Corinne Alsop Cole

Corinne Douglas Robinson (July 2, 1886 in Orange, New Jersey – June 23, 1971 in Avon, Connecticut) was an American politician. She was also the maternal niece of President Theodore Roosevelt.

Corinne Douglas Robinson was the second of four children and the only daughter of Douglas Robinson, Jr. and Corinne Roosevelt. Her father was a great-grandnephew of President James Monroe while her mother was an Oyster Bay Roosevelt and a descendant of the Schuyler family. She enjoyed a childhood of privilege and grew up on her parents' New Jersey estate. Travel and horseback rides were part of Corinne's childhood.

Like her cousin Eleanor Roosevelt, she attended Allenswood Academy in Wimbledon, near London, England, under the tutelage of Mlle. Marie Souvestre and though she enjoyed the school itself, she found Souvestre abrasive and threatening. Upon her return to the states, she participated in the wedding of Franklin and Eleanor, being a bridesmaid to Eleanor.

Elected office

She was elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1924, serving two terms, from 1924–1927 and from 1931–1933 and was a leader in the Republican Party of the state. Corinne frequently spoke to large crowds and was highly effective and influential due to her stature, position and intelligence. On June 10, 1936, Alsop addressed the 1936 Republican National Convention.

Relationship with Eleanor Roosevelt

During Franklin D. Roosevelt's tenure in the White House, Corinne was a frequent guest. Though as a Republican she disagreed politically with her cousin, she and Eleanor Roosevelt remained close throughout their lives. Mrs. Alsop's trips to Washington, D.C. caused other family tensions. When in D.C., Alsop was often asked by both Eleanor and Alice, a leader in Washington society, to stay at her home. Mrs. Alsop's decision was usually made based on who had asked her first.

In 1909, Corinne Douglas Robinson was married to Joseph Wright Alsop IV (1876–1953) and they had four children:

• Joseph Wright Alsop V (1910–1989)
• Corinne Roosevelt Alsop (1912–1997)
• Stewart Johonnot Oliver Alsop (1914–1974)
• John deKoven Alsop (1915–2000).

Joseph Wright Alsop IV died in March 1953 and she married a second time to insurance magnate, Francis W. Cole in 1956. This marriage was to last ten years with Francis dying in 1966 and Corinne herself in 1971 at 84.