Do you know how the Teddy bear got its name? It all began when President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt went on a bear‑hunting trip in Mississippi. His friends wanted the very best guide for the president, so they chose Holt Collier. Holt had been born into slavery and had grown up to become the most skilled bear hunter in the South. He promised he would find a bear for the president—even if he had to “lasso one and tie it to a tree.”