The Theodore Roosevelt Center is pleased to announce a preview event for its upcoming symposium on Theodore Roosevelt and the Navy in partnership with the State Historical Society of North Dakota.
On August 23, 2025, the Theodore Roosevelt Center, in cooperation with the State Historical Society of North Dakota, will host a talk by Vice Admiral Jeffrey Fowler, USN, retired, accompanied by noted Public Humanities Scholar Clay Jenkinson, on Theodore Roosevelt, the Navy, and North Dakota from 2pm – 4pm CDT in the North Dakota Auditorium of the State Historical Society.
Fowler and Jenkinson will begin their conversation in Theodore Roosevelt’s time and discuss the sending of the USS MAINE to Cuba, its explosion in Havana Harbor, and the immediate repercussions of the disaster—including then-Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt leaving his position to form his storied “Rough Riders.” In addition to Roosevelt’s time, however, the pair will dive into more recent investigations into the ship’s destruction, focusing on the investigation by Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, USN, and resulting 1976 publication, How the Battleship Maine Was Destroyed, as well as touching more broadly on the role and impact of the Navy in the modern day.
Vice Admiral Jeffrey Fowler, USN, retired, grew up in North Dakota, and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. During his service, he interviewed with Admiral Rickover, USN, for admission into the Nuclear Propulsion and Submarine Programs, with Rickover riding on the first submarine Fowler served on—the USS BREMERTON—during its initial sea trials. In addition to his many commands during his years of service, Fowler concluded his naval career with a term as superintendent of the United States Naval Academy from 2007-2010.
Clay Jenkinson is a noted public humanities scholar, writer and commentator. In addition to having played a founding role in the creation of the Theodore Roosevelt Center, Jenkinson has featured in many documentary films—including several by Ken Burns—and has authored 13 books on topics ranging from Theodore Roosevelt, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Thomas Jefferson, and the history and culture of North Dakota. While also a North Dakota native, Jenkinson is frequently on the road as part of his Listening to America series, which “travels the country’s less visited byways, from national parks and forests to historic sites to countless under-recognized rural and urban places.”
This event comes in advance of the Theodore Roosevelt Center’s annual symposium, to be held at Dickinson State University later this fall from September 25-27 on Theodore Roosevelt and the Navy. Details, including speaker bios and event schedule can be found at dickinsonstate.edu/TR.