Theodore Roosevelt, Conservation, and the 1908 Governors’ Conference (Library of Presidential Rhetoric) - Softcover

Dorsey, Leroy G.

9781623493998: Theodore Roosevelt, Conservation, and the 1908 Governors’ Conference (Library of Presidential Rhetoric)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1623493994 ISBN 13: 9781623493998

Publisher: Texas A&M University Press, 2016

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.

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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.

Review:

“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 2015-02-27)

“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 2015-07-22)

“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 2015-08-26)

“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 2015-09-07)

"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 2015-09-07)

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