THE CHARLESTON DAILY MAIL
(CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA)
Wednesday, January 4, 1933
FRANK H. TYREE TAKEN BY DEATH
Former Cabell Sheriff, 60, Served as Bodyguard to Theodore Roosevelt
HUNTINGTON (AP0—Frank H. Tyree, 60 years old, who was a bodyguard for President Theodore Roosevelt, died today of heart disease.
A native of Grayson, Ky., he had been engaged in law enforcement all his life. He retired from office as sheriff of Cabell County on December 31
after serving since 1926.
Named chief of police of Huntington when 24 years old, he later served as United States marshal in the southern district of West Virginia.
In addition to his service as President Roosevelt’s bodyguard he acted in a similar capacity for Charles Evans Hughes on his presidential
campaign tour in 1916. He likewise was a bodyguard for Major General Leonard Wood at the Chicago convention.
He was a deputy state tax commissioner in 1917. He is survived by his widow and on son, Harold B. Tyree, of Detroit.
Submitted by David Tucker
Read More about Frank H. Tyree
New York Times, Oct. 26, 1912
New York Times, June 16, 1912
There is a brief reference to Mr. Tyree in the book "Real Life at the White House: 200 Years of Daily Life at America's Most Famouse Residence"
Written by John Whitcomb and Claire Whitcomb (the passage is available for viewing on Amazon.com)
The Harvard University Library has a letter written to former President Roosevelt by Frank Tyree dated about 1920.
Article Excerpts
"President Clinton has broken the practice of his recent predecessors who volunteered their medical records to the public.
In his libel suit, President Roosevelt directed both his personal physician ana the surgeon general ot tne Navy, who had attended him in the
White House, to answer any questions opposing attorneys might ask them about the President's personal habits and physical fitness.
President Clinton is trying to stop active duty Secret Service agents from testifying before Staff's grand jury. President Roosevelt
solicited and received the testimony of Frank Tyree, a retired Secret Service man who had guarded him in the White House, and James Sloan,
an active duty agent, who had guarded Roosevelt, and who at the time of his testimony, was detailed to protect President Woodrow Wilson."
"Descending the platform, Roosevelt passed through the crowd to his horse while the throng cheered him wildly. Mounting up, the president
rode slowly to Cinnabar and his train, accompanied by Major Pitcher and the cavalry. Along theway, he responded repeatedly to cheers from people
lining the road. At the train, Roosevelt dismounted and shook hands with Captain Johnson and Lieutenant Lesher of the cavalry and others,
bidding them all goodbye and thanking them fortheir help.94At the train, a rough-looking man approached Roosevelt. Not knowing who he was,
Frank Tyree of the Secret Service quickly grabbed him by the neck and shoved him back ten feet. Seeing that the man meant no harm,
the president reached out his hand. The man took it and grinned at having been mistaken for a dangerous person.95After Montana Congressman
Dixonboarded the train and introduced someother dignitaries to Roosevelt, thepresident’s train left Cinnabar at 6 p.m.It proceeded slowly to
Livingston, arriving at 9:15 p.m., and then on to Billings,Montana. Yellowstone had provided Roosevelta rare respite, and his gratitude
was evident in his remarks about his return to theworld of politics. In a letter written as he was about to depart Yellowstone, Roosevelt
confided that “I have really enjoyedthe past two weeks in the Park, but to thenext six I look forward with blank hor-ror.”97On the day
of the arch’s dedica-tion, he wrote a long letter to his friend, conservationist George Bird Grinnell,concluding that “Tomorrow I go back tothe
political world, to fight about trustsand the Monroe Doctrine and the Philip-pines and the Indians and the Tariff…”
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