Wisdom from the Oval Office

Wisdom from the Oval Office:

Words for George Washington to the Present

By Pierce Word

A few weeks ago my cousin, who is an elementary school teacher shared a few pictures of her classroom after she had prepared it for her new class.  On the wall, above the whiteboard was the following quote from Theodore Roosevelt: “Believe you can & you are halfway there.”  Being the investigative type that I am, I wanted to track back the source of the quote, and its original context.  I did countless internet searches, and all agreed that Theodore Roosevelt said it, but nowhere could I find a speech or letter which contained to quote.  In a final act of desperation I turned to Pierce Word’s “Wisdom from the Oval Office: Words for George Washington to the Present.”

Within the pages of Mr. Word’s book, touted on the cover as being “The Ultimate Presidential Quote Book,” is collected quotations from each of the forty-two men to have been fortunate enough to hold the office of President of the United States.  The author has grouped the quotes into forty categories: America, Belief, Business, Change, Constitution, Country, Democracy, Economy, Education, Error, Freedom, Friendship, God, Government, Happiness, History, Honor, Hope, Law, Leadership, Liberty, Life, Love, Mind, Money, Office, Peace, Politics, Power, Presidency, Religion, Rights, Success, Time, Trust, Truth, War, Wisdom, Wish, and World.  Within each category the quotations are arranged chronologically by President.  Below each quote Mr. Word has noted its source, and each categorical chapter concludes with its own end notes.

Flipping through its pages, I hunt for the Theodore Roosevelt quote that started my quest.  Closing in on my prey I flip to the section on “Belief.”  There on page 20 I spied “Believe you can & you are halfway there,” and below it was the object of my desire, a source citation: “U. S. Congress, Congressional Record, October 9, 2007⁴.”  What?!  2007???  How can that be, Theodore Roosevelt died in 1919!  I then flip to the chapter’s end notes, where Mr. Word included the following note: “4 Vol. 153, pt. 19, U. S. Congress, Congressional Record, October 9, 2007.”

I’ve come too far now to give up.  A search of the Congressional Record, for October 9, 2007 brings me to the speech of Congressman Harold Rogers of Kentucky, “Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Pride – Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment,” in which he states “Theodore Roosevelt understood the need to protect our natural resources and a short sentence he once said sums up so well the spirit of PRIDE today: ‘Believe you can and you're halfway there.’”  So I’m back to where I started.  Everyone agrees that Theodore Roosevelt said it, but even Mr. Word could not track down the origins of the quote.

Every other quote in “Wisdom from the Oval Office” that I have checked tracks back to its original source material, I just happened to pick the one that didn’t, and I suspect with this particular quote Mr. Word was as frustrated as I.

Nevertheless, “Wisdom from the Oval Office” is a fantastic resource for Presidential quotations.  Whether or not it is the “Ultimate Presidential Quote Book” I will leave for you to decide.

ISBN 978-1933909493, History Pub Co LLC, © 2013, Paperback, 323 Pages, Chapter Notes, & Index. $18.95.  To Purchase the book click HERE.

The American President: A Complete History

The American President: A Complete History

By Kathryn Moore

Since 1789 forty-three men have held the office of President of the United States.  Their personalities, backgrounds, and biographies vary widely between them.  Each defined the role of President for himself.  Some were successful while others were not.  A few have ascended to greatness while others are largely forgotten by the modern American public.  Four have been assassinated and four died while in office.  Some have ridden through the calm waters of peace while others have steered through the turbulent seas of war.  All have in some way shaped and influenced the destiny of The United States.  Their stories are American stories.  Their biographies are American history.  To get a firm grasp on American history it is essential that you have an understanding of the lives of the men who became President.

Kathryn Moore’s “The American President: A Complete History” is nothing less than the ultimate guide to the Presidents.  Her 688 page tome contains complete biographies of the 43 men who have held the office of President of the United States.

Presented in chronological order from George Washington to Barack Obama; each biography is accompanied by a full page portrait on the left, while its opposing page lists the biographical facts of each President: birth and death dates and places, religion, higher education, profession, military service, family (mother, father, wife and children), political life (all political offices held), and presidency (number of terms, party, reason for leaving office & Vice President).  On the following pages is a narrative biography of each President.  In the margins of each president’s biographical sketch are: a list of his cabinet members, presidential trivia, Supreme Court Appointments, State of the Union (population, national debt, states admitted to the Union, number of states in the Union).  Colored boxes appear frequently throughout the book highlighting significant laws which were passed and events that happened during each presidency.  At the bottom of each page runs a time line of American and world events which place each presidency within the context of its time.  End notes are located at the end of each biographical sketch.

“The American President: A Complete History” is exhaustively researched, well written and easily read.  By itself, Ms. Moore’s book is a treasury of presidential information and is a must have for scholars of American history.  It is a perfect companion book to the History Channel documentaries, “The Presidents,” and “Ultimate Guide to the Presidents.” 

ISBN 978-1435146020, Fall River, Revised and Updated Edition, © 2013, Paperback, 688 pages, 9.1 x 7.4 x 1.7 inches, Photographs, Illustrations, End Notes & Index. $19.95.  To purchase this book click HERE.