School to Focus on Studies in International Relations, Diplomacy, Leadership and Service
Brookville, NY, February 18, 2021 – Long Island University, a nationally ranked university, announced today the formation of The Roosevelt School, enrolling students beginning fall 2021.
The Roosevelt School will prepare students for careers in international relations, diplomacy, leadership, service, and policy-making at multinational corporations, foundations, think-tanks, non-profit organizations and governmental agencies around the globe. The school is named after the Roosevelt family and inspired by the legacies in diplomacy, conservation and social justice of the 26th President of the U.S., Theodore Roosevelt; the 32nd President of the U.S., Franklin Delano Roosevelt; and Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
“Long Island University is proud to further build upon the exceptional heritage of the Roosevelts,” said Long Island University President Kimberly R. Cline. “The Roosevelt School will prepare students to achieve success in a global society by guiding them to become well-informed, critically-minded and engaged citizens.”
The Roosevelt School offers an undergraduate degree in International Relations & Diplomacy and a 5-year BA and MBA in International Relations & Diplomacy/Masters of Business Administration. Coursework will be enhanced by internships at renowned institutions, including the United Nations, Red Cross and federal and state governmental agencies. To further student understanding of world politics, global environmental issues and international business planning, students will have the option to study abroad at Long Island University’s Global College centers. Theodore Roosevelt’s great-grandson Tweed Roosevelt, chairman of the Theodore Roosevelt Institute and professor at Long Island University, will serve as chairman of The Roosevelt School.
“On behalf of the entire Roosevelt family, we are proud that Long Island University will honor the legacy of our family through the formation of The Roosevelt School,” stated Tweed Roosevelt. “This exciting academic venture will prepare graduates to carry forth the highest standards of professionalism, diplomacy and integrity represented by the extraordinary and unparalleled reputations of Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt.”
Tweed Roosevelt led the effort to award President Theodore Roosevelt the Congressional Medal of Honor, the United States’ highest military honor. President Bill Clinton formally awarded the Medal posthumously in 2001. The award is prominently displayed in the White House’s Roosevelt Room, adjacent to the Oval Office. Professor Roosevelt has taught at Harvard University and Columbia University’s School of Business. He holds an AB from Harvard College, an MBA from Columbia University and Doctorate of Humane Letters from Misericordia University.
Professor Roosevelt is also a founder and president of the Society of Presidential Descendants. The Society consists of a group of Americans with direct lineage to one or more of the 46 United States presidents. The mission of the organization is to promote educational opportunities about the presidency, award prizes recognizing books published about the presidency and provide presidential descendants with the opportunity to share a comradery amongst each other. Other founders of the Society include Massee McKinley, who serves as vice president and chief of staff, as well as Lynda Johnson Robb and Clifton Truman Daniel, both serving as vice presidents.
The Roosevelt School Houses the Theodore Roosevelt Institute, Global Service Institute & Steven S. Hornstein Center for Policy, Polling, and Analysis
The Roosevelt School houses the Theodore Roosevelt Institute, which serves as a home for research, public seminars, workshops, educational programs and conferences about Roosevelt, his times and contemporaries. Upcoming events include the following virtual lectures: ‘TR’s Fascinating Relatives: Saints and Sinners’ scheduled for February 23 at 12 p.m.; ‘TR: The Conservationist’ on March 23 at 12 p.m.; and ‘TR: The Making of a Leader’ on April 20 at 12 p.m. The virtual lectures are part of a series called “Tales of Theodore Roosevelt” presented via Zoom by Professor Tweed Roosevelt. Additionally, the Theodore Roosevelt Public Speaking Contest in conjunction with the Theodore Roosevelt Association offers high school juniors and seniors an opportunity to win monetary rewards and scholarships to Long Island University. The national contest challenges high school students to develop and present original speeches on President Theodore Roosevelt’s life and legacy.
The School is also home to the Global Service Institute, which provides innovative educational initiatives to inspire volunteerism and prepare students for personal or professional lives dedicated to service. The Institute offers a Global Service app that connects volunteers with nonprofit organizations, and community groups. Chaired by Rita Cosby, renowned Emmy-winning TV host, veteran correspondent and best-selling author, the Global Service Institute’s Honorary Advisory Board consists of esteemed and accomplished individuals from diverse fields – all of whom share a strong commitment to fostering service. Board members include but are not limited to Boxing Legend Evander Holyfield, Super Bowl Champ Joe Theismann, Grammy-Winning Singer Dionne Warwick, Roc Nation President of Business Operations & Strategy Brett Yormark, Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, NATO Supreme Allied Command General Wesley Clark, Business Executive and D-Day Veteran Maurice R. “Hank” Greenberg, America’s First Female Four-Star General Ann Dunwoody, Medal of Honor Recipient Colonel Jack Jacobs, President of the Reagan Legacy Foundation and Children’s Advocate Michael Reagan, President of First Responders Children’s Foundation and Actress Jillian Crane and others.
The Roosevelt School hosts the Steven S. Hornstein Center for Policy, Polling, and Analysis at Long Island University, which provides the Roosevelt School with independent polling, empirical research and analysis on a wide range of public issues. The Hornstein Center informs the public and policy makers about critical issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. Recent polls on issues such as the coronavirus vaccine, presidential election and Supreme Court nomination have earned national media coverage in the Associated Press, Dow Jones, Business Insider and more.
LIU Board of Trustees Chairman Eric Krasnoff added, “We are proud to offer such a vibrant curriculum, designed for today’s interdependent world, which will equip students with the ability to think and act globally. The Roosevelt School exemplifies Long Island University’s position as a nationally recognized research and teaching institution.”
The Roosevelts and LIU: A Historical, Illustrious Connection
Since the turn of the century, Long Island University has been directly linked with the Roosevelt families. From 1901 to 1910, President Theodore Roosevelt worked with breakfast cereal entrepreneur C.W. Post (the namesake of LIU’s Post campus) on the establishment of labor relations policies in the United States. President Theodore Roosevelt, while living at Sagamore Hill in Oyster Bay, was a member of the Meadowbrook Hunt Club and an invited guest rider for steeplechasing and fox hunts on the land that encompasses the Post campus. In 1926, war hero and U.S. Secretary to the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., was among a group of citizens to write Long Island University’s charter, resulting in the first privately endowed university to serve the men and women of Long Island.
During the 1940s, Joseph E. Davies, who resided on what is the now the LIU Post campus, served as FDR’s United States’ Ambassador to Russia. Decorated U.S. Navy veteran and Harvard graduate, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Jr., third son of FDR, was elected to LIU’s Board of Trustees in 1946. Cereal heiress and philanthropist Marjorie Merriweather Post, whose estate is today the LIU Post campus, served with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt on several World War II relief committees to fund a field hospital in France and Red Cross services, for which Mrs. Roosevelt presented Mrs. Post with the Cross of Honor at the White House. Finally, in 2018, LIU launched the Theodore Roosevelt Institute.
Visit The Roosevelt School website.
About Long Island University
Long Island University, founded in 1926, continues to redefine higher education, providing high quality academic instruction by world-class faculty. Recognized by Forbes for its emphasis on experiential learning and by the Brookings Institution for its “value added” to student outcomes, LIU offers over 250 degree programs, with a network of 270,000 alumni that includes industry leaders and entrepreneurs across the globe. Visit liu.edu for more information.
