Kermit Roosevelt

Kermit Roosevelt Sr., born on October 10, 1889, at Sagamore Hill, Oyster Bay, New York, was an American businessman, soldier, explorer, and writer. He was the second son of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, and Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt. His family included an older half-sister, Alice Lee Roosevelt, from his father's first marriage, as well as an older brother, Theodore Roosevelt III, a younger sister, Ethel Carow Roosevelt, and two younger brothers, Archibald Bulloch "Archie" Roosevelt and Quentin Roosevelt.

Roosevelt attended Groton School for secondary education and subsequently enrolled at Harvard College. During his time at Harvard, he was a member of the Porcellian Club and active in the Boone and Crockett Club, a wildlife conservation organization co-founded by his father. In 1909, as a freshman, he embarked on a year-long expedition to Africa with his father, funded by the Smithsonian Institution, which was followed by a tour of Europe. He completed his undergraduate studies at Harvard in two and a half years, graduating with the Class of 1912.

In 1912, Roosevelt participated in the Roosevelt-Rondon Scientific Expedition into the Amazon Basin of Brazil, exploring the River of Doubt, which was later renamed the Rio Roosevelt, and a branch of the river named the Rio Kermit in his honor. The expedition aimed to trace the river from its source through uncharted rainforest regions. Roosevelt was engaged to Belle Wyatt Willard at the time, daughter of the U.S. ambassador to Spain. His mother expressed concern about the expedition's dangers, leading Roosevelt to accompany his father reluctantly, delaying his marriage. The expedition experienced hardships, including illness, inadequate supplies, and two deaths—one by drowning and the other by murder. Roosevelt contracted malaria but played an instrumental role in saving his father’s life through his skills and determination.

In 1914, Roosevelt married Belle Wyatt Willard. They had four children: Kermit Roosevelt Jr., Joseph Willard Roosevelt, Belle Wyatt "Clochette," and Dirck Roosevelt. His daughter Clochette married John Gorham Palfrey, a dean of Columbia College and member of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.

Between 1914 and 1916, Roosevelt worked as an assistant manager for the National City Bank in Buenos Aires. With the outbreak of World War I and the United States' entry into the conflict in 1917, Roosevelt initially attended the Plattsburg School for officers but resigned to join the British Army, receiving an honorary captaincy on August 22, 1917. He served mainly in the Mesopotamian campaign with the 14th Light Armoured Motor Battery of the Machine Gun Corps, where he mastered Arabic and served as a translator. Roosevelt was awarded the Military Cross on August 26, 1918. He later transferred to the U.S. Army in France, receiving a commission as a captain on May 12, 1918. He participated in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive and was discharged in March 1919.

Following his military service, Roosevelt entered business ventures, founding the Roosevelt Steamship Company and the United States Lines. He remained engaged in outdoor activities and conservation efforts, joining organizations such as the Sons of the American Revolution in 1919, continuing family traditions in heritage organizations. In 1925, he participated in a Himalayan hunting expedition with his brother Ted, documented in their publication "East of the Sun and West of the Moon." During 1928–1929, Roosevelt and Ted were part of the Kelley-Roosevelts Asiatic Expedition, which included the notable hunting and killing of a rare giant panda, an event recounted in their book "Trailing the Giant Panda."

Throughout the late 1930s, Roosevelt served as president of the Audubon Society and vice president of the New York Zoological Society, advocating for the preservation of endangered species and habitats.

By October 14, 1939, at the outset of World War II, Roosevelt secured a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Middlesex Regiment in Britain with the assistance of Winston Churchill. He led British volunteers during the Winter War in Finland. Roosevelt died by suicide on June 4, 1943, while serving in the U.S. Army in Alaska amidst a lifelong struggle with depression.