Republican Party bosses feared that Roosevelt's progressive agenda would undermine support from the business community. A staunch conservative, Fairbanks was chosen as TR's running mate to balance the ticket. Once elected, the two rarely spoke, and when Roosevelt ran as a third party candidate in 1912, Fairbanks supported Taft. For his loyalty to the party, he was rewarded with the VP nomination again in 1916.

We offer this original button from the 1904 campaign picturing the victorious Republicans.