Who said “A man who has never gone to school may steal from a freight car; but if he has a…”?

Disputed

It's credited to Theodore Roosevelt, but no reliable source from their lifetime has been found.

What the research foundNo reliable early source found for Theodore Roosevelt.

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

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“A man who has never gone to school may steal from a freight car; but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad.”
— Theodore Roosevelt
DisputedNo reliable early source found for Theodore Roosevelt. · evidenceEducation

Cite this quote

APA

“A man who has never gone to school may steal from a freight car; but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad.” [Quotation attributed to Theodore Roosevelt]. (n.d.). Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/1757-a-man-who-has-never-gone-to-school/

MLA

“A man who has never gone to school may steal from a freight car; but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad.” Attributed to Theodore Roosevelt. Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/1757-a-man-who-has-never-gone-to-school/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

“A man who has never gone to school may steal from a freight car; but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad.” Attributed to Theodore Roosevelt. Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/1757-a-man-who-has-never-gone-to-school/.

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More quotes by Theodore Roosevelt

“Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.”
VerifiedLetter to Henry L. Sprague (26 January 1900); this is the first known use of this phrase, which became a signature motto of Roosevelt's after he used it in a speech as vice president at the Minnesota State Fair · evidenceDetails & citePower
“The first requisite of a good citizen in this republic of ours is that he shall be able and willing to pull his weight.”
VerifiedSpeech at New York (11 November 1902) · evidenceDetails & citeDuty
“It is impossible to win the great prizes of life without running risks, and the greatest of all prizes are those connected with the home.”
VerifiedTheodore Roosevelt — An Autobiography (1913) · evidenceDetails & citeRisk
“Probably the greatest harm done by vast wealth is the harm that we of moderate means do ourselves when we let the vices of envy and hatred enter deep into our own natures.”
VerifiedSpeech at Kennedy Plaza, Providence, Rhode Island (23 August 1902), Presidential Addresses and State Papers (1910), p. 103. · evidenceDetails & citeWealth
All 67 Theodore Roosevelt quotes →