Theodore Roosevelt Comes to Moscow

Over a century ago, for about 16 hours over April 9th and 10th, 1911, former President Theodore Roosevelt visited the University of Idaho.

Roosevelt arrived at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 9th, and took a room at the Hotel Moscow. He woke to rain and clouds the next morning, breakfasted at Ridenbaugh Hall from 7:45 - 8:45 a.m. “with a large and select party”:

He then planted a tree (that still stands today) in front of the Administration Building:

And then spoke, just as the rain stopped, to a reported 8,000 people from a platform made of sacks of North Idaho’s famous wheat:

In his speech, Roosevelt mentioned his first visit to Idaho came before any of the students in attendance were born. He then went on to praise the University and its motto—’For the training of Idaho’s future citizens to their highest usefulness in private life and public service’—as well as Idaho citizens’ pioneer spirit. After he was finished, the former president took a special 10:30 a.m. train back up to Spokane.

This exhibit is composed of photos curated from the University of Idaho Historical Photos Collection and newspaper articles from The Argonaut Student Newspaper Digital Collection.