Sumner Welles Papers | Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum
Collection Overview
Primary Creator: Welles, Sumner
Extent: 113.14 Cubic Feet
Arrangement:
The Papers are divided into 14 series.
Prior to accession into the FDR Library, the collection was in the possession of Benjamin Welles, son of Sumner Welles. While in Benjamin Welles’ possession, the collection was arranged through the work of several scholars, as well as Benjamin Welles himself. This work resulted in the creation of several indexes. The scholars included Terry E. Nadeau of the Ford Foundation who did the basic organizing of the collection: removing it from storage containers, placing it in filing cabinets, and creating most of the card file, 1919-1943. The card file was completed by Mrs. Frank W. Graff, whose husband did extensive research in the papers during 1972-74. Mrs. Graff also developed the cross-filing system while assisting in the research of her husband and Mr. Benjamin Welles.
Researchers should note several filing inconsistencies in the Welles Papers. (1) Names beginning with de or d', such as D'Alessandro, were filed both under the letter D and the letter A. (2) Again, correspondence with an individual may be filed under the person's name or the institution. (3) Finally, in cases of Spanish double surnames, e.g. Maximino Avila Camacho, letters were filed under both names. Although efforts were made to regularize (1) and (3), researchers should check under both letters to be certain, and also consult the card file.
Abstract
Scope and Contents of the Materials
The Sumner Welles Papers contain approximately 113 cu. ft. of historical manuscript materials, ranging in date from 1909 to 1959, the bulk related to Welles' tenure as Assistant Secretary of State and Under Secretary of State, from 1933-1943. Materials include personal and official correspondence, speech and article files, scrapbooks, and documentation from Welles' work abroad. There is also a small subject index, and special card indexes for Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Major Correspondents, and a carded chronology of major events in the life of Sumner Welles. There is also information pertaining to his resignation in 1943. Box 91 contains some of these papers, including one folder with the title “Resignation Letters.”
Finally, there are copies of correspondence from various repositories which Mr. Benjamin Welles accumulated during the course of his research on his father's life. These are filed in chronological order at the end of the collection (Series 13).
Additional information may be found in the Barbara L. Gellman Collection. The Gellman collection consists of documents, notes, and other materials assembled by Irwin F. Gellman for his book Secret Affairs, Franklin Roosevelt, Cordell Hull, and Sumner Welles (The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1995).
Collection Historical Note
Benjamin Sumner Welles (October 14, 1892 – September 24, 1961) was a US diplomat and government official, who served in the presidential administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933 until 1943.
Born in New York City on October 14, 1892, he was the son of Benjamin Sumner Welles Jr. and Frances Wyeth Swan. Welles preferred to go by the name Sumner, as opposed to his given name of Benjamin.
Sumner attended Harvard College, in the study of economics, as well as Iberian literature and culture. After graduation in 1914, Sumner entered the US State Department in the Foreign Service, on the advice of family friend, Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Welles and Roosevelt families were connected through marriage and other acquaintances. Welles’ first assignment overseas was as the third secretary in the US Embassy in Tokyo, Japan.
On April 14, 1915, Welles married Esther Slater. They had two children: Benjamin (1916) and Arnold (1918).
Welles became a specialist in Latin American affairs, also becoming fluent in Spanish. In 1919, he served in an appointment in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 1921, Welles was appointed head of the Division of Latin American Affairs, by Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes. In March 1922, Welles resigned from the State Department over disagreement with the US Policy of using the military to protect business interests. In 1923, he returned at the request of Secretary Hughes, as special commissioner to the Dominican Republic.
Also in 1923, Welles’ wife, Esther, obtained a divorce from him on grounds of abandonment.
In 1924, President Coolidge appointed Welles mediator of a political dispute in Honduras, which resulted in a treaty. Welles then married Mathilde Scott Townsend on June 27, 1925. He was shortly thereafter dismissed by President Coolidge concerning Mathilde, who was recently divorced from the President’s friend, U.S. Senator Peter Gerry of Rhode Island.
Over the next seven years, Welles turned to writing a history of the Dominican Republic, Naboth’s Vineyard: The Dominican Republic, 1844-1924 (1928). He also served as an unofficial advisor to the Dominican Republic’s President, Horacio Vásquez.
In 1932, Welles assisted the Roosevelt presidential campaign on issues of foreign policy. The following year, President Roosevelt appointed Welles Assistant Secretary of State for Latin American Affairs. Within weeks however, he would be appointed special envoy to Cuba, to help resolve political unrest there.
In 1937, Welles was appointed Under Secretary of State by Roosevelt. As Under Secretary, Welles would become a trusted advisor of the President on foreign affairs. He developed a rivalry with Secretary of State Cordell Hull, which led to conflict within the department, as Roosevelt tended to favor both men. Welles led the U.S. delegation to the Pan American Conference in September, 1939. He would visit Europe in early 1940, to assess conditions there and to present U.S. peacemaking proposals to the war’s combatants. During his time as Under Secretary, Welles opposed the adjustment of immigration quotas to allow more Jews to escape from Germany in the late 1930s.
On July 23, 1940, while in the role of Acting Secretary of State, Welles publicly condemned the Soviet Union’s annexation of the Baltic States. Known as the “Welles Declaration,” it refused US recognition of Soviet control there.
In September, 1940, Welles accompanied FDR to Alabama for the funeral of House Speaker William B. Bankhead. On the return journey by train, while intoxicated, Welles solicited sex from two male African American porters. Reports of the incident were leaked to former US Ambassador to France, William Bullitt. Bullitt, who disliked Welles, and who sided with Hull in his rivalry with Welles, met with President Roosevelt to persuade Welles’ removal. Roosevelt felt the story was a libel campaign, and refused. Bullitt then reached out to Vice President Henry A. Wallace and Secretary Hull. Hull moved to dismiss Welles, and Bullitt next leaked the information to U.S. Senator Owen Brewster, a Roosevelt opponent. Brewster threatened a Senate inquiry. Now on the edge of a scandal, Roosevelt accepted Welles’ resignation on September 30, 1943.
After his resignation, Welles returned to speak for international causes, such as the formation of what would become the United Nations, an end to colonialism, and the establishment of Israel.
In 1944, he authored the book A Time for Decision (Harper & Brothers, 1944), in which he advocated the realignment of Germany’s borders, and the relocation of ethnic Germans, as well as the political division of Germany into 3 separate states. He also advocated for a European customs union, and the transfer of populations in Europe to align closer to international boundaries.
Welles also served as a commentator of international affairs, working with ABC Radio to provide radio commentary of the San Francisco Conference of the United Nations, in April, 1945.
He authored We Need Not Fail (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1948) which advocated a two state solution for Palestine and the establishment of the State of Israel, within an economic union. He received praise for his support of the establishment of Israel.
On December 7, 1948, Welles appeared before the House Un-American Activities Committee. He was questioned on concerns of Soviet espionage in the State Department over the Alger Hiss Case. Later that month he suffered a heart attack. He continued to be both directly and indirectly effected by the investigations into Communist activity in the Federal Government by US Senator Joseph McCarthy, for several years. His wife, Mathilde, died of peritonitis in 1949 while on vacation in Switzerland with Welles.
Welles married a third time, this time to Harriette Appleton Post, a childhood friend, on January 8, 1952.
Welles died on September 24, 1961, at age 68, in Bernardsville, New Jersey. He is buried in Rock Creek Cemetery, in Washington, D.C.
Administrative Information
Repository: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum
Access Restrictions: None
Use Restrictions: The writings of Franklin D. Roosevelt within this collection are in the public domain. The official writings of United States government officials within this collection are in the public domain. The writings of Eleanor Roosevelt within this collection are subject to Mrs. Roosevelt's literary estate. All other materials are subject to the United States Copyright law, 17 U.S.C. 101, et seq. Copyright in the unpublished writings of Sumner Welles was donated to the United States Government
Acquisition Source: Benjamin Welles
Acquisition Method:
The Sumner Welles Papers arrived at the Roosevelt Library in July 1995 and were processed by the archives staff and opened in the spring of 1996.
The collection was donated by Mr. Benjamin Welles.
Related Materials: The Papers of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt; Franklin D. Roosevelt: Papers pertaining to Family, Business and Personal Affairs; Franklin D. Roosevelt: Papers as Assistant Secretary of the Navy; and Franklin D. Roosevelt: Papers as President of the United States, 1933 -1945; also the papers of Adolf A. Berle, Francis P. Corrigan, Herbert C. Pell, Isador Lubin, Rexford G. Tugwell, Lowell Mellet, Samuel I. Rosenman, David Gray and Henry Wallace; Louis Fischer Papers, 1938-1948; Barbara F. Gellman Papers, 1940-1991; Sumner Welles: FDR’s Global Strategist (Benjamin Welles, St. Martin’s Press, 1997); Secret Affairs: Franklin Roosevelt, Cordell Hull, and Sumner Welles (Irwin F. Gellman, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1995).
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[Series 1: Personal Business, 1909-1950],
[Series 2: Office Correspondence, 1920-1943],
[Series 3: Personal Correspondence, 1943-1950],
[Series 4: Major Correspondents, 1925-1950],
[Series 5: Welles Mission, January-April 1940],
[Series 6: State Department Posts, 1920-1932],
[Series 7: Europe Files, 1933-1943],
[Series 8: Latin America Files, 1933-1943],
[Series 9: Postwar Foreign Policy Files, 1940-1943],
[Series 10: Speeches and Articles Files, 1928-1951],
[Series 11: Appointment Diaries, 1934-1943],
[Series 12: Scrapbooks],
[Series 13: Copies of Sumner Welles Documents, 1915-1943],
[Series 14: Additional Subject Indexes],
[All]
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Series 10: Speeches and Articles Files, 1928-1951 -
Arranged in chronological order. Includes drafts of Welles' books as well as manuscripts sent to him for review by other authors and copies of documents from other collections such as the Moffat Diary, Ciano Diary, and Nuremberg Trials.
(Boxes 194-211)
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Box 194 -
Washington Democratic Meeting, 1928 -
Campaign Speech, 1928 -
Pan American Situation, December 25, 1928 -
University of Virginia, August 17, 1929 -
Latin American Relations, October 6, 1932 -
Monroe Doctrine, April 15, 1933 -
Speeches, 1934 -
Speeches, 1935 -
Speeches, 1936 -
Speeches, 1937 -
Speeches, 1938 -
Speeches, 1939 -
Speeches, 1939 -
Speeches, 1940 -
Speeches, 1940
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Box 195 -
Box 196 -
Speeches, February-March 1943 -
Speeches, April 1943 -
Speeches, July 1943 -
Speeches, October 16, 1943 -
Speeches, October 28, 1943 -
Speeches, May 18, 1944 -
Speeches, May 28, 1944 -
New School for Social Research, May 29, 1944 -
Lafayette College, Easton, PA, June 24, 1944 -
United Nations Council, October 4, 1944 -
Americas Foundation, October 12, 1944 -
Book & Authors' Lunch, October 17, 1944 -
Speech, October 24, 1944
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Box 197 -
Armistice Day, November 12, 1944 -
Academy of Political Science, November 15, 1944 -
Council on World Affairs, November 20, 1944 -
St. Louis Win the Peace Forum, November 21, 1944 -
New School for Social Research, November 27, 1944 -
Freedom House, November 28, 1944 -
League of Nations Association, New York, February 1, 1945 -
American Jewish Committee, February 4, 1945 -
Pan American League, Miami, February 22, 1945 -
American Association for the United Nations, March 2, 1945 -
New York Times Hall, April 11, 1945 -
Hadassah, New York Chapter, April 15, 1945 -
Columbia University, April 17, 1945 -
Institute of International Education, April 19, 1945 -
Milton Academy, May 9, 1945 -
Phi Beta Kappa, Boston, June 27, 1945
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Box 198 -
Freedom House Award, New York, October 7, 1945 -
Willkie Memorial Building & Meeting, October 8, 1945-October 12, 1945 -
American Christian Palestine Committee, May 14, 1946 -
Pan American Association, May 24, 1946 -
Inter-American Press Association, October 2, 1946 -
Dubuque University Address, October 16, 1946 -
Dafoe Memorial Lecture, October 18, 1946; October 21, 1946; October 23, 1946 -
Committee on World Affairs, Cleveland, January 10, 1947 -
Miami University, February 10, 1947 -
Phillips Academy, May 16, 1947 -
American Jewish Congress, Boston, May 19, 1947 -
The Nation Associates, New York, October 13, 1947 -
United Nations Association of Maryland, December 5, 1947 -
American Association for the United Nations, December 17, 1947 -
United Nations Association of Maryland, May 6, 1948 -
Radio Broadcast to Italy, May 21, 1948 -
Emergency Conference on Palestine, May 26, 1948 -
Television-"Author Meets Critic", August 1, 1948 -
Inauguration, Radio Station WCFM, October 10, 1948 -
Introduction to Thornug book on (empty)
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Box 199 -
American Jewish Congress, New York, November 17, 1948 -
Zionist Organization of America, November 29, 1948 -
Foreign Policy Assn./AAUN, Pittsburg, December 2, 1948 -
Council on World Affairs, Cleveland, December 3, 1948 -
Rochester Inst. Of Internatl. Affairs, December 11, 1948 -
Milwaukee Town Hall, October 23, 1950 -
Herald Tribune Broadcasts, 1944 -
Herald Tribune Broadcasts, 1944 -
Herald Tribune Broadcasts, 1945 -
Herald Tribune Broadcasts, 1945
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Box 200 -
Box 201 -
Box 202 -
Broadcasts WJW Enterprises, 1946 -
Broadcasts, 1947 -
Broadcasts, 1947 -
Naboth's Vineyard: Correspondence, 1926-1928 -
Naboth's Vineyard: Correspondence, 1928 -
Naboth's Vineyard: Correspondence, 1928-1932 -
Naboth's Vineyard: Letters Concerning, 1927-1936 -
Naboth's Vineyard: Review Clippings -
Naboth's Vineyard: Reviewed by Angel Morales -
Naboth's Vineyard: Reviewed by Angel Morales
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Box 203 -
Box 204 -
Box 205 -
Box 206 -
Box 207 -
Box 208 -
Box 209 -
Box 210 -
Box 211
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Browse by Series:
[Series 1: Personal Business, 1909-1950],
[Series 2: Office Correspondence, 1920-1943],
[Series 3: Personal Correspondence, 1943-1950],
[Series 4: Major Correspondents, 1925-1950],
[Series 5: Welles Mission, January-April 1940],
[Series 6: State Department Posts, 1920-1932],
[Series 7: Europe Files, 1933-1943],
[Series 8: Latin America Files, 1933-1943],
[Series 9: Postwar Foreign Policy Files, 1940-1943],
[Series 10: Speeches and Articles Files, 1928-1951],
[Series 11: Appointment Diaries, 1934-1943],
[Series 12: Scrapbooks],
[Series 13: Copies of Sumner Welles Documents, 1915-1943],
[Series 14: Additional Subject Indexes],
[All]