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Ethel Roosevelt Derby | |
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 Roosevelt in 1912 | |
| Born | Ethel Carow Roosevelt (1891-08-13)August 13, 1891 Oyster Bay, New York, U.S. |
| Died | December 10, 1977(1977-12-10) (aged 86) Oyster Bay, New York, U.S. |
| Spouse | Richard Derby (m. 1913) |
| Children |
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| Parent(s) | Theodore Roosevelt Edith Roosevelt |
| Relatives | Roosevelt family |
Ethel Carow Derby (née Roosevelt; August 13, 1891 – December 10, 1977) was the youngest daughter and fourth child ofTheodore Roosevelt, 26thPresident of the United States. Known as "The Queen" or "The First Lady of Oyster Bay" by itsLong Island residents, Ethel was instrumental in preserving both the legacy of her father as well as the family home,Sagamore Hill for future generations, especially after the death of her mother, Edith, in 1948.[1]
Ethel Carow Roosevelt was born inOyster Bay, New York, onLong Island on August 13 1891, toTheodore Roosevelt andEdith Kermit Carow. She had a half-sisterAlice, and four brothers;Ted (Theodore III),Kermit,Archie, andQuentin. From an early age, young Ethel Carow showed practical leadership qualities. Her father once remarked: "she had a way of doing everything and managing everybody." AtSagamore Hill, Ethel actively took part in all the games, and especially enjoyed horseback riding with her mother.
In theWhite House, Ethel often filled in for her mother by placing meal orders and delegating tasks to the staff. She was only 10 years old when her father becamePresident afterWilliam McKinley'sassassination in 1901.
During her family's years in the White House, Ethel tried to keep as low a profile possible because she did not seem to enjoy the attention as much as her half-sisterAlice Roosevelt did. She was also encouraged to maintain her low-key persona by her mother Edith, who believed that a woman only made the news to announce her birth, marriage and death. Ethel attended school at theNational Cathedral and had difficulty making friends due to her father's position. Just months before the Roosevelts' departure from the White House, Ethel had herdebut and "Coming Out" party in the White House on December 28, 1908, aged 17.
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DuringWorld War I, Ethel, now anurse, served inFrance in the same hospital where her husband served as a surgeon. Later, she became involved with theRed Cross, and served as Nassau County Chairman duringWorld War II, and then as Chairman of the Nassau County Nursing Service. Her long involvement, even while traveling, is shown by her correspondence still residing in the Nassau County Red Cross archives. When the Red Cross brought her Fifty Year Service Pin to Sagamore Hill, they had to correct themselves—it was not fifty years of service, it was sixty. When it came time to have her portrait painted, she did not choose to wear an evening gown and jewels, she wore her Red Cross uniform. She put in many years of work to turn Sagamore Hill into aNational Historic Site. She was one of the first two women to serve on theBoard of Trustees of theAmerican Museum of Natural History.
On April 4, 1913, she married Richard Derby, asurgeon. Mrs. Derby helped his efforts inFrance duringWorld War I where she served as anurse in the American Ambulance Hospital. Ethel was the first of T.R.'s children to serve in the war.
Ethel's marriage produced four children:
In her later years, Derby devoted more time to theAmericanCivil Rights Movement, a cause to which she had long been devoted. She worked on a smaller scale, though no less committed, than her first cousinEleanor Roosevelt, and believed in solving local problems before working nationally.
When she felt Black residents were beingdiscriminated against, Derby formed a committee to bringlow-income housing intoOyster Bay. The proposal initially was rebuffed by most of the residents. Ethel had her friends meet at her house where she convinced them that this was a good idea and the housing project was successfully completed.
In 1960 Derby, along with her daughterEdith, made a seconding speech for the nomination ofRichard Nixon at theRepublican National Convention. By 1975, Derby was in visibly weak condition. In 1977 she made her final visit to theWhite House to seeJimmy Carter and his wifeRosalynn.
In December 1977, she died at theAdam-Derby House in Oyster Bay, New York, aged 86; she was buried in the nearbyYoungs Memorial Cemetery where her parents, husband and other relatives are also buried.
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