Alice Roosevelt’s Daughter — What Really Happened to Her?

Alice Roosevelt was "Princess Alice," the daughter of a president and one of America's first true celebrities. But the greatest sorrow of her life was hidden behind her famous name: the fate of her only daughter, Paulina. This documentary follows Alice Roosevelt Longworth from her birth in 1884, the same day her mother died, through her White House years, her 1906 wedding to Nicholas Longworth, and her long, much-whispered relationship with Senator William Borah. We look at the birth of Paulina in 1925, the widely reported belief that Borah was her biological father, and how Paulina grew up inside a family secret that everyone half knew. We also cover Nick Longworth's death in 1931, Paulina's marriage to Alexander Sturm, her struggles with grief and depression, and her death in 1957 at the age of thirty-one. Finally, we see how Alice raised her granddaughter Joanna and lived on to 1980. Fame can build a stage, but could it ever build a home? Which fact surprised you the most? Tell us in the comments, and subscribe for more forgotten stories from the past. Note: Details are drawn from published historical accounts. Uncertain points, including Paulina's parentage and the circumstances of her death, are identified as such.