Monday, July 15, 2024

John Davis Long and Theodore Roosevelt

One of the State Library’s most popular attractions is the bronze bust of past President Theodore Roosevelt, which stands immediately to the left of our Reference Desk. Aside from depicting a major figure of U.S. history, the bust is an object of curiosity because its sculptor was the man who would later sculpt the Mount Rushmore Monument, John Gutzon Borglum. TR isn’t the only major historical figure represented in bust form at the State Library. We also have busts of Cicero, Arthur Buckminster Fuller, George Frisbie Hoar, Caleb Tillinghast, and John Davis Long on display in our Reading Room. These figures are significant in some way to Massachusetts history, State Library history, or (in the case of Cicero) American political philosophy. 


While reading up on these historical figures, I found an interesting connection between two of them: Theodore Roosevelt and John Davis Long. Long served as Secretary of the Navy while Roosevelt was the Assistant Secretary. Unfortunately, the two men did not get along (Thomas, 1997, p. 32). For example, they disagreed over events leading up to the Spanish war, with Long suggesting that Roosevelt wanted to launch a naval assault before war had been declared. You can read Roosevelt’s response to this accusation in his letter to Long (digitized version available here).

I can’t help but wonder if the person responsible for the arrangement of these busts knew the history these men shared. Maybe it’s coincidence that they are positioned on opposite sides of the reading room, avoiding each other’s gaze; however, I like to think that the arrangement was intentional and that the room designer thought it best to keep the two men as far apart from one another as possible.

More information on the State Library’s art and architecture can be found here.


Maryellen Larkin
Government Documents & Reference Librarian

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