Presentation: Rough Rider and the Professor
Historian Laurence Jurdem, author of The Rough Rider and the Professor, will speak to the New Canaan Men’s Club about his recent book chronicling the 35-year friendship between President Theodore Roosevelt and Massachusetts Sen. Henry Cabot Lodge.
The meeting will be at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 111 Oenoke Ridge, beginning at 10 a.m. Jurdem’s will begin his remarks around 10:40 a.m.
Published by Pegasus Books and distributed by Simon and Schuster, Jurdem details Roosevelt’s many strengths as a political figure that enabled him to move from being a New York state legislator to become the youngest person to assume the presidency in 1901. But, as Jurdem’s book describes it, the friendship and guidance Lodge provided were important factors in propelling Roosevelt’s rise.
As described in the publisher’s description of the book, Lodge served as the future president’s confidant and mentor, “advising him on political strategy while helping him obtain positions in government that would eventually lead to the White House.”
Dr. Jurdem, an adjunct professor of history at both Fairfield University and Fordham College’s Lincoln Center campus, is renowned for his expertise in American politics and history. His scholarly work includes the book “Paving the Way for Reagan: The Influence of Conservative Media on U.S. Foreign Policy,” and he is a frequent contributor to major publications such as the New York Times, Washington Post, and San Francisco Chronicle.
Other Notable Events
and Meetings
May 10: Annual Meeting Luncheon
May 17: A talk by Hamish Lutris on “Vikings in Ireland”
May 24: There will be no meeting due to the Memorial Day weekend.
Founded in 1977, the New Canaan Men’s Club started as a small group of men playing racquetball at the local Y. Over the years, it has evolved into a thriving community organization that emphasizes camaraderie and intellectual engagement. Meetings are held every Friday morning in Morrill Hall at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, welcoming members from New Canaan and neighboring areas.
