"When a dignitary complained to President Theodore Roosevelt about Alice Roosevelt (his daughter) smoking on top of the White House, Roosevelt replied, "I can be President of the United States, or I can control Alice. I cannot possibly do both."'
Some tidbits about Alice Roosevelt
1. Did several rule-breaking things like riding in cars with men, chewing gum, gambling, swearing at officials, and staying out late partying. Basically used the president's daughter card to get away with anything.
2. Had a pet snake named Emily Spinach. Like, what? Here's the kicker - the name Emily is after her spinster aunt. Insulting and hilarious. And Spinach.
3. During a cruise to Japan, Alice jumped in the pool fully clothed and told one of the congressmen to join her. Years later, Bobby Kennedy reminded her of the incident and its inappropriateness to which she replied "it only would've been inappropriate if I took my clothes off." Sheesh.
4. She got married in a blue wedding dress and dramatically cut her cake with a full sized sabre - which she stole from a military aid during the reception.
5. When it was time for the Roosevelt's to leave the White House, she buried a voodoo doll of the new president's wife-Nellie Taft- in the front yard. The Taft's eventually banned her from the White House.
6. Woodrow Wilson also banned her from the White House while he was in office. (She told a gawdy joke at Woodrow Wilson's expense.)
7."As an example of her attitudes on race, in 1965 her African-American chauffeur and one of her best friends, Turner, was driving Alice to an appointment. During the trip, he pulled out in front of a taxi, and the driver got out and demanded to know of him, "What do you think you’re doing, you black bastard?" Turner took the insult calmly, but Alice did not and told the taxi driver, "He’s taking me to my destination, you white son of a bitch!"
8.“To Senator Joseph McCarthy, who had jokingly remarked at a party “Here’s my blind date. I am going to call you Alice”, she sarcastically said “Senator McCarthy, you are not going to call me Alice. The trashman and the policeman on my block call me Alice, but you may not.”
9. She was considered a "super fox"
10. Married House of Representative member Nicholas Longworth who was considered a bit of a bad boy. He was 14 years older than Alice. She and Nicholas had a chilled relationship because he supported Taft over her father. So she helped someone else get elected over Nicholas in his next election.
11. Lived to 96 through breast cancer, a broken hip, and emphysema.
12.The phrase, “If you haven’t got anything good to say about anyone, come sit next to me” was stitched on a pillow of the seat next to hers at her home.
I can only imagine the field day that the media would have now if Alice Roosevelt was doing this sort of thing today. Pretty much the definition of "I do what I want." very American.
I WANT TO BE ALICE ROOSEVELT!
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