Roosevelt Theodore
T. Roosevelt Approves of Friend's Plan for World War I Hospital Connected to American Museum of Natural History, Ex-Forbes

In 1918, Carl Akeley of the American Museum of Natural History in New York developed a plan for a Reconstruction Hospital to be connected with the laboratories and exhibition halls of the museum for the accommodation of several hundred wounded men. It received the approval of the Surgeon General’s Office, but the sudden end of the war in November 1918 brought the project to a close.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT, Autograph Note Signed, to Carl E. Akeley, Sept 19th 1918, Sagamore Hill. 1 p., 5.75" x 3.75". General toning; very good.

Complete Transcription

Dear Akeley:

I have thought carefully over your hospital plan; I regard it as excellent and heartily endorse it.

Always yours

Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) was born in New York City and graduated from Harvard University in 1880 and attended Columbia Law School. He served in the New York State Assembly from 1882 to 1884, and as president of the New York City Police Commissioners in 1895 and 1896, then as Assistant Secretary of the Navy from 1897 to 1898. After service in Cuba during the Spanish-American War, he won election as Governor of New York and served from 1899 to 1900. He ran as Vice President to William McKinley in 1900 and became President in September 1901, when McKinley was assassinated. Reelected in 1904, Roosevelt was President until 1909. A prolific author and naturalist, Roosevelt was instrumental in the Progressive movement of the early twentieth century, helped preserve the nation’s natural resources, and extended American power throughout the world with a focus on a modern navy. In 1912, he again sought the Republican nomination for President, but when the convention chose incumbent William Howard Taft, Roosevelt formed the Progressive Party and outpolled Taft in the general election. The Republican division allowed Democrat Woodrow Wilson to win the presidency.


Carl E. Akeley (1864-1926) was a pioneering American taxidermist, biologist, conservationist, inventor, and nature photographer. He served as chief taxidermist at the Field Museum in Chicago from 1896 to 1909. In 1909, he accompanied Theodore Roosevelt on his expedition in Africa and began working for the American Museum of Natural History in New York, a position he held until his death. Akeley joined the Explorers Club in 1912 and served as the Club’s president in 1917-1918. He helped influence King Albert I of Belgium in 1925 to establish the first national park in Africa as a gorilla preserve. Akeley died of a fever in Africa while on an expedition and is buried a few miles from where he encountered his first mountain gorilla.

Ex-Forbes Collection. Malcolm Forbes (1919-1990), the American owner-publisher of Forbes magazine and a consummate collector, amassed one of the most substantial autograph collections of such breadth and depth that it filled a half-dozen residences on three continents. Many of his manuscripts were sold in a series of multi-million dollar sales by Christie's in the early 2000s. The Forbes name is considered to be the apex of provenance, especially when attached to an item like the above. We are honored to have been chosen by the family to sell at auction the substantial balance of the collection.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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