Accessions and Openings for the 4th Quarter 2008
Presidential Libraries
During the quarter, 129 pages (.010 cu. ft.) of recent manuscript acquisitions were accessioned.
Notable archival acquisitions this quarter include a collection of handwritten letters from Franklin D. Roosevelt's physical therapist, Navy Commander George A. Fox, to his wife, 1934–45, donated by Steven Lomazow, MD; a handwritten letter by Justine W. Chalfin of New York City to her infant son recounting the events of President Roosevelt's funeral and the National Day of Mourning, April 14, 1945, donated by Betsy Chalfin; a fold-out map of Washington, DC, on the back of which is written the vote tallies for the Vice-Presidential nominees from the 1944 Democratic National Convention, donated by Christine C. Townley.
Also acquired this quarter were 26 phonograph albums of important speeches recorded from the radio during the 1930s and 1940s, including speeches by Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Crown Prince Olav of Norway, Madame Chiang Kai-Shek, the King and Queen of England, Anthony Eden, and Dwight D. Eisenhower; gift of Norman Hulme.
During the quarter, 65 objects were accessioned into the museum collection: 54 previously unaccessioned items in the collection; 7 new acquisitions; and 4 items transferred from the archives department.
The seven new acquisitions include two 19th-century Letras Y Figuras watercolors produced in the Philippines for Sarah A. Delano and her brother Edward, FDR's great aunt and uncle (donated by the Estate of Laura Delano Eastman); two 1944 Democratic National Committee badges and two Democratic donkey pins (donated by Christine C. Townley); and an FDR Memorial Series First Day of Issue Stamp Cover (donated by the Manassas Museum System).
The printed materials collections added 26 new books, 16 reels of microfilm, 31 periodicals and 113 vertical file items during the quarter. Also accessioned into the collection were 159 previously unaccessioned books that were identified during the FDR Book Collection project.
New acquisitions for the quarter totaled 472 artifacts that were transferred from the Archives as well as gifts from two private collectors of political memorabilia.
More than 13,700 pages were reviewed during the quarter. Reviewing was completed on papers of Fran Smith Johnson, and the collection was opened for research this quarter.
During the quarter, 42,011 pages were added to the library holdings, including additional papers of John E. Archibold and the papers of Ralph A. Young.
The library accessioned 30 textual accessions totaling 23.543 cubic feet, including:
- An accretion to the Personal Papers of Edward M. Kennedy. Get-well cards and gifts sent to Senator Kennedy in July 2008. 15 cubic feet. Closed.
- Personal Papers of Winifred Armstrong. Subject files relating to donor's work as a speechwriter and staff member for Senator John F. Kennedy. 2 cubic feet. Closed.
- Seven accretions to the Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection (RPCV) including papers of:
- Mike Schmicker (Thailand)
- Michael Bujazan (Colombia)
- Paula Hirschoff (Kenya)
- Charles Parton (Malaysia)
- Lawrence Lihosit (Honduras)
- Wayne D. Linn (Malawi)
- Wanda Mayberry (Philippines)
- Eight RPCV oral history interviews:
- Susan Berk-Seligson and Michael Seligson (Costa Rica, 1968–70)
- Charles Kreiman (Ethiopia, 1968–70)
- Mary Frantz (Afghanistan, 1968–70)
- John Frantz (Afghanistan, 1968–70)
- Mike Farmer (Nepal, 1963–65)
- Vincent O'Hern (Liberia, 1965–67)
- Farrar M. Atkinson (Philippines, 1962–64)
- Tally Briggs Johnson (Mongolia, 1999–2001)
- Ten additions to the Miscellaneous Accessions Collection
- Two additions to the John F. Kennedy Tributes Collection
A total of 3,822 photograph items (49 prints, 3,339 transparencies, 263 b/w negatives, and 171 digital images), 18.75 hours of audio, and 45.40 hours of moving images (DVD and VHS) were accessioned and described.
Deeds of gift were completed for two personal papers collections (Winifred Armstrong, Ray Graham), one Returned Peace Corps personal papers collection, and 19 oral histories of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers.
The following oral history transcripts were accessioned and are available for research:
- Florence Mahoney, health advocate instrumental in the founding of the National Institutes of Health, 26 pages
- Mary Rather, staff member for Senator Alvin Wirtz and later Lyndon Johnson, 1941–75, 7 interviews, totaling 156 pages
- Max Frankel, journalist and executive director for the New York Times, 1986–94, 44 pages
- Anthony Partridge, Assistant general counsel for Community Action Programs and Office of Economic Opportunity, 23 pages
- James Shannon, National Institutes of Health director, 1955–68, 57 pages
- Josh H. Groce, San Antonio attorney, 21 pages
- William Gorham, Department of Defense, 1962–65, HEW, 1965–68, 28 pages
- David E. McGiffert, Undersecretary of the Army, 1965–69, and Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, 1977–81, 28 and 17 pages
- William A. Knowlton, MACV staff, 1966–68, secretary of the Army general staff, 1968–70, 70 pages
- Williard Deason, state director of NYA; manager and owner of KVET radio station, 1946–65; Interstate Commerce Commission, 1965–75, 31 pages, 9 pages, 10 pages
The Audiovisual Department accessioned a collection of Edward R. Murrow "This I Believe" broadcasts on 82 phonograph LPs. This accession amounts to 2.372 cubic feet of material.
During this quarter, the library added video oral histories with former clerk to Judge John J. Sirica D. Todd Christofferson, former White House special counsel Charles W. Colson, former Justice Department prosecutor Earl Silbert, former White House professional staff member Becky Bovell, and former National Security Council deputy director Richard V. Allen.
The library also received a dozen slides showing Pat Nixon's August 1969 trip to South Vietnam from Robert E. MacArthur.
The curatorial department in Yorba Linda received:
- One gazebo on display on the library grounds. The gazebo, used at Tricia Nixon's Rose Garden wedding, had been on annual loan to the Foundation. The White House has now transferred it permanently to NARA.
- Bracelet pattern teacups and saucers (2) on display in the Lincoln Sitting Room, which were also transferred from the White House to Nixon Library collections
- Small, plush elephant toy with Nixon campaign buttons from Tom Coon
- Fifteen Nixon campaign bumper stickers from Amber Henninger
- Nixon homemade campaign tie, door ads, cards, flyers, bumper stickers, and campaign buttons from Anne Larson Schutz
- Red, white, and blue Nixon coin bank from Judith Keigley
- McKinley memorial pin and button from Judith Van Skike
- Four news clippings, 1968 Presidential handbook, Nixon/Lodge Connecticut hat, and eight campaign pins from Julie Bartlett, Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library
- One melamine plate showing the 1969 Moon landing from Jonna Koehn
- Four boxes of Swell Cigars gum and cards representing 1968 candidates Nixon, Hubert Humphrey, George Wallace, and Robert F. Kennedy from Jody Schmalz
The museum accessioned its 17,000th artifact this quarter: an anti–Nixon/Agnew campaign poster. Other acquisitions included two prints given to President Ford by French President Giscard D'Estaing in 1975 (from the State Department); a 1932 Princeton vs. Michigan football program; a handmade leather cap left as a memorial to Gerald R. Ford; a Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy T-shirt; two tickets from a recent McCain/Palin speaking event; a commemorative Gerald and Betty Ford plate; and a 1960s period Republican Congressional cookbook signed by the author and Gerald R. Ford.
The library completed work for 15 accessions, including accretions to Gerald R. Ford's Post- Presidential Office Files (81.25 cubic feet), Funeral Materials (38.5 cubic feet), Personal Papers (3.25 cubic feet), Personal Financial Papers (16 cubic feet), and Scrapbooks (0.5 cubic feet). The library also received accretions to the Betty Ford Papers (21 cubic feet), the Composite Oral History Accessions and the Composite General Accessions collections. The library added 8 books, 13 serials, and 6 vertical file items to the collection.
During the quarter, the Bush Library received approximately 2.0 linear feet of textual material for accessioning. This material consisted of one accretion to the George Bush Post-Presidential Papers.
The Textual Archives received the following donated books:
- If You Elect Me President: Behind the Scenes of a Presidential Election
- A Legacy of Innovation: Governors and Public Policy
- A Legacy of Leadership: Governors and American History
The Audiovisual Department accessioned 182 photographic accretions to the post-Presidential collection from the Office of George Bush. It also accessioned 2 video recordings, 10 audio recordings, and 2 photographs of donated historical material.
The Audiovisual Department processed 100 transfers from the textual archives.
There were 77 post-Presidential artifacts accessioned and processed this quarter. The post Presidential collection processed to date is 40,955.
There were 1,474 Presidential artifacts accessioned and processed this quarter. The total processed Presidential artifact collection is 28,118.
The George Bush Library and Museum's collection contains a total of 69,073 processed artifacts.
During the quarter, the library received approximately two cubic feet of textual material. It received three unsolicited collections, including a book, Joined by History, donated by the Embassy of the Philippines and the Brooke Shearer Collection. The Brooke Shearer Collection consists of 1992 Clinton/Gore campaign materials and totals two cubic feet.
The museum staff received four new donations in this quarter.
The library opened the following materials:
Congressional Liaison Office—William Cable Files, James Free Files, Terrence Straub Files.
1976 Campaign Files; Field Office, Director—Tim Kraft Subject Files, Press Office—Linda Peek Subject Files.
The library opened 57,772 pages in response to FOIA requests this quarter.