DONALD R. McCOY

President Roosevelt's concern for what would happen to his papers goes back at least to August 1935, when he told the archivist of the United States, Robert D. W. Connor, that he thought his papers should be deposited in the National Archives building. Connor did not press the matter, knowing that the president would act in his own good time. By the spring of 1937 Roosevelt's thinking had taken an oblique turn. That was evidenced by sketches in his own hand of some kind of depository and a grave on the family estate at Hyde Park, New York. They were dated April, apparently the 12th, eight years to the day before his death. This then is the story of the conception and development of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, which in addition to its own intrinsic value became the basis for the establishment of the Office of Presidential Libraries, one of the major divisions of the National Archives and Records Service.2

1 Journal of Robert D. W. Connor, vol. 2, Aug. 20, 1935, Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina Library; sketches enclosed in Henry J. Toombs to Roosevelt, Nov. 13, 1937, Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Inc., Papers, Franklin D. Roosevelt Library (FDRL).

2 For earlier articles on the subject, see Robert D. W. Connor, "The Franklin D. Roosevelt Library," American Archivist 3 (1940): 81-92; A. C. Flick, "Hyde Park and History," New York History 20 (1939): 13-15; Waldo Gifford Leland, "The Creation of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library: A Personal Narrative," American Archivist 18 (1955): 11-29.

When he appointed Connor as archivist of the United States in 1934 Roosevelt had promised to visit the National Archives when its operations were under way. He finally decided to tour the building on June 16, 1937. The president arrived at 5:30 that afternoon, accompanied by his son James and an escort of Secret Service agents. Getting around the building in his wheel chair Roosevelt was particularly interested in the various kinds of equipment on hand for the restoration and preservation of documents. When Connor suggested to James Roosevelt that his father was getting tired the reply was, "No, let him alone; he's having the time of his life." The president, always deeply interested in history, was so impressed by what he saw that on several occasions thereafter he entrusted some of his most prized possessions to the National Archives for lamination at his own expense.3 It is probable that on this visit he was assessing the National Archives as a possible overseer for his depository and that the visit led him to choose the agency for that role.

That fall the White House was in touch with

architects about preliminary planning for a documents depository at Hyde Park. Roosevelt told one of them, Henry J. Toombs, he wanted

3 Connor, "FDR Visits the National Archives," American Archivist 12 (1949): 323-332; PPF 4830, FDRL.

a place on his estate where visitors could come and where he could work "preparing the collections during hours when the public was not admitted."4 Yet the president's plans remained vague until the winter of 1937-38.

He apparently then spoke with Charles W. Eliot II, the town planner and architect who was on the staff of the Natural Resources Committee, about his ideas for a depository. Roosevelt had in mind a place for the gathering together of "manuscripts, correspondence, books, reports, etc., etc., relating to this period of our national history." By "this period" he meant the New Deal, the history of which he generously defined as commencing "immediately after the termination of the World War." The president believed that "If anything is done in the way of assembling a fairly complete collection in one place, the effort should start now." He also thought that it should have "the sanction of scholars" and at the end of February wrote Samuel Eliot Morison of the Department of History of Harvard University for advice.5

Morison reinforced Roosevelt's intention of keeping his personal papers together in one place and urged him to put them in the hands of trustworthy keepers rather than executors, family, or personal staff who might throw out historically important material. Yet on one point the Harvard professor and the university's most famous alumnus parted company. Morison opposed establishing a separate depository for the New Deal period; he believed the president's official files should be placed in the National Archives. He stressed that Roosevelt should keep his personal papers together and that they could be deposited anywhere provided they were safe and in competent hands. One piece of Morison's advice would have bothered some of his colleagues: keeping the president's papers closed to researchers for a period of fifty years.6

By the summer of 1938 Roosevelt had fairly well decided what he wanted. He chose July 4 -perhaps a demonstration of his sense of irony to bring together two of the chief

4 C. J. Streeter, memo, Oct. 7, 1937, Roosevelt Library File, Records of the Office of the Archivist, Records of the National Archives and Records Service, Record Group 64, National Archives (hereafter cited as RG 64, NA); Toombs to Roosevelt, Nov. 13, 1937, Roosevelt to Toombs, Nov. 22, 1937, Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Inc., Papers, FDRL.

5 Roosevelt to Morison, Feb. 28, 1938, Waldo Gifford Leland Papers, FDRL.

6 Morison to Roosevelt, Mar. 11, 1938, Roosevelt Library, Inc., Papers, FDRL.

figures in the development of his depository. They were the archivist, Robert Connor, and Frank C. Walker, a Pennsylvania lawyer who had been a troubleshooter for the administration and who would become postmaster general in 1940. At lunch Roosevelt told them of his plans for his papers. He ruled out both the Library of Congress and the National Archives as depositories. He thought the first was dilatory in arranging papers and that the second was inappropriate because much of his material related to matters other than the federal government. He also felt that in case of war there was too much danger that some of

head the subscription campaign. Turning to Connor, he emphasized that his papers would be a gift. He had no doubt that presidential papers were private property, and Connor did not demur; he probably believed Roosevelt's donation would set a valuable precedent for future presidents who were equally unlikely to view their papers as government records. The archivist did urge that the entire collection be given over to professional evaluation to determine what was of permanent value, to which the president agreed. Thus, in effect, the foundations of the Roosevelt library were laid at this meeting.7

William L. Clements Library of the University of Michigan, Presidents Edmund E. Day of Cornell University and Frank P. Graham of the University of North Carolina, and Harvard law professor Felix Frankfurter. Of course, Connor, Morison, and Walker were invited too, as was the president's chief speech writer, Samuel I. Rosenman.8

Roosevelt sent all of his guests a memorandum outlining his plans "to set up for the first time in this country what might be called a source material collection relating to a specific period in our history." This collection would include all of his papers, as well as his personal library and the various materials he had gathered together about the American navy and the Hudson River area. His object was that "they be kept as a whole and intact in their original condition, available to scholars of the future in one definite locality." He hoped that other members of his administration would later donate materials relating to the New Deal. Of course, all this was to be housed on his estate in a new fireproof structure that would be financed by private funds and given to the federal government under the care of the archivist in order to ensure the permanency of the depository. He also suggested the formation of an advisory committee of scholars to give assistance to the project's development. In his letter of invitation he asked that his plans be kept in confidence but that the guests think them over, for he wanted their advice.9

At the luncheon on December 10 Roosevelt went over his proposal again and, as Connor reported, the others "expressly or silently gave their approval." Now that he had the sanction of some of the scholarly community Roosevelt was ready to unveil his plans to the public. That he did in a press conference the same afternoon. In effect, he repeated for the newspapermen present the memorandum that he had sent his luncheon guests, adding that the mammoth size of his correspondence-about 4,000 letters a day-was a consideration in his thinking, for his house could not hold it and he did "not want to put them just into storage." It was also announced that the royalties from Judge Rosenman's edition of Roosevelt's Public

The other guests were Julian P. Boyd, Stuart Chase, Alexander C. Flick, Ernest Lindley, Archibald MacLeish, and Marguerite Wells. Leland, "The Creation of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library," pp. 11-12.

9E.g., Roosevelt to William E. Dodd, Dec. 1, 1938, and enclosure, Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Inc., Papers, FDRL.

Papers and from other publications of the president would be contributed to the building fund. Professor Morison, whom Roosevelt had finally convinced of the worthiness of his plan, added that the proposed depository would minimize the loss of the papers, a fate too frequently suffered by presidential manuscripts in the past. The reporters were disappointed that the president and his cohorts did not have more earth-shaking news for them. Nevertheless, Roosevelt's plan got a favorable press, and the venture seemed well launched. 10

the Executive Committee would probably be well advanced before spring came. With that Leland gave in on all points except his Republicanism and agreed to serve. Roosevelt immediately appointed him chairman of the Executive Committee and announced that the group would meet at the White House on December 17.11

Connor, Morison, and Roosevelt acted just as quickly in choosing the other members of the Executive Committee. The two scholars had wanted Judge Rosenman on the committee, but he declined, and the president did not want to use him in that capacity anyway. Roosevelt suggested instead Dean Charles E. Clark, of the Yale University Law School, who would soon become a federal appellate judge. Leland recommended that Randolph G. Adams be on the committee. The president was agreeable to that, as he was to the rest of Connor's and Morison's nominees, who included themselves (undoubtedly at Roosevelt's behest), Dean Helen Taft Manning of Bryn Mawr College, and Stuart A. Rice, who was on leave 11 Connor, Journal, vol. 3, pp. 25, 27-29; Morison to Connor, Dec. 11, 1938, Connor to Morison, Dec. 13, 1938, Roosevelt Library File, Records of the Office of the Archivist, RG 64, NA; Leland, "The Creation of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library," pp. 13-14.

With the president's blessing, Connor and Morison immediately set about establishing an Executive Committee of scholars. Connor had hoped that Morison would accept the chairmanship of the committee, but the Harvard historian declined because he would soon be abroad for at least six months. The two of them then agreed that the chairman should be Waldo Gifford Leland, partly because of his eminence in the archives movement, partly because of his prominence in the scholarly world as executive secretary of the American Council of Learned Societies, and partly to make up for the fact that he had not been invited to the president's luncheon. In short, they thought it was important to win Leland's backing in order to ensure the support of the majority of the nation's scholars. Roosevelt was favorable to Leland's appointment and Morison had urged him to accept. But there were problems to be overcome. Connor visited Leland on December 12 to second Morison's urging. When Leland protested that he was a Republican, Connor rejoined, "I know that, and that's all to the good." Then Leland said, "I don't think that I approve of the idea anyhow." Connor replied that a chairman who was a Republican and did not approve of Roosevelt's depository plan was even better, and that in any event he was certain Leland would accept the idea. Leland pointed out that he would have to go to Europe for two months in April and to South America in August for four months. Connor assured him that the work of

10 Roosevelt to Connor, Dec. 8, 1938, Robert D. W. Connor Papers, Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina Library; Connor MS, "Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Hyde Park, N.Y.," ca. Feb. 14, 1939, presidential press release, Dec. 10, 1938, and extract from Roosevelt's press conference, Dec. 10, 1938, Roosevelt Library File, Records of the Office of the Archivist, RG 64, NA; Connor, Journal, vol. 3, p. 10; Flick, "Hyde Park and History," pp. 13-14; New York Times, Dec. 11, 13, 1938; Washington Post, Dec. 12, 1938; Washington Star, Dec. 12, 1938.

from the University of Pennsylvania to serve as chairman of the Central Statistical Board. 12 Leland, Connor, and Morison agreed that it would be advisable for the Executive Committee to meet before having lunch with President Roosevelt on December 17. Therefore, except for Clark, who was in New Orleans, the group assembled in Connor's office in the National Archives building at 10:30 that morning. Connor was elected vice chairman and recorder of the Executive Committee. Then the members discussed their roles, the nature of the new depository and type of construction it should have, and the legislation that would be needed. They agreed that their job was not to raise money, although they would be willing to make suggestions on how and from whom to seek funds. They also enthusiastically recommended that Louis A. Simon, the supervising architect of the Treasury Department, who had been very helpful in the construction of the

12 Morison to Connor, Dec. 11, 1938, Connor to Morison, Dec. 13, 1938, Roosevelt Library File, Records of the Office of the Archivist, RG 64, NA; Leland, "The Creation of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library," p. 14.

Archives building, should be consulted on what type of structure should be built at Hyde Park. Connor volunteered to see that the Department of Justice drafted legislation that would authorize the federal government to accept the building, its contents, and land as well as provide for their perpetual administration. The group also decided that the advisory committee of scholars should be broadly based, including the Library of Congress, which had not been represented at the December 10 luncheon or by members of the Executive Committee. Morison observed that he had suggested that the librarian, Herbert Putnam, and St. George L. Sioussat of the Manuscripts Division be appointed to an advisory committee but that Roosevelt had said NO! The remainder of the Executive Committee's discussion that morning was directed to what kind of an institution the depository should be and what it should be called. On the first question the members concluded an expert survey of the materials to be deposited therein would bring the answer.

As for a name, there was lengthy discussion. The term "Franklin D. Roosevelt Library" has

5