[Ads-l] Quote Trace: Courage is not having the strength to go on =?utf-8?Q?=E2=80=A6_?=(Attrib. T. Roosevelt)

[Rich Lowenthal]

FWIW, the Theodore Roosevelt Center also denies the attribution to 
Roosevelt.

https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/quote/courage-is-not-having-the-strength-to-go-on-but-going-on-when-you-dont-have-the-strength/


------ Original Message ------
>From "ADSGarson O'Toole" 
<00001aa1be50b751-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
To ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Date 10/27/2026 11:23:42 PM
Subject Re: Quote Trace: Courage is not having the strength to go on … 
(Attrib. T. Roosevelt)

>On June 15, 2026, I initiated a discussion thread about the quotation
>in the subject line. Jeff Prucher responded with helpful information.
>Now, I have posted an article on the Quote Investigator website:
>
>Quote Origin: Courage Is Not Having the Strength To Go On; It Is Going
>On When You Don't Have the Strength
>https://quoteinvestigator.com/2026/10/27/courage-strength/
>
>The QI article concludes that Ken Harris is the leading candidate for
>creator of this saying based on a 1972 citation. Theodore Roosevelt
>received credit in 1997; however, QI has been unable to verify the
>supporting citation; hence, this attribution remains unlikely. The
>attribution to Napoleon Bonaparte also remains unsupported. Perhaps
>future researchers will uncover additional evidence.
>
>[Begin acknowledgement]
>Great thanks to Steve Herman, Tim Marchman, Brendan Keefe, and Eric
>Columbus whose discussion thread led QI to formulate this question and
>perform this exploration. Tim Marchman found the 2012 attribution to
>Napoleon. Special thanks to Jeff Prucher who pointed out the 1919 book
>"Theodore Roosevelt's Letters to His Children". Prucher noted that the
>quotation was absent from the 1926 and 1919 books.
>[Begin acknowledgement]
>
>Feedback welcome
>Garson
>
>On Mon, Jun 15, 2026 at 9:56 PM ADSGarson O'Toole
><adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>  Thanks for your efforts Jeff.
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
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