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Tadd Roosevelt

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For other people named James Roosevelt, see James Roosevelt (disambiguation).
Tadd Roosevelt
Tadd (middle) in Bicester, England with sister Helen (right) and uncle Franklin (left) in January 1889
Born
James Roosevelt Roosevelt Jr.

August 20, 1879
DiedJune 7, 1958 (1958-06-08) (aged 78)
EducationGroton School
Alma materHarvard University
Parent(s)James Roosevelt Roosevelt
Helen Schermerhorn Astor
RelativesSee Astor family and Roosevelt family

James Roosevelt "Tadd" Roosevelt Jr. (August 20, 1879 – June 7, 1958) was an American heir and automobile worker.

Early life

James Roosevelt Roosevelt Jr. was born on August 20, 1879. He was the son of diplomat James Roosevelt "Rosey" Roosevelt (1854–1927) of the Roosevelt family and Helen Schermerhorn Astor (1855–1893) of the Astor family. He had a sister, Helen Rebecca Roosevelt (1881–1962). His uncles were President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882–1945) and Colonel John Jacob "Jack" Astor IV (1864–1912). He was three years older than Franklin. Tadd's paternal grandparents were businessman James Roosevelt I (1828–1900) and Rebecca Brien Howland (1831–1876) while his maternal grandparents were businessman William Backhouse Astor Jr. (1829–1892) and socialite Caroline Webster "Lina" Schermerhorn (1830–1908).

He and Franklin both attended Groton School and Harvard University, with Tadd being ahead of Franklin. Their kinship led to Franklin often being mockingly referred to as "Uncle Frank" while the two attended Groton together.

Career

Tadd inherited $1,500,000 (equivalent to approximately $50,866,667 in 2023 dollars) from his mother in 1893.

Personal life

Roosevelt married a Hungarian-born working class woman, Sadie Messinger (c. 1880–1940) (said by some to be a prostitute, though this has been disputed), on June 14, 1900. Tadd's father Rosey, upon learning of the wedding, came down from Hyde Park and brought Tadd home.[1] Their union sparked controversy, and Rosey ended up disowning Tadd.

In February 1917, Tadd was arrested in Florida and required to stay in Florida pending a divorce suit. He had lived in Daytona under the name "M. S. King" with another woman. The Roosevelt family had reportedly opposed the marriage to Sadie and had prevailed in achieving a separation, in which Sadie was to receive a $10,000 (equivalent to $237,818 in 2023 dollars) annual income.[2] A court soon granted $625 (equivalent to $14,864 in 2023 dollars) per month alimony to Sadie, pending settlement of the divorce. At the time, Tadd was reported to be the Floridian paying the highest income taxes, having a $12,000,000 fortune (equivalent to $285,381,818 in 2023 dollars).[3]

By October 1921, Tadd and Sadie were reportedly no longer living together.[4] However, they remained married until her death. They never had children.

Death

Roosevelt died on June 7, 1958. His fortune was donated to the Salvation Army.

References

  1. ^ "Boy Millionaire Weds; James R. Roosevelt Jr.'s Step Without His Father's Consent". New York Times. October 19, 1900.
  2. ^ "J.R. Roosevelt Arrested; Put Under $50,000 Bond to Stay in Florida Pending Divorce Suit". New York Times. February 24, 1917.
  3. ^ "J.R. Roosevelt Must Pay; Court Grants $625 a Month to Wife Pending Settlement of Suit". New York Times. March 3, 1917.
  4. ^ "Mrs. J.R. Roosevelt Jr. Accused of Slander; Mrs. Schultz of Lynbrook, L.I., Itemizes Four Occasions and Sues for $40,000". New York Times. October 1, 1921.

Further reading

  • FDR Genealogy
  • Moffat, R. Burnham The Barclays of New york: who they are and who they are not,-and some other Barclays (1904)
  • Sadie Messinger
  • Tadd Roosevelt
  • Black, Conrad Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom (2005)
  • Panchyk, Richard Franklin Delano Roosevelt for Kids: His Life and Times with 21 Activities (2007)
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