Edward F. O'Keefe

CEO @trpreslibrary; author, The Loves of Theodore Roosevelt; 2019 fellow @ShorensteinCtr; fmr SVP @cnn, EIC @nowthisnews, EP @abc

[Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library @TRPresLibrary]

One month from today.

On July 4, 2026 — America's 250th birthday — the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library
opens its doors for the first time. The first new presidential library in over a decade, in
the same Badlands landscape that changed the man it's named for.

Opening day itself is sold out. But here's the good news: this isn't a one-day event. The
Library is open all summer, all fall, right through the end of the year — and tickets for
those dates are available right now.

So if you've been waiting for a sign to plan the trip, this is it. Pick your weekend. Tell
the people you'd want beside you when you walk out onto that boardwalk for the first time.
And get your tickets before your favorite dates fill in.

Reserve now: https://t.co/h5zJKhmgIB

#TheodoreRoosevelt #GrandOpening #July4 #America250 #VisitMedora #DareGreatly

[Robbie Lauf @RobbieLauf]

Incredible day with our first @TRPresLibrary team orientation for 60+ incredible team members in western North Dakota! One month to go 🇺🇸

[Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library @TRPresLibrary]

Congratulations to our Executive Director Robbie Lauf — a 2026 Horizon Award recipient from the @NDSU Foundation.

Robbie has been part of building this Library since 2018 — first as a member of the Board of Trustees, then as Director of Partnerships and Programming, and now as Executive Director. By the time we open these doors on July 4, that's eight years of work toward a single project.

A Mayville kid, fourth-generation Bison, and student body president at NDSU before he graduated in 2015 — Robbie has spent his career working on things that matter to North Dakota. In his own words: "Helping to bring this library to life has been the honor of my career. It's about preserving a legacy while creating lasting cultural and economic impact for my home state."

Well-earned, Robbie. 🦬

Read the full story: https://t.co/hFniBekvCX

[Good Morning America @GMA]

The sun shines on North Dakota! Will Reeve take us through all the things to love about the Peace Garden State in less than 90 seconds.

[Good Morning America @GMA]

Will Reeve serves up some fun facts about North Dakota as part of our "50 States in 50 Weeks" series.

[Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library @TRPresLibrary]

A portrait of Abraham Lincoln that hung in Theodore Roosevelt's White House office is coming to Medora.

When we open on July 4, participants will see a painting of Lincoln by American artist Ernest Wells — the same one T.R. looked to for guidance during his presidency.

The story behind it is remarkable. T.R.'s love for Lincoln ran deep: his father had been friends with the wartime president, he witnessed Lincoln's funeral procession as a child, and he wore a ring containing a lock of Lincoln's hair to his second inauguration. When Wells gifted him the portrait in 1903, T.R. hung it in his office for the rest of his presidency.

After leaving the White House, T.R. gave the painting to Colonel William H. Crook — a White House staffer who had served twelve administrations and once stood bodyguard to Lincoln himself. Crook later sold it to J.P. Morgan through the legendary librarian Belle da Costa Greene. And then, for more than a century, it disappeared into private hands.

It resurfaced only recently, authenticated by leading Lincoln scholars, and is now headed to the Badlands on loan.

Huge thanks to @artnet and reporter Vittoria Benzine for telling this story so beautifully. Read the full piece — it's worth your time.
🔗 https://t.co/cGB8NsW6wp

#TheodoreRoosevelt #AbrahamLincoln #PresidentialLibrary #ArtHistory #ArtWorld #LincolnPortrait #AmericanArt #MuseumCollection #Medora #NorthDakota #DareGreatly #TeddyRoosevelt

[Senator Kevin Cramer @SenKevinCramer]

.@ReeveWill @GMA is spot on – the best part of North Dakota is the people who live here!

[Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library @TRPresLibrary]

If you're thinking about a summer road trip, here's one that actually delivers:

Medora, North Dakota sits at the western edge of the state, right off I-94, at the entrance to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The town has 121 year-round residents and draws hundreds of thousands of people every summer. The reason is simple: the Badlands are staggering, and there's nowhere else like this in America.

Here's what a long weekend looks like:

Day 1: Drive in. Settle into your cabin or hotel. Walk the town — it's small enough to cover on foot and charming enough to make you want to. Dinner at one of the local spots.

Day 2: Theodore Roosevelt National Park in the morning (Scenic Loop Drive, Wind Canyon, prairie dogs, bison). The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in the afternoon — opening July 4. The Medora Musical at the Burning Hills Amphitheatre that evening.

Day 3: Bully Pulpit Golf Course (one of America's top 100 public courses, carved right out of the Badlands), or a hike, or Chateau de Morès, or just more time in the park. There's no wrong answer.

Start planning at https://t.co/LDSaiFGtov.

#Medora #NorthDakota #RoadTrip #Badlands #TRLibrary #VisitNorthDakota #NationalPark #TheodoreRoosevelt #OpeningJuly4 #TravelUSA

[Edward F. O'Keefe @edwardokeefe]

Gratitude to @BankofAmerica for this exceptional gift to @TRPresLibrary!

Since 1784, BofA has invested in the American experiment. From the Erie Canal to Golden Gate Bridge, BofA has capitalized some of America’s best ideas - and we are proud to be among them! 🇺🇸

[Bank of America @BankofAmerica]

As America reflects on 250 years of history, we’re proud to help preserve that legacy. Chair & CEO Brian Moynihan announced a $5M founding gift to the @TRPresLibrary and ongoing efforts with @smithsoniannpg to conserve historic presidential portraits.

https://t.co/9ofHgaKZEI

[Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library @TRPresLibrary]

Hard hats. Wide-open skies. And a whole town that showed up. 🤠

Here's a behind-the-scenes look at two days with the @GMA team — inside the Library under construction, out on the streets of Medora, and everywhere in between. We're so grateful they made the trip. And we can't wait to welcome them back on July 4. 🎉

#DareGreatly #Medora #NorthDakota #America250 #GrandOpening

[Edward F. O'Keefe @edwardokeefe]

Gratitude to @BankofAmerica for this incredible investment in @TRPresLibrary!

We are honored to join the impressive line of patriotic investments BofA and its predecessor banks have made in American landmarks and cultural institutions since 1784 (yes, really!) 🇺🇸 🦬 🏞️

[Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library @TRPresLibrary]

Big news from the Badlands.

We are deeply grateful to @BankofAmerica for a landmark $5 million gift to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library — a powerful investment in American history, leadership, and the 250th birthday of our nation.
https://t.co/42NiZpgctd

Bank of America Chair and CEO Brian Moynihan said: "The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library reflects Theodore Roosevelt's belief that strong leadership and democratic institutions drive economic opportunity."

Bank of America's gift also helps bring a remarkable new exhibition to the Library — legendary photographer David Hume Kennerly, who documented 13 consecutive U.S. presidents and served as Chief White House Photographer during the Ford administration, is bringing his life's work to Medora this fall.

The Library opens July 4, 2026, right here in Medora, North Dakota — the landscape that shaped T.R. into the leader he became.

79 days to go. Thank you, Bank of America.

#TheodoreRoosevelt #TRPL #Medora #NorthDakota #America250 #DareGreatly

[Edward F. O'Keefe @edwardokeefe]

Thanks to @TEDTalks + @TEDx for the opportunity to present “Theodore Roosevelt & the Secret Power of Sisters” @TEDxFargo

https://t.co/ThKJnAqgop

[Edward F. O'Keefe @edwardokeefe]

The Northern Lights put on quite a show last night over the future home of the @TRPresLibrary — grand opening: Independence Day 2026 🇺🇸

[Robbie Lauf @RobbieLauf]

Vice President Vance arrives at the @TRPresLibrary — one year out from grand opening July 4, 2026 🇺🇸

[Edward F. O'Keefe @edwardokeefe]

“North Dakota’s @TRPresLibrary will redefine what a presidential library can be” — @FastCompany

Come see us in 2026! 🇺🇸

https://t.co/um8D4hgDfo

[Edward F. O'Keefe @edwardokeefe]

My thanks to @audiobooks for this honor - and to the fabulous team @SimonAudio @SimonBooks with whom I share this award! Give The Loves of TR a listen! #Audies2025 #AudioBook #APA30 #AudioBookAnniversary

[Audiobooks @audiobooks]

A leader, a legacy, and the loves that shaped him. The Audie for History/Biography goes to a compelling look at one of America’s most fascinating figures…

📖 The Loves of Theodore Roosevelt
✍️ & 🎙️ Edward F. O'Keefe
🎧 @SimonAudio

#Audies2025 #AudiobookAnniversary #APA30

[Edward F. O'Keefe @edwardokeefe]

Congrats @HigginbothamA - honored to be in the same @audiobooks category as your enlightening (and harrowing!) book #AudieAwardNominees @SimonBooks

[Simon & Schuster Audio @SimonAudio]

Excited to share both @edwardokeefe’s #TheLovesOfTheodoreRoosevelt and @HigginbothamA’s #Challenger are among @audiobooks’s #AudieAwardNominees for History/Biography! CC: @audiobooks @simonbooks @AvidReaderPress

[Edward F. O'Keefe @edwardokeefe]

Thrilled to announce that my audiobook THE LOVES OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT from @SimonAudio has been selected as an #AudieAwardNominee in the History/Biography category! Learn more about the audiobook here: https://t.co/FAUPNNc82k CC: @audiobooks

[Javelin @JavelinDC]

Today marks the first day of Javelin’s Holiday Reads! We’re starting the week with just two standout titles from our 2024 shelf—The Loves of Theodore Roosevelt by @edwardokeefe and The Situation Room by George Stephanopoulos—perfect for gifting or keeping all to yourself.

[Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @FiringLineShow]

In 2023, biographer @WalterIsaacson disputed suggestions that @elonmusk's politics had become more conservative.

Instead, he described Musk as a "sort of populist, maybe libertarian, somewhat right-wing, questioning-authority type."

FULL EPISODE: https://t.co/6yinOLlqK1