Louis McHenry Howe Papers, 1912-1936 | Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum

Collection Overview

Title: Louis McHenry Howe Papers, 1912-1936

Primary Creator: Louis McHenry Howe (1871-1936)

Extent: 35.6 Cubic Feet

Arrangement: The Louis Howe papers are seven series arranged chronologically and thereafter alphabetically as follows: Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy 1913-1921, Personal Papers 1912-1928, Secretary to FDR 1928-1932, Secretary to the President 1933-1936, Personal Papers 1933-1936, Papers of Grace H. Howe 1931-1936, and Papers Donated by Lela Stiles (secretary to Mr. Howe).

Abstract

The Louis McHenry Howe papers chronicle his work for Franklin D. Roosevelt during the years 1912-1936.

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The papers of Louis Howe (1912-1936) is a 75 box collection that focuses primarily on his official life as Chief Advisor to the President. As FDR’s most important political adviser, Howe also served as principal secretary to the President during the first term.

The collection contains correspondence and printed material related to Howe’s relationship with Franklin D. Roosevelt as his close associate and political advisor. His papers begin with the start of his work as Assistant to FDR as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy and continues up until his death in 1936.

Collection Historical Note

Louis McHenry Howe was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on January 14, 1871. When Louis was five years old, financial reversals forced the family to move to Saratoga Springs, New York. As a young man, he attended the Saratoga Institute, a private day school, but he had no formal college training. His father had purchased the Saratoga Sun in 1882 and Louis worked for him, eventually taking charge of the publication when his father became ill. He also assumed his father's supplemental position as local reporter for the New York Herald.

In 1906, Howe became involved in an attempt to reform the Democratic Party in New York State. As a newspaperman, Howe was able to serve the anti-Tammany Hall organization in many ways. In 1910, he met the young Senator from Dutchess County, Franklin D. Roosevelt. Drawn together by mutual political interests, the two became close friends. When Roosevelt was ill with typhoid fever during his 1912 campaign for re-election to the State Senate, Howe carried the campaign to a successful conclusion.

Howe went to Washington in 1913 as secretary, and later special assistant, to Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt. He was mainly a "trouble-shooter" using his political acumen to cut through government red tape.

The eight years in Washington were probably the most stable ones the Howe family ever enjoyed. When Roosevelt contracted polio in 1921, Howe committed himself to the job of secretary, friend and confidant to FDR, which was to be his role for the rest of his life. He was a nurse, business manager and morale booster for FDR. He encouraged FDR to make ship models, which were pitted against other models in challenge cup races. Howe wrote skits and poems and made up watercolor booklets about experiences he and Roosevelt shared. One such story was "The Log of the Houseboat Larooco," (located in the Roosevelt Family, Business and Personal Papers). He also managed to keep Roosevelt's name before the public in anticipation of the time when FDR would be ready to re-enter the political arena. Howe's timetable called for FDR to run for Governor of New York in 1932 and for the Presidency in 1936. The 1928 draft for Governor of Roosevelt changed the timetable, but not the program. Howe managed FDR's gubernatorial campaigns and acted as his secretary and chief advisor during the two terms as Governor of New York State. In 1932, he and James Farley went to the convention in Chicago to secure the presidential nomination for Roosevelt. After the election, Howe supposedly remarked that he had probably worked himself out of a job. To some degree this was true. Howe lived at the White House and had an office close to the President, but it was no longer possible for him to handle all the demands the job placed on a secretary. He established the first Press Intelligence Service; he was secretary and later executive director of the National Crime Commission; and he was actively involved in plans for the Civilian Conservation Corps and Subsistence Housing projects, particularly Arthurdale, West Virginia.

The heart condition and chronic asthma that had plagued Howe most of his life began to take its toll. He was dangerously ill by April 1935, but even after he was hospitalized in August of that year, he continued to be involved in affairs of government and the plans for the 1936 campaign. He suggested the creation of a Roosevelt Good Neighbor League to organize "non-partisan" clubs throughout the country. This was an effort to involve Republicans who supported Roosevelt but did not wish to be labeled Democrats. Howe did live to see Roosevelt re-elected. He died on April 18, 1936.

Administrative Information

Repository: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum

Access Restrictions: This collection is available for use by the general public.

Use Restrictions: Copyright in these papers has not been donated to the United States Government.

Acquisition Source: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lela Stiles

Acquisition Method: The majority of the Howe Papers were sent to the Library by President Roosevelt. One container was donated by Lela Stiles, one of Mr. Howe's secretaries.

Related Materials:

Lewis McHenry Howe Personal Papers

Roosevelt Papers - New York State Senator

Roosevelt Papers - Assistant Secretary of the Navy Papers, 1920-1928

Roosevelt Papers - Campaign of 1920

Roosevelt Papers - Campaign of 1924

Roosevelt Papers - Family, Business and Personal

Roosevelt Papers - Papers as Governor of New York

Roosevelt Papers - President's Personal File 2095 Howe, Louis McHenry

Papers from Mary Howe Baker (Restricted)

Democratic Party National Committee Papers

Papers of Mary W. Dewson

Papers of Stephen T. Early

Morgenthau Diaries

New York State Records, Office as Governor, 1928-1932

Scattered materials are found in many other collections

Papers of Lela Stiles

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, 1913-1921],
[Series 2: Personal Papers, 1912-1928],
[Series 3: Secretary to FDR, 1928-1932],
[Series 4: Secretary to the President, 1933-1936],
[Series 5: Personal Papers, 1933-1936],
[Series 6: Papers of Grace H. Howe, 1931-1936],
[Series 7: Papers Donated by Lela Stiles],
[All]

Series 3: Secretary to FDR, 1928-1932

This series contains incoming and outgoing correspondence arranged chronologically. Included at the end of this series are subject files on prisons, the campaigns, and a small amount of personal correspondence arranged alphabetically by subject or surname of correspondent and chronologically thereunder.

Box 19

Personal Correspondence, A-Z, 1928-1932
Correspondence, June 1928-March 1929
Correspondence, April 1929-September 1929

Box 20

Correspondence, October 1929-December 1929
Correspondence, Undated
Correspondence, January 1930-March 1930
Correspondence, April 1930-June 1930
Correspondence, July 1930-August 1930
Correspondence, September 1930

Box 21

Correspondence (three folders), October 1930
Correspondence, November 1930-December 1930 and undated
Report from the National Committee on Prisons and Prison Labor
Program of the National Prison Emergency Committee
State Campaign, Miscellaneous Material Dated and Undated; Poems, 1930

Box 22

New York State Campaign of [date]: Campaign Strate, 1930
New York State Campaign of [date]: County Committee Lis, 1930
Democratic State Convention, Proceedings, September 29, 1930-September 30, 1930
New York State Campaign of [date]: Form Lette, 1930
New York State Campaign of [date]: Publicity & Campaign issu, 1930
New York State Campaign of [date]: Speeches & Speech Materi, 1930
New York State Campaign of [date]: Statisti, 1930

Box 23

FDR Speeches: Hotel Biltmore, October 27, 1930
FDR Speeches: Hunts Point Palace, October 27, 1930
FDR Speeches: Advertising Club, October 28, 1930
FDR Speeches: Yonkers, October 28, 1930
FDR Speeches: Jamaica High School, October 29, 1930
FDR Speeches: Democratic Mass Meeting, Liberty Theater, Staten Island, October 30, 1930
FDR Speeches: Academy of Music, Brooklyn, October 31, 1930
FDR Speeches: Democratic Rally, Carnegie Hall, November 1, 1930
Democratic County Committee Lists, Folder 1, 1930
Democratic County Committee Lists, Folder 2, 1930

Box 24

Miscellaneous Material, Folder 1 - Press Releas, 1926-1932
Miscellaneous Material, Folder 1 - Democratic National Committee: Receipts and Expenditures, 1926
Miscellaneous Material, Folder 1 - Report: "What They Did and What They Didn't Do" Recommendations by Gov. FDR to Legislatures of [date] and action take, 1929-1930
Miscellaneous Material, Folder 1 - Democratic National Committee Erie County Committeem, 1930
Miscellaneous Material, Folder 2 - Report: "Contributions to Independent Citizens Committee for Election of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Herbert H. Lehman" file, November 26, 1928
Miscellaneous Material, Folder 2 - Press Releas, 1926-1932
Miscellaneous Material, Folder 3 - Speeches and Press Releas, 1926-1932
Radio, Campaign, 1930
Theater Information Blanks, Campai, 1930

Box 25

Correspondence, January 1931-March 1931
Correspondence, April 1931-July 1931
Correspondence, August 1931-December 1931
Correspondence, Undated, 1931
Report: "The Prison Industries of New York State" Volume I
Correspondence related to James A. Farley's Western Trip - Folder 1, July 1931
Correspondence related to James A. Farley's Western Trip - Folder 2, July 1931
Correspondence related to James A. Farley's Western Trip - Folder 3, July 1931

Box 26

Correspondence, January 1932-March 1932
Correspondence, April 1932-June 1932
Correspondence, July 1932-September 1932
Correspondence, October 1932-December 1932
Correspondence, Undated
Financial Papers - Miscellaneous

Box 27

Democratic National Convention, 1932
Reed, Frank W., Case of, 1923-1932
report of Women's Division Activities in Campaign, 1932
Sample Form Letters, Folder 1, 1932
Sample Form Letters, Folder 2, 1932

Box 28

Check Stubs, 1931-1932

Box 29

Check Stubs, 1932-1934

Box 30

Democratic National Committee - Pre-Convention Vouchers, Cancelled Checks, Petty Cash, March 1931-December 1931

Box 31

Democratic National Committee - Pre-Convention Vouchers, Cancelled Checks, Petty Cash, January 1932-March 1932

Box 32

Democratic National Committee - Pre-Convention Vouchers, Cancelled Checks, Petty Cash, April 1932-May 1932

Box 33

Democratic National Committee - Pre-Convention Vouchers, Cancelled Checks, Petty Cash, June 1932-July 1932

Box 34

Democratic National Committee - Pre-Convention Vouchers, Cancelled Checks, Petty Cash, July 1932-February 1933
Women's Division Vouchers, June 1931-April 1932

Box 35

Bank Statements, 1931-1936

Box 36

Financial Papers, 1931-1936
Petty Cash Fund - Miscellaneous