For the first time ever, scholars and the public will have the opportunity to delve into the rich legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edmund Morris, through a collection of private research and memorabilia. The Morris Archives, recently acquired by the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library (TRPL), will be housed at the Theodore Roosevelt Center at Dickinson State University (DSU).
Over his lifetime, Morris’s scholarship transformed the way we think about the 26th president. The archive includes an extensive collection of notes, documents, audio and video tapes, photographs, and various personal ephemera and memorabilia, especially surrounding Morris’s well-known works such as The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, Theodore Rex, and Colonel Roosevelt. This archive opens a window into not only Morris’s life, but the rich treasures of Theodore Roosevelt’s life.
Through the generosity of Marc Brinkmeyer, owner and chairman of the board of the Idaho Forest Group, and his wife, Vicki, we can learn how this great biographer came to be. Marc explains, "Vicki and I were enthusiastic to be able to serve as the enablers to place this important repository into the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. It allows the Morris literary achievements to endure and will serve as a foundation for the Library's mission and continuing Roosevelt scholarship."
The volume of the collection is quite expansive, with the Morris papers filling 151 bankers’ boxes. However, the significance is even more impactful. Morris kept exacting records of his work and personal reflections on the men he profiled. The collection also includes the papers of Sylvia Jukes Morris, his wife and literary equal, who wrote biographies of First Lady Edith Kermit Roosevelt and Congresswoman Clare Booth Luce.
“A complete analysis of Theodore Roosevelt’s life is not possible without consulting Edmund Morris. As such, our presidential library would not be complete without Edmund Morris’ archives. With this addition, this project’s commitment to scholarship and historical analysis is brought to new heights," said Ed O'Keefe, CEO of TRPL. "The Morris Archives stand as a testament to the enduring legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, and we are incredibly grateful to Marc and Vicki Brinkmeyer and Dickinson State University for making this possible.”
About TRPL: The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is being built in Medora, North Dakota, and is expected to open July 2026. This will be a library and museum truly like no other. Designed by the international architectural firm Snøhetta, the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library will be the only carbon-neutral presidential library and will function in harmony with the unique ecology that surrounds it, being a model of self-sufficiency.
For press opportunities, please contact Bridget Lewis at bridget@javelindc.com or 702-773-2111.
For questions regarding access to the archives, please contact the Theodore Roosevelt Center at dsu.trcenter@dickinsonstate.edu or 701-502-4436.