Quentin Roosevelt

Quentin Roosevelt was born on November 19, 1897, in Washington, D.C. He was the youngest son of President Theodore Roosevelt and Edith Roosevelt. His family included a half-sister, Alice; a sister, Ethel; and brothers Ted (Theodore Roosevelt III), Kermit, and Archie. During his father's presidency, which began when Quentin was three years old, he was raised in the White House.

As a child, Quentin was known for his energetic and mischievous behavior. His mother, Edith Roosevelt, described him as a "fine bad little boy." His activities included carving a baseball diamond on the White House lawn without permission, defacing official White House portraits with spitballs, throwing snowballs from the White House roof at Secret Service guards, and riding on top of the family elevator with his friend Charlie Taft, son of Secretary of War William Howard Taft. He was also noted for making humorous and philosophical remarks, and he once explained to a reporter, "I see him occasionally, but I know nothing of his family life," referring to his father. Quentin also demonstrated caring during family emergencies; for example, he used a makeshift brick chimney to bake potatoes behind the White House, and he brought a pony to his ill brother Archie’s room to cheer him up.

Quentin Roosevelt began his education at Force Elementary School before attending the Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia. He later studied at the Evans School for Boys and Groton School. Exhibition of academic ability aligned with his intellectual capabilities, often scoring high marks and showing promise as a writer. In 1915, he was admitted to Harvard College.

His engagement was to Flora Payne Whitney, the elder daughter of Harry Payne Whitney and Gertrude Vanderbilt. Gertrude was a descendant of Cornelius Vanderbilt. Harry Whitney disapproved of the relationship because of his generally negative view of the Roosevelt family and Theodore Roosevelt’s political stance.

During his youth, Quentin was involved in military training activities. Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, he attended the summer camp at Plattsburgh organized by Major General Leonard Wood, which provided military training to young men. Post-1916, American military legislation formalized training programs such as the ROTC, which Quentin participated in. Despite his interest in military service, his father initially planned to have his sons join as privates in Europe; however, the War Department and President Wilson overruled this, and all Roosevelt sons served as officers during World War I.

In May 1917, Quentin dropped out of Harvard to join the United States Army Air Service, motivated by his mechanical skills and interest in aviation. He trained at Roosevelt Field on Long Island, a facility later renamed in his honor. During his service, he was assigned to the 95th Aero Squadron, part of the 1st Pursuit Group, and was stationed at Saints, France. He initially contributed by assisting with the setup of training bases and later became a pursuit pilot.

Quentin Roosevelt achieved one confirmed aerial victory by shooting down a German aircraft during the spring offensive. On July 10, 1918, he shot down an enemy aircraft, and four days later, on July 14, 1918, during the Second Battle of the Marne, his aircraft was shot down behind German lines. Quentin was killed by machine gun bullets in aerial combat over Chamery, France. His aircraft crashed near the front lines, and he was buried with full battlefield honors by German forces, using saplings to construct a cross for his grave.

Eddie Rickenbacker, commander of the 94th Aero Squadron, described Quentin as a popular and brave pilot, noting his natural self and reckless bravery. Quentin Roosevelt remains the only child of a U.S. president to die in combat.