Steven Rinella talks with author of The Loves Of Theodore Roosevelt and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, Ed O'Keefe. Joined by Randall Williams, Phil Taylor, and Corinne Schneider. Topics discussed: The ladies in Teddy's life; being a sickly child and powering through pain; hunting to study; a tremendous taxidermy collection; a family that founded so many museums; sisters as advisors and confidants; a life-altering Valentine's Day tragedy; when a thick manuscript in your front jacket pocket stops a bullet and saves your life; being the first president to embrace women's suffrage and the right to own property; one of the most beloved in American history; and more.  Get The Loves Of Theodore Roosevelt here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Loves-of-Theodore-Roosevelt/Edward-F-OKeefe/9781982145705 Connect with Steve and The MeatEater Podcast Network Steve on Instagram and Twitter MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube Connect with Steve and The MeatEater Podcast Network: https://www.youtube.com/@MeatEaterPodcastNetwork Steve on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevenrinella/?hl=en Check out the gear the MeatEater Crew uses in the field here: https://store.themeateater.com Follow us: Web: https://www.themeateater.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/meateater Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StevenRinellaMeatEater Chapters: 00:00 - Intro: The Loves of Theodore Roosevelt 00:09:57 — From Anthony Bourdain to Theodore Roosevelt 00:17:42 — TR's Era Eerily Mirrors America Today 00:20:04 — He Was Shot Point Blank — and Kept Speaking 00:25:23 — TR's Sickly Childhood and His Mother's Influence 00:29:36 — His Mother: An Unreconstructed Confederate in a Union Home 00:33:39 — A House Divided: What It Taught TR About Bringing People Together 00:36:09 — TR as a Naturalist: Taxidermy, Formaldehyde, and No Friends 00:42:17 — He Was 18 When He Fell in Love — and His Dad Died 00:44:29 — The Two-Year Pursuit of Alice Hathaway Lee 00:47:15 — What Would Have Happened If Alice Had Lived? 00:50:26 — Valentine's Day: His Wife and Mother Both Die on the Same Day 00:53:22 — The Sisters Who Ran Roosevelt's Political Career Behind the Scenes 00:58:00 — Edith: The Better Judge of Character Who Ran the White House 01:03:19 — Why TR Made the Worst Political Decision of His Life 01:09:05 — He Invented the Primary Election After His Own Party Betrayed Him 01:14:35 — Shot on Stage — He Gave an Hour-Long Speech Bleeding Through His Shirt 01:16:46 — What Could TR Have Done If He'd Won in 1920? 01:21:50 — The Future of Conservation: What TR's Legacy Means Now 01:29:15 — The Equestrian Statue — and the Complexity of Historical Legacy 01:38:47 — Closing Thoughts: What TR Teaches Us Today 01:41:21 — Grand Opening: July 4th, 2026