Mr. KEATING. Mr. President, last August 1, the United States was offered two pieces of property of inestimable historical value for future use as national monuments. These properties were homes of Theodore Roosevelt; one is his brownstone residence in Manhattan, where he was born, and the second is the well-known Sagamore Hill estate.

Under H.R. 8484, which is very similar to Senate Joint Resolution 124, originally sponsored by my colleague [MR. JAVITS] and myself, these two historic sites would be protected, managed, and developed under the auspices of the Department of Interior. Other homes and memorials of former Presidents which are currently being administered by the National Park Service of the Interior Department, include sites which belonged to, or have since been dedicated to the following Presidents: Washington, Adams, Jefferson, John Quincy Adams, Lincoln, Johnson, Grant, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. The homes and the birthplaces of the other Presidents are administered either by private historical associations or by the individual States involved.

There are primarily five commemorative sites associated with Theodore Roosevelt. Three of these have already been placed under the direction of the National Park Service. These three include the Maltese Cross Cabin, In Medora, N. Dak., which was a temporary ranching and hunting headquarters; the Elkhorn ranch homesite, located near the Little Missouri River in the Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park, which T.R. maintained between 1884 and 1893; and Theodore Roosevelt Island, in the Potomac River, which commemorates his conservation achievements.

Up to this time Theodore Roosevelt's birthplace in Manhattan, where he lived until he was 14 years old, and Sagamore Hill, which was his permanent residence from 1885 until his death in 1919, have been administered by the Theodore Roosevelt Association, a private organization. Now, however, these two properties have not only been offered to the United States by this association, but the association has also generously offered $500,000 for their upkeep. This endowment will probably make these sites self-supporting.

I urge that this perfect opportunity for acquiring and protecting these properties

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be taken. It is most important that these historic homes be conserved. They stand as authentic monuments, showing both where he lived and how he lived. They reflect in themselves much of the energy and drive which we all associate with our famous "Rough Rider." They stand as symbols of his devotion and of his contributions. Both nationally and internationally, Theodore Roosevelt is remembered for his courage, his foresight, his administrative abilities, and his willingness to act when action was needed.

We now have the chance, through H.R. 8484, to further protect part of his memory. We should not hesitate to do so. These sites represent a very real part of our national heritage that we should never forget.

MR. JAVITS. Mr. President, I am pleased to support passage today of H.R. 8484, to make the first and last homes of Theodore Roosevelt national historic sites. I introduced a companion measure, Senate Joint Resolution 124, with my colleague, Senator KEATING. The brownstone residence at 28 East 20th Street in Manhattan was owned by the Roosevelt family when Theodore Roosevelt was born there on October 27, 1858, and it was his home during part of his childhood. Sagamore Hill, the 22-room estate in Oyster Bay, Long Island, was Roosevelt's home from 1885 until his death there in 1919.

Both properties were offered to the United States on August 1, 1961, by the Theodore Roosevelt Association, along with a $500,000 grant for their upkeep. The administration approved U.S. acceptance of the properties as national monuments. President Kennedy praised the donation of the association and called the two homes of the Nation's 26th President "priceless historical heritages:' Secretary of the Interior Stewart L. Udall, who visited both homes, called the homes and their contents "the finest existing, physical reminders of Theodore Roosevelt." I note that the committee report states that fees and the endowment will make both properties virtually self-supporting and that "there will be comparatively slight annual cost to the Government."

I thank the Interior Committee and particularly the district chairman of the Public lands Subcommittee, Mr. BIBLE, for the committee's prompt and favorable action to the end that national historic sites will be made of these homes of one of our most dynamic Presidents. I also wish to thank the ranking Republican member of the Subcommittee, the Senator from Idaho [MR. DWORSHAK]. The entire Nation should be grateful to the Theodore Roosevelt Association, led by its president, Oscar S. Strauss and its director emeritus, Hermann Hagedorn, whose generosity and public spirit have made this event possible.

It is an event of significance, because Theodore Roosevelt was more than just one of our greatest Presidents. His vigor and enthusiasum, his immense zest for life, his warmth and compassion, and his dedication to human freedom have established him as a symbol of the American spirit. He was our first modern President with a concept of the world mission of the United States.

The bill (H.R. 8484) was ordered read a third time and passed.

Source: Proceedings of the Senate, 87th Congress, 2nd Session. Congressional Record, Volume 108, Part 10. July 18, 1962. Page 13938-13839.