Allyn Cox
Oil on Canvas
1973-1974

Spanish-American War hero Theodore Roosevelt became president in 1901, and during his two terms in office he worked vigorously to regulate big business, encourage conservation programs, and expand America's role in foreign affairs. The mural shows Roosevelt giving one of his characteristically enthusiastic speeches. Directly below him, journalist H.L. Mencken takes notes.

• Left: The construction of the Panama Canal, for which Roosevelt worked enthusiastically, is shown; the canal opened in 1914.
• Right: Gifford Pinchot, chief of the Forest Service and America's first professional forester, stands beside a tree; he assisted Roosevelt's development of conservation programs.