Theodore Roosevelt Convention (#TeddyCon)
Looking Back, Moving Forward
This October, the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library throws open its doors for the first-ever Theodore Roosevelt Convention — #TeddyCon. From October 9–11, 2026, the Theodore Roosevelt Association’s 107th Annual Meeting joins the Theodore Roosevelt Center’s 21st Annual Symposium here in Medora, North Dakota, for three days built around the theme “Looking Back, Moving Forward.”
More than 300 historians, educators, public officials, conservationists, and enthusiasts will gather in the Badlands that shaped Roosevelt — to celebrate the past and help chart what comes next. Author panels, keynote addresses, an exhibit hall, and guided tours of the Library, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and the surrounding country fill the weekend.
Event Details
When: October 9–11, 2026
Where: Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, Medora, North Dakota
Theme: “Looking Back, Moving Forward”
Who: 300+ historians, educators, public officials, conservationists, and enthusiasts
Hosts: Theodore Roosevelt Association & Theodore Roosevelt Center
Registration
Adult: $350
Student / Youth: $200
Includes full access to sessions, tours, meals, the exhibit hall, and receptions.
Register by September 1, 2026. Registration is handled by the Theodore Roosevelt Association.
The Program
Three days of panels, keynotes, and Badlands adventure — a preview follows.
Schedule and speakers are subject to change. For the most current program and full speaker roster, see the official #TeddyCon page.
Friday, October 9
Morning — Registration and the Opening Ceremony at the Library, followed by the Authors Panel with Lindsay M. Chervinsky, Kathleen Dalton, and Candice Millard, moderated by Stacy A. Cordery.
Afternoon — Exhibit hall, plus optional guided tours of the Library and Theodore Roosevelt National Park and self-guided visits to Elkhorn Ranch, the Chateau de Morès, and the Maah Daah Hey Trail.
Evening — Welcome reception, a keynote conversation with John Avlon and Michael Cullinane, and the White House Princess musical showcase.
Saturday, October 10
Morning — State of the Field with Michael Cullinane, TR trivia hosted by reprisor Joe Wiegand, and “The Badlands: Past, Present, and Future,” a panel with Duane Jundt, Rolf Sletten, and Douglas W. Ellison, moderated by Joe Wiegand.
Afternoon — Exhibit hall and another round of optional tours and self-guided activities across Medora and the Badlands.
Evening — Awards Gala reception, a keynote conversation with Karl Rove and Talmage Boston, the awards presentation, and a live performance by Mason Via.
Sunday, October 11
Morning — A live session of the “Talk About Teddy” podcast with Kurt Skinner and Larry Marple.
Midday — Final hours in the exhibit hall before farewells.
Program subject to change. Additional speakers to be announced.
Featured Speakers
Historians, biographers, and scholars gather in Medora to look back at Theodore Roosevelt’s life and legacy — and ahead to what it asks of us now. Meet a few of the voices joining us for #TeddyCon.
Dr. Stacy A. Cordery
Panel moderator. Biographer of Alice Roosevelt Longworth and professor emerita of history at Iowa State University.
Dr. Lindsay M. Chervinsky
Presidential historian and executive director of the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon.
Dr. Kathleen Dalton
Author of Theodore Roosevelt: A Strenuous Life, praised as the best one-volume biography of TR.
Candice Millard
Author of the New York Times bestseller The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey.
John Avlon
Friday keynote. Award-winning journalist and historian; author of the forthcoming Theodore Roosevelt’s Guide to Life.
Talmage Boston
Presidential historian and author of How the Best Did It: Leadership Lessons from Our Top Presidents.
Duane Jundt
North Dakota historian and TRA Advisory Board member; a scholar of Theodore Roosevelt and the American West.
Rolf Sletten
Author of Medora: Boom, Bust, and Resurrection and a lifelong student of western North Dakota history.
Douglas W. Ellison
Medora author and former mayor; author of Theodore Roosevelt and Tales Told as Truth of His Time in the West.
Joe Wiegand
Widely regarded as the world’s foremost Theodore Roosevelt reprisor, endorsed by the Theodore Roosevelt Association.
Karl Rove
Saturday keynote. Presidential advisor, Wall Street Journal columnist, and author of The Triumph of William McKinley.
Dr. Michael Cullinane
Chair of Theodore Roosevelt Studies at Dickinson State University and the Library’s senior historian.
Rooms, travel, and the full program
Medora sits in the heart of the North Dakota Badlands, and rooms fill fast. The Theodore Roosevelt Association keeps the current list of host hotels, driving and airport directions, the full session-by-session program, and sponsorship and exhibitor details on the official #TeddyCon page.
Registration closes September 1, 2026. Adult admission is $350 and student or youth admission is $200 — both include sessions, tours, meals, the exhibit hall, and receptions.