Stephen Van Rensselaer IV (1789–1868) was the ninth and final patroon of the vast Rensselaerswyck estate in New York. Educated at Princeton, he ended the centuries-old patroonship by selling the estate’s farms to tenant farmers during the Anti-Rent movement of 1839.
Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema (1917–2007) was a Dutch resistance hero, RAF pilot, and writer best known for his wartime exploits during World War II and for his bestselling memoir The Soldier of Orange, later adapted into an acclaimed film.
Rebecca Romijn (born 1972) is a Dutch American actress and former model best known for portraying Mystique in the X-Men films and for television roles such as Alexis Meade in Ugly Betty. Her career began in fashion modeling before moving into film and television.
Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) was a transformative First Lady of the United States, humanitarian, and diplomat. As the wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, she championed civil rights, women’s equality, and social reform, later helping draft the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Ellen Roosevelt (1868–1954) was an early American tennis champion and cousin of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. She won the U.S. Women’s Singles Championship in 1890 and also captured the women’s doubles title with her sister Grace Roosevelt.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882–1945), the 32nd President of the United States, led the nation through the Great Depression and most of World War II. Serving four terms, he created the New Deal programs to revive the economy and played a central role in the Allied victory during the war.
Nicholas Roosevelt (1767–1854) was an American inventor and engineer who helped develop early steamboat technology. He introduced the vertical paddle wheel used on riverboats and worked with Robert Livingston and Robert Fulton on the steamboat New Orleans, helping launch the era of Mississippi River steam navigation.
Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), the 26th President of the United States, became the youngest president in American history after the assassination of William McKinley in 1901. Known for his energy and reform agenda, he championed conservation, trust-busting, consumer protection, and international diplomacy, and won the Nobel Peace Prize for mediating the Russo-Japanese War.
Robert Barnwell Roosevelt (1829–1906) was an American lawyer, conservationist, diplomat, and politician. An uncle of President Theodore Roosevelt, he served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives and later became U.S. Minister to the Netherlands, while also advocating for conservation and the protection of waterways.
Elliott Roosevelt (1910–1990) was an American military officer, businessman, and author, and the son of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt. During World War II he served in the U.S. Army Air Forces, rising to brigadier general and working in reconnaissance, intelligence, and international wartime coordination.
