Roosevelt Sr. supported the Union during the Civil War, while Martha Bulloch, originally from Georgia, supported the Confederacy. Her maternal uncles were members of the Confederate Navy. Despite these familial divisions, Robinson experienced a privileged upbringing, which included high-quality education and regular travel, and she was introduced into society as was customary for children of prominent families.

Robinson started writing poetry at an early age, encouraged by friends including Edith Wharton. Her first published poem, "The Call of Brotherhood," appeared in Scribner’s Magazine in 1911. Her initial collection of poetry, titled "The Call of Brotherhood," was published in 1912. Subsequent volumes of her poetry include "One Woman to Another and Other Poems" (1914), dedicated to her daughter, and "Service and Sacrifice" (1919), dedicated to her brother Theodore Roosevelt. Other poetry collections include "The Poems of Corinne Roosevelt Robinson" (1924) and "Out of Nymph" (1930). She also authored a prose memoir titled "My Brother Theodore Roosevelt" in 1924.

In her political career, Robinson was involved with the Republican Party. She was a member of the executive committees for both the Republican National Committee and the New York State Republican Committee. In 1920, she notably became the first woman called upon to second a nomination at a national party convention, endorsing General Leonard Wood for the Republican presidential nomination. Following Wood's loss, she supported Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge in subsequent elections. During the 1924 presidential campaign, she served on President Coolidge’s advisory committee. She also publicly commented on electoral outcomes, including the loss of her nephew Theodore Roosevelt Jr. for Governor of New York in 1924, and she voted for Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1928 and 1932 elections, despite her Republican affiliations. She declined to serve as a Republican elector-at-large in 1932 and explained to Franklin D. Roosevelt her reasons for abstaining from active participation in that campaign.

Robinson married Douglas Robinson Jr. on April 29, 1882, at the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church. Douglas Robinson Jr. was the son of Douglas Robinson Sr. and Frances Monroe Robinson. She had four children: Theodore Douglas Robinson, Monroe Douglas Robinson, Corinne Douglas Robinson, and Stewart Douglas Robinson. Her son Theodore was a member of the New York State Senate and married Helen Rebecca Roosevelt, linking the family to the Roosevelt and Astor families. Her daughter Corinne served in the Connecticut House of Representatives.

Robinson suffered health issues throughout the 1920s, including numerous eye surgeries. She died of pneumonia on February 17, 1933, in New York City, at the age of 71, shortly before Franklin D. Roosevelt's inauguration as U.S. President. Her funeral was held at St. Bartholomew’s Protestant Episcopal Church and was attended by notable individuals including President-elect Franklin Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt. Her estate was distributed among her children, grandchildren, relatives, and charitable organizations. A memorial service was conducted by the Women's Roosevelt Memorial Association, which also planned a memorial fund in her honor. In 1942, two oriental plane trees were planted at Roosevelt House to commemorate her and Anna Roosevelt Cowles.

Robinson resided at various locations in New York City, including her childhood home at 28 East 20th Street, her own residence at 147 East 61st Street, and a country estate called Gelston Castle near Jordanville, New York. She leased her former Madison Avenue property to new tenants in 1925. She was a member of several clubs, including the Colony Club, Cosmopolitan Club, Women’s National Republican Club, Town Hall Club, MacDowell Club, and Essex Country Club.

Her descendants include notable columnists Joseph Wright Alsop V and Stewart Johonnot Oliver Alsop. Her published works encompass poetry collections and a biography of her brother Theodore Roosevelt.