Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt (October 27,1858-January 6, 1919) was born in New York into one of the old Dutch families, which had settled in America in the seventeenth century. At eighteen he entered Harvard College and spent four years there, dividing his time between books and sport and excelling at both. After leaving Harvard he studied in Germany for almost a year and then immediately entered politics. In 1880 he married Alice Hathaway Lee and one year later he was elected to the Assembly of New York State, holding office for three years and distinguishing himself as an ardent reformer. In 1884, because of ill health and the death of his wife