The Roosevelt Wild Life Collection
Honoring President Theodore Roosevelt

The Roosevelt Wild Life Collection, housed in Illick Hall, honors President Theodore Roosevelt and is a legacy of the Roosevelt Wild Life Forest Experiment Station. The facility, located in upstate New York, was established as a memorial to him in May of 1919. The goal of the station was to investigate forest wildlife including habitats, life histories, propagation methods, and scientific management while at the same time promoting a wide public interest in natural history through outdoor study. This mission truly matched President Roosevelt’s beliefs. Dr. Charles C. Adams, the first director of the Experiment Station wrote of Roosevelt, “He never outgrew his first love of wild nature and wild things of the field and forest. This knowledge was the fertile soil upon which grew his conservation plans.”