Theodore Roosevelt, Conservation, and the 1908 Governors' Conference

by Leroy G. Dorsey

Overview

Among Theodore Roosevelt’s many initiatives, one of the most important accomplishments was his effort to convince the nation that conserving the environment was crucial to its continued existence. Years of national tours, presidential edicts, and policy wrangling culminated in an unprecedented conference of governors at the White House in 1908. Leroy G. Dorsey explores the rhetorical power of Roosevelt’s address at this historic conservation summit, specifically examining how the president popularized the notion of conservation in the public consciousness.

Much has been written on Roosevelt’s conservation policy, but surprisingly little attention has been given to this pivotal moment in the rhetorical rally on its behalf. This book fills an important void in the history of conservation for all who seek a deeper understanding of a president so identified as a champion of the environment.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781623494001
Publisher:	Texas A&M University Press
Publication date:	04/15/2016
Series:	Library of Presidential Rhetoric
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	152
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

LEROY G. DORSEY is professor of communication and associate dean in the College of Liberal Arts at Texas A&M University.  He is the author of The Presidency and Rhetorical Leadership and “We Are All Americans, Pure and Simple”: Theodore Roosevelt and the Myth of Americanism.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Theodore Roosevelt's Opening Address at the Governors' Conference, May 13, 1908 1

1 Theodore Roosevelt and the Politics of Conservation 13

2 The Environmental and Rhetorical Landscape 26

3 Roosevelt and the Modern Rhetorical Presidency 49

4 The Governors' Conference 63

5 Roosevelt's Rhetorical Legacy 101

Notes 107

Select Bibliography 123

Index 133

Interviews

Memphis, TN

Editorial Reviews

"Dorsey's book provides an insightful examination of Theodore Roosevelt's more understated use of the bully pulpit where he performed the role of a statesman more than a president carrying 'a big stick.' In the process, Dorsey's analysis demonstrates why Roosevelt's rhetoric on conservation continues to guide us as we grapple with such controversial environmental matters over 100 years later."—Shawn J. Parry-Giles, professor, department of communication, University of Maryland

Shawn J. Parry-Giles

Dorsey is one of the nation’s best scholars on the frontier and it shows; he is the most prominent scholar of TR in the field and that shows too.”— Mary E. Stuckey

Mary E. Stuckey

“Dorsey demonstrates that Roosevelt’s speech at the 1908 Governors’ Conference was a key moment in the development of both the modern rhetorical presidency and efforts to protect the environment.  He persuasively argues that Roosevelt’s recasting of myths of the nation’s founding and the conquest of the frontier played a crucial role in energizing efforts to protect the natural environment.”—Robert C. Rowland, author of Reagan at Westminster: Foreshadowing the End of the Cold War

Robert C. Rowland

Taking the Governor’s Conference of 1908 as his 'text,' Leroy Dorsey demonstrates how Theodore Roosevelt successfully redefined the Frontier Myth from one featuring rugged individualism and moralism to one calling for prudence and wise use of natural resources. Roosevelt changed the terms of the debate, enhanced his own standing with the governors and members of Congress, and caused other stakeholders to take their own responsibilities more seriously.  He also set the conservation agenda for decades to come.  Scholars interested in the American presidency or early environmental policy will want to read this book.”—Martin J. Medhurst, distinguished professor of rhetoric and communication, Baylor University

Martin J. Medhurst

In this book, the leading interpreter of Theodore Roosevelt’s rhetoric examines an under-studied speech, places it in a broader web of rhetorical actions relation to calling and promoting a national conference on conservation, and shows how these moves were pivotal in shifting perceptions of Roosevelt’s leadership and American attitudes toward conservation. Unlike some scholars of the ‘rhetorical presidency,’ Leroy Dorsey reveals the influence of presidential rhetoric when that term is understood in the broadest sense”—David Zarefsky, author ofPresident Johnson’s War on Poverty: Rhetoric and History and  Lincoln, Douglas, and Slavery: In the Crucible of Public Debate

David Zarefsky