The Theodore Roosevelt Leadership Award is presented by The Ripon Society and the Roosevelt Leadership Award is presented by The Ripon Society and the Franklin Center for Global Policy Exchange to leaders on Capitol Hill who embody the famous “Man in the Arena” speech from President Theodore Roosevelt

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Theodore Roosevelt
April 23, 1910
the Sorbonne, Paris, France

These awards are presented with this premise in mind: there is a lot of good work being done on Capitol Hill that people do not know about. With trust in government at an all-time low, we believe it is important that Americans not only learn about this work, but learn more about the individuals who are responsible for getting it done.

2024 — Key West, Florida

Truman Little White House
Key West, Florida, February 19-20, 2024

Theodore Roosevelt Award recipients:

• The Honorable Buddy Carter( R-GA-1)
• The Honorable Ron Estes (R-KS-4)
• The Honorable Stephanie Bice (R-OK-5)
• The Honorable August Pfluger (R-TX-11)

Press release from the 2024 Roosevelt Leadership Awards

2023 — Mount Rushmore, South Dakota

Mount Rushmore
Keystone, South Dakota, September 16, 2023

Roosevelt Award recipients:

• The Honorable Adrian Smith (R-NE-3)
• The Honorable Joyce Beatty (D-OH-3)
• The Honorable Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-8)
• The Honorable Kelly Armstrong (R-ND-At-Large)

Press release from the 2023 Roosevelt Leadership Awards

2022 — Austin, Texas

Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum and
George H.W. Bush Library Center
Austin and College Station Texas, May 5, 2022

Roosevelt Award recipients:

• The Honorable Jim Clyburn (D-SC-6)
• The Honorable Michael Burgess (R-TX-26)
• The Honorable Michael McCaul (R-TX-10)
• The Honorable Dan Kildee (D-MI-5)
• The Honorable Darin LaHood (R-IL-18)
• The Honorable Jodey Arrington (R-TX-19)

2021 — Charlottesville, Virginia

Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and
James Madison’s Montpelier
Charlottesville, Virginia, October 7, 2021

Theodore Roosevelt Award recipients:

• The Honorable Rodney Davis (R-IL-13)
• The Honorable John Katko (R-NY-23)
• The Honorable Tom Rice (R-SC-7)

2020

Not held in person due to COVID-19 pandemic

Theodore Roosevelt Award recipients:

• The Honorable Martha Roby (R-AL-2)
• The Honorable Will Hurd (R-TX-23)

2019 — Boston, Massachusetts

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
Boston, Massachusetts, September 12, 2019

Roosevelt Award recipients:

• The Honorable Tom Reed (R-NY-23)
• The Honorable Kevin Brady (R-TX-8)
• The Honorable Richard Neal (D-MA-1)
• The Honorable Dave Camp
• Mr. Don Carlson

2018 — Yorba Linda, California

Richard M. Nixon Presidential Library
Yorba Linda, California, April 6, 2018

Theodore Roosevelt Award recipients:

• The Honorable Tom Cole (R-OK-4)
• The Honorable Charlie Dent (R-PA-15)
• The Honorable Jeff Denham (R-CA-10)
• The Honorable Ed Royce (R-CA-39)
• The Honorable Jackie Walorski (R-IN-2)

2017 — Sagamore Hill and Hyde Park, New York

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site and
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum
Oyster Bay and Hyde Park, New York, October 20, 2017

Roosevelt Award recipients:

• The Honorable Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-7)
• The Honorable Larry Bucshon (R-IN-8)
• The Honorable John Larson (D-CT-1)
• The Honorable Frank Lucas (R-OK-3)
• The Honorable Pat Meehan (R-PA-7)
• The Honorable Bill Pascrell (D-NJ-9)
• The Honorable Kathleen Rice (D-NY-4)
• The Honorable James Renacci (R-OH-16)
• The Honorable Lynn Jenkins (R-KS-2)

2016 — Dallas, Texas

George W. Bush Presidential Center
Dallas, Texas, May 5, 2016

Theodore Roosevelt Award recipients :

• The Honorable Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)
• The Honorable Renee Ellmers (R-NC-2)
• The Honorable Susan Brooks (R-IN-5)
• The Honorable Ann Wagner (R-MO-2)
• The Honorable Connie Morella

2015 — Simi Valley, California