The senior Roddenbery was described as a jack of all trades, who started making batches of open kettle sugar cane syrup, in addition to practicing medicine on horseback.

[5] In 1912, Roddenbery demanded Congress fire the black employees of the Pension Office and replace them with white Spanish-American War veterans.

He earned a reputation for taking on powerful interests which fought to expand the retirement benefits of certain groups which Roddenbery labeled as "pension buccaneers".

[5] Roddenbery's most lasting reputation was as a passionate opponent of miscegenation (interracial marriage), views that were on the more conservative end of the spectrum even in the early 20th century.

The marriage of African American boxer Jack Johnson to white woman Lucille Cameron motivated Roddenbery to introduced H.J.

In his appeal to Congress, Roddenberry stated that: "Intermarriage between whites and blacks is repulsive and averse to every sentiment of pure American spirit.

[1][5] The year after Roddenberry's death, his wife received a federal appointment to the position of postmaster (now "postmistress") of Thomasville, Georgia.

[8] A heavy smoker of cigars, Roddenbery's political career was cut short by throat cancer that forced his retirement from active participation in Congress only a few weeks after the failure of H.J.

[9] Influenced by Roddenbery, anti-miscegenation bills were introduced in 1913 in half of the twenty states where this law did not already exist, though only one, in Wyoming, passed.