Wiegand, formerly involved in Illinois Republican politics, became fascinated with Roosevelt when his sister-in-law gave him a copy of Edmund Morris’ “The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt” in 2001.

Jeff Shaara, a bestselling author of historical fiction, wanted to try something entirely different. The result was "The Old Lion," a novel about Theodore Roosevelt.

July 2, 1939 – The Theodore Roosevelt section is dedicated. March 6, 1941 – Gutzon Borglum dies. His son, Lincoln Borglum, completes work on Mount Rushmore.