T.R. as portrayed by Kurt Skinner

Colorado-based historian & Theodore Roosevelt reprisor Kurt Skinner takes audiences of all ages back to a time when Theodore Roosevelt embodied all the promise of the new AMERICAN century. Thrill to T.R.’s stories of the Strenuous Life, as Kurt captures the vigor, energy, and enthusiasm of the Spanish-American War hero that became America’s youngest President - informative, inspiring, patriotic, & entertaining - you will wish T.R. could run for another term!

TR-Bison conference at Old West Buffalo Co., OK

4th of July Mount Rushmore National Memorial, SD

Colonel Roosevelt, Ist US Volunteer Cavalry

TR conservation talk in the field

TR addressing the crowd at Cripple Creek, CO

4th of July at Sagamore Hill, NY

Medora Old Town Hall Theater

TR addressing the delegates at American Legion Colorado Boys State

Twins

Rough Rider Recruiting

TR at the historic Cliff House hotel in Manitou Springs, CO

With Thomas Jefferson (Steve Edenbo)

TR at APSG convention - National Harbor, MD

Teddy Roosevelt's Buffalo Tales

Rough Rider recruit in Medora, ND

President's Day at the Harry Truman Library, Independence, MO

Mount Rushmore !

TR presiding over the Cripple Creek gold camp donkey release

Family Fourth at Rock Ledge Ranch

Medora Old Town Hall Theater

Colonel Roosevelt at the Medora Rodeo

Barbershop quartet from the America the Beautiful Chorus

TR talk at The Classical Academy

Medora Old Town Hall Theater "TR: The Strenuous Life"

TR at the Royal Gorge RR bridge, Colorado

4th of July at Sagamore Hill, NY

Colonel TR with the Rough Rider colors

Medora, ND landscape photo shoot

Old Town Hall Theater in Medora, ND

Apache Junction, AZ

Tonto National Monument, AZ

Roosevelt Dam, AZ

T.R. as portayed by Kurt Skinner

Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library opening July 2026

Mt Rushmore 4th of July 2026

Teddy Roosevelt’s America historical performer Kurt Skinner speaking with SLVoices podcaster Adam Lock

Listen to Kurt’s interview with SLVoices podcaster Adam Lock https://slvoices.com/2020/03/18/teddy-roosevelts-america/

America 250 at Mount Rushmore

Delighted to contribute to this new ‘Saving Americana’ documentary on one of America's favorite presidents: Teddy Roosevelt and his remarkable connection to the small town of Medora, North Dakota!

TR 4th of July 2024 address at Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, Oyster Bay, New York

at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum, Independence, MO (photo courtesy Dean Davison)

Contact TR

Invite TR to your next Community Group or Corporate Event

TR will engage, educate, entertain, & inspire your group whether you are looking for TR as Rough Rider, President, naturalist, explorer, author ... I will tailor a TR experience to your unique group needs:

Corporate Keynote/other speeches
Fundraising & Promotional events
State & National Parks / Nature & Conservancy organizations
Patriotic events & Military/Veterans/Fraternal groups
Museums, Libraries & Historical Societies
Leadership/Motivational speaking
Tourism & Conventions
Meet & Greet
“Kurt’s TR portrayal was authentic and engaging and our audience lost themselves in the intimate setting Kurt created. Teddy Roosevelt taking questions from the audience was particularly entertaining and very well done by Kurt. Our audience left the auditorium inspired about environmental conservation, it was a thoughtful and uplifting evening!”
“Kurt presented an excellent residency as Teddy Roosevelt in Casper! He delighted elementary students and teachers…his interaction with library attendees was insightful and fun. Kurt’s evening appearance gave us the experience of meeting the dynamic TR - the young man, the Rough Rider, the President, and the Conservationist. He then fielded questions as TR, then as himself. He was terrific!”

Invite TR to your Classroom

If ever there was a President that could be described as a “life-long learner” it was Teddy Roosevelt! As an educator, I delight in bringing TR to life in classrooms and school programs. TR was arguably America’s most intellectually-curious President; he wrote dozens of books, on average read a book a day, and could speak as an equal with experts in countless fields of study. Yet he also enjoyed the company of children and he never lost his child-like fascination with the natural world.

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are!”
“If you think you can, you are half way there!”
“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”

TR still has the power to inspire kids—to dream big and “work hard at work worth doing”, to serve in our communities, to work towards a “square deal” for all citizens, to protect the natural environment. TR’s life example demonstrates that a determined individual can make lasting contributions that positively influence generations.

All of my TR programs can be tailored to specific grade levels and topics of interest such as: US history & geography, government & citizenship, character & values, conservation & the natural world.

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A “Strenuous Life” well lived

In a life of six decades, TR compiled a staggering list of accomplishments:

youngest President in American history
Nobel Peace Prize for negotiated end to the Russo-Japanese War
Medal of Honor recipient and Colonel of the “Rough Riders”
Assistant Secretary of the Navy
New York Governor
U.S Civil Service Commissioner
NYC Police Commissioner
western rancher, hunter, & published naturalist
founder of the Boone & Crockett club
established the National Forest Service, National Parks & Monuments, Wildlife Reserves
South American explorer of the “River of Doubt”
author of 40+ books
devoted husband, father of six children