author
Hermann Hagedorn
1882–1964
Best remembered for his lively biographies of Theodore Roosevelt, this American writer moved easily among poetry, drama, and public history. His work helped shape how generations of readers pictured Roosevelt and the ideals of early twentieth-century America.
2 Audiobooks
Roosevelt in the Bad Lands
by Hermann Hagedorn
Makers of Madness A Play in One Act and Three Scenes
by Hermann Hagedorn
About the author
Born in New York City in 1882 to German immigrant parents, he studied at Harvard, the University of Berlin, and Columbia University. He briefly taught English at Harvard from 1909 to 1911 before building a long career as an author, poet, and biographer.
He became especially closely linked with Theodore Roosevelt after meeting him in the 1910s. That friendship led to The Boys' Life of Theodore Roosevelt and many later books on Roosevelt, and he also served for decades as secretary and director of the Theodore Roosevelt Association, helping preserve and promote Roosevelt's legacy.
Alongside biography, he published poetry, plays, and other prose, showing a wide-ranging literary life rather than a single specialty. He died in Santa Barbara, California, in 1964, leaving behind a body of work that mixed storytelling, patriotism, and a strong interest in American public life.