Theodore Roosevelt III

Theodore Roosevelt IV (June 14, 1914 – May 2, 2001), also known as Theodore III, was an American individual who worked as a banker, served in government, and participated in military service during World War II. He was a grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt through his father, Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt III.

Born in New York City, Roosevelt was the second of four children of Theodore Roosevelt III and Eleanor Butler Alexander. His siblings included an older sister, Grace Green Roosevelt, who was married to William McMillan, and two younger brothers, Cornelius Van Schaack Roosevelt III and Quentin Roosevelt II. Roosevelt's paternal lineage connects him to the Roosevelt family that includes multiple generations of public service and leadership.

Educationally, Roosevelt attended Groton School, following the educational path of his father and grandfather. He graduated from Harvard University in 1936, where he participated in the Hasty Pudding Theatricals and was a member of the Owl Club. During his time at Harvard, he was a member of the Harvard Crimson men's soccer team and received recognition as a second-team All American in 1934. Roosevelt was also a descendant of the Schuyler family through his heritage as an Oyster Bay Roosevelt. His maternal grandparents were Henry Addison Alexander and Grace Green.

Following his graduation, Roosevelt was employed by the DuPont company from 1936 until 1941. During World War II, he volunteered for military service as a Navy pilot. He served as a flag lieutenant—an aide to an admiral—in the Pacific theater. His military service earned him the Air Medal. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant on April 1, 1944, and ultimately left the Navy as a lieutenant commander.

After the war, Roosevelt returned to civilian life and joined the brokerage firm Montgomery, Scott in Philadelphia, where he became a partner in 1952. He also served as the Secretary of Commerce for Pennsylvania from 1949 to 1951, appointed by Governor James H. Duff. Additionally, he was involved with the nonprofit organization, the Competitive Enterprise System, Inc., which promoted free market principles in the United States. Roosevelt served as a trustee of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) and was actively involved in the organization’s events, including police awards ceremonies and annual meetings.

Roosevelt maintained a strong connection to his family's legacy, holding the status of an honorary plank owner in the USS Theodore Roosevelt and supporting preservation efforts at the Pine Knot site in Virginia, the presidential retreat of his grandparents.

In his personal life, Theodore Roosevelt IV married Anne Mason Babcock on February 3, 1940. They had one son, Theodore V, born in 1942. Roosevelt and Babcock remained married until her death on January 29, 2001.

Roosevelt passed away on May 2, 2001, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. He and his wife are buried at Brookside Cemetery near Somesville, in Mount Desert, Maine.