Meet the Staff of the Theodore Roosevelt Center at Dickinson State University

The Theodore Roosevelt Center (TRC) is a museum, archive, library, and team dedicated to preserving and sharing the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt (TR), the 26^th president. The staff members of the TRC host an annual symposium and other Roosevelt-related events, offer museum and library tours, give presentations, provide student internships, and assist with TR scholarship. The TRC staff come to Dickinson State University (DSU), or work remotely, to apply their skills to the TRC mission: make Roosevelt’s legacy “accessible to scholars and schoolchildren, enthusiasts and interested citizens.”

Dr. Michael Patrick Cullinane- Professor of History and Lowman Walton Chair of Theodore Roosevelt Studies and Co-Director of the Theodore Roosevelt Center.

 Dr. Cullinane was seeking a “world-leading center” for his research and writing on the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, and he found the Theodore Roosevelt Center (TRC) in August of 2022. Dr. Cullinane previously studied at Pace University in New York City and the University College Cork, National University of Ireland. As an author of several books on Theodore Roosevelt, such as Theodore Roosevelt’s Ghost (2017), which won the Theodore Roosevelt Book Prize, and Remembering Theodore Roosevelt (2021), it is no surprise that his favorite spot on campus is a tie between the TRC archive and DSU’s Stoxen Library. Dr. Cullinane’s next book, Theodore Roosevelt and the Tennis Cabinet, releases May 2026, and he is currently working on a book about TR and birding, which he plans to release in 2027.

Erik Johnson- Co-Director of the Theodore Roosevelt Center 

Erik Johnson started working for the TRC in September of 2018 as a Digital Library Cataloger, Digital Library Coordinator, and Archivist. He double majored in History and Political Science at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, while working at and later interning at the college library. Erik enrolled in the coordinated MA History/MLIS program at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. While first drawn to academic libraries, Erik’s archival coursework and internship at the Milwaukee County Public Library archives shifted his focus. After graduating, Erik applied to the TRC. His favorite part of the DSU campus is the natural scenery, especially the trees surrounding the Main Campus Loop and Lowman Walton, and he enjoys eating lunch at King’s Pavilion.

William J. Hansard, PhD - Outreach Coordinator

 Dr. Hansard has worked at the TRC for just over three years. Dr. Hansard’s PhD dissertation was on labor and the traveling circus. After earning a BA in History with a minor in Geography and then a PhD in Transatlantic History, along with graduate certificates in Archives and Public History from the University of Texas at Arlington, Dr. Hansard began seeking a position that would allow him to engage in digital humanities and public history. He was impressed by the mission of the TRC and its digital library, viewing it as “the gold standard.” Dr. Hansard’s favorite location on campus is the Theodore Roosevelt Reading Room. He enjoys bringing guests through the library and playing them the Edison cylinder recording of TR delivering a speech.

Ally (Alexandra) Hecht- Digital Collections Cataloger and Archivist

 Ally Hecht earned a B.A. in History from Indiana University Northwest and then an M.A. in History, as well as a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) with a concentration in Archival Management, from Simmons University in Boston. During her studies, Ally interned at the Calumet Regional Archives and then at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design as an outreach archivist. Ally began her career with the TRC as a remote intern in 2023, cataloging and reviewing records for the TRC Digital Library. Next, Ally worked as a museum technician at the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library before accepting an open position at the TRC in January 2025. Ally’s favorite spot on campus is the Theodore Roosevelt Reading Room because “it's a beautiful space to sit in our rocking chairs, read/look at our rare books, and listen to Roosevelt's speeches or some 20^th century music.”

Gemma Koontz- Digital Collections Cataloger

 Gemma Koontz earned a Bachelor's in History and a Master’s in American Studies-Folklore from Utah State University. Gemma developed digital exhibits for the Chase Home Museum of Utah Folk Arts and the Utah Division of State History before discovering an online posting for the TRC summer internship program in 2020. The TRC contracted Gemma for several months and continues to volunteer and work for the TRC on a short-term basis until her work led to a full-time position. Gemma stayed with the TRC because of the relationships she formed during her initial internship and her belief in the TRC’s work in preserving and learning from Theodore Roosevelt’s legacy. Gemma currently resides in Utah and plans to visit DSU for the first time during this year’s TR Symposium, where she looks forward to finding her favorite spot on campus.

About the Theodore Roosevelt Center

The Theodore Roosevelt Center (TRC) originated as part of Dickinson State University’s (DSU) 2000 Theodore Roosevelt initiative, a collection of projects aimed at showcasing the impact of Theodore Roosevelt (TR)on North Dakota and vice versa. The TRC was officially established in September 2007, and digitization of documents began in 2008. The TRC digital library is an open resource of letters, speeches, film and audio recordings, news articles, photographs, diary entries, and more by and about Roosevelt. By 2011, 50,000 documents had been published, and as of April 2025, the TRC had cataloged 110,611 items into its digital library. The TRC is currently located in Lowman Walton Hall at DSU. Visitors are invited to tour the exhibit Theodore Roosevelt: A Life in Letters, the Stankard Research Library, and the Roosevelt Reading Room.

Written by Sarah Griffis- DSU HF Content Writer