Herbert Claiborne Pell Papers, 1905-1963 | Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum

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Collection Overview

Title: Herbert Claiborne Pell Papers, 1905-1963

Primary Creator: Pell, Herbert C.

Extent: 27.32 Cubic Feet

Arrangement:

The Papers of Herbert Claiborne Pell, which reflect Pell' s political, diplomatic, intellectual , business and family interests, have been divided into four series.

General Correspondence, 1912-1960

Speech and Writings File

Financial File, 1931-1961

Addendum, 1905-1963

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The Papers of Herbert Claiborne Pell primarily focus on his years with the Roosevelt Administration. Pell was a Harvard classmate of FDR's and a fellow progressive Democrat in the tumultous world of New York politics during the 1910s and 1920's. However there is little from that era in the collections. Perhaps more comfortable behind the scenes, Pell eschewed Washington DC, opting to remain in local politics until the 1936 presidential election. UN War Crimes Commission materials are included in the last series.

Collection Historical Note

Herbert Claiborne Pell was born in New York City on February 16, 1884. He studied at Harvard and Columbia Universities but left school and toured Europe . He was a member of the Progressive County Committee of Orange County, New York from 1912 to 1914 when he joined the Democratic Party. He was elected to the 66th Congress in 1919 and served as chairman of the New York Democratic Committee from 1921 to 1926. In the 1936 campaign, Pell was vice- chairman of the Democratic National Campaign Committee. President Roosevelt appointed him Minister to Portugal on May 27, 1937. He served in that post until February 1941 when he was reassigned as Minister to Hungary, a position he held until Hungary severed diplomatic relations with the United States on December 11, 1941. In 1943, he was appointed to the United Nations War Crimes Commission. After World War II, Pell retired to his home at "Pellbridge" in Hopewell Junction, New York. Later, he resumed his European travels and, while on a trip with his grandson, died on July 17, 1961.

Administrative Information

Repository: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum

Access Restrictions: None

Use Restrictions: Copyright in these papers was donated to the United States Government.

Acquisition Method: These Papers were donated to the Roosevelt Library by Herbert C. Pell, his son, former Senator Claiborne Pell, and Carolyn Gustafson, a former secretary.

Related Materials: Material relating to the Pell papers may be found in the President's Secretary's File: Hungary, Portugal and War Crimes Commission; Official Files 2670 Herbert C. Pell, 226 Hungary, 442 Portugal, and 5152 War Crimes Investigating Commission, and the President's Personal File 414 Herbert C. Pell. A Columbia University Oral History interview on microfiche is available for use.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: General Correspondence, 1918-1961],
[Series 2: Speech and Writings File],
[Series 3: Financial File, 1931-1961],
[Series 4: Addendum, 1905-1963],
[All]

Series 4: Addendum, 1905-1963

Correspondence, speeches, writings and printed materials donated by former Senator Claiborne Pell, February 3, 1997. The materials supplement the files in the three series described above. (Containers 52-66).

Box 52

An-At, 1918-1930
Ab-Ay, 1940-1960
Acheson, Dean, 1949-1952
Akers, Anthony, 1954-1956
Ame-Leroy, 1941-1958
Auslander, Joseph, 1947-1954
Ba-Bu, 1921-1930
Ba-Be, 1946-1956
Bank of New York, 1950-1956
Berenson, Bernard, 1940
Berment, J.E., 1922-1925
Bi-Bo, 1940-1956
Bicknell, John W., 1940
Br-Bu, 1948-1960
Ch-Cu, 1919-1924
Ca-Cl, 1940-1958
Cassin, Rene, 1947-1950
Child Labor, 1925
Ciolko, William J., 1953-1955
Clinton County (NY) Democratic Committee, 1924
Co-Cz, 1940-1958

Box 53

Columbia University, 1924
Comments on Travel Journal & Articles, 1953-1956
Comments on Travel Journals & Articles, 1956-1958
Cornell University, 1925
Costa Lobo, Gumerzindo, 1939
Coster, Henry, 1954-1957
D, 1925-1927
Da-De, 1936-1960
DeBaer, General M., 1949-1952
Despard & Co., 1949-1954
Despard & Co., 1955-1961
Di-Du, 1940
D'Oliveria, Alberto, 1939
E, 1922-1923
E, 1935-1956

Box 54

English Elections (Pell Survey), 1923
Eisenhower, Dwight D., 1948-1952
Eisenhower, Dwight D., 1952-1958
Employees, 1953-1955
Exposition Press, 1952-1953
F, 1919-1924
F, 1947-1956
Farley, James A., 1938-1956
Fonjaz, A., 1939
French University, 1947-1955
Fullerton, Mrs. Alan, 1938-1940
G, 1921-1930
G, 1942-1958
Gerling, Jacob, 1923-1926
Gomez, Kirio, 1939

Box 55

H, 1922-1933
Harvard, 1924
Ha-Hi, 1946-1956
Ho-Hu, 1946-1956
Harvard, 1946-1957
Hay, John L., 1956-1958
Herald Tribune
Holcombe, Arthur, 1950-1956
Hungary, 1941
I-J, 1922-1926
Judicial District Conventions, 1925
I, 1949-1956
J, 1951-1955
K-L, 1921-1926
K, 1948-1956
Kimmel, Gertrude, 1950-1951

Box 56

L, 1947-1956
Letters to Newspapers, 1948-1950
Levinsohn, Mrs. Arthur, 1955-1956
Levinsohn, Mrs. Arthur, 1954-1958
Library of Congress, 1929-1954
Lomelino, Clarissa, 1939
M, 1922-1930
M, 1940-1956
Matilda, 1948-1949
Mahoney, Jeremiah, 1928-1930
Mahoney, Jeremiah, 1944-1955
Mahoney, Jeremiah, 1955-1960
McVeigh, Charles, 1930-1950

Box 57

N-O-P, 1919-1926
N, 1940-1957
Nassau County Democratic Committee, 1924
Nemac, Francis T., 1954-1956
Newport, 1948-1949
New York Herald Tribune, 1952-1958
New York Times, 1952-1957
North American Newspaper Alliance, 1952
O, 1947-1954
Olive Pell Bible
Olympia (cruiser), 1929-1935
P, 1945-1956
Pell Family, 1947-1958
Pell Genealogy

Box 58

Pell, Claiborne, 1937-1949
Pell, Claiborne, 1950
Pell, Claiborne, 1951
Pell, Claiborne, 1952
Pell, Claiborne, 1953
Pell, Claiborne, 1954
Pell, Claiborne, 1955-1956
Pell, Claiborne, 1957-1960
Pell, Clarence, 1948-1956

Box 59

Pell, Herbert: "The Next Few Years" Comments, 1946-1949
Pell, Herbert: Possessions
Pell, Herbert: Personal
Pell, Herbert: Medical
Pell, Herbert & Olive: Auto Accident, 1940
Pell, Howland, 1960
Pell, John, 1947-1956
Pell, Katherine L.K. Condolence Letters, 1948
Pell, Katherine L.K. Condolence Letters, 1948
Pell, Katherine L.K. Condolence Letters, 1948
Pell, Katherine L.K. Condolence Letters, 1948
Pell, Olive B.
Pell, Olive B., 1927-1930
Pell, Olive B., 1956-1961
Pell, Olive B.: Bible

Box 60

Pell, Olive B.: Bible, 1952-1953
Pell, Olive B.: Bible, 1952-1954
Pell, Olive B.: Bible, 1954
Pell, Robert, 1947-1950
Pell, Stephen, 1948-1954
Pell, Walden, 1947-1955
Perkins, Edward, 1925, 1946 and 1952-1954
Pleasant Valley Land Company, 1953-1958
Politics, 1920
Politics, 1920
Politics, 1920-1925
Portugal: Congratulations, 1937

Box 61

Portugal, 1939
Portugal, 1939
Portuguese Museum, 1949-1952
Princeton University, 1925
Q, 1955-1956
R, 1947-1955
Railroads, 1920
Richardson, Charlotte Pell, Estate of
Roosevelt, Franklin D., Jr., 1954-1955
S, 1920-1924
Sa-Sl, 1947-1957
Sm-Sz, 1947-1959
Smith, Alfred E., 1924-1925
Society for Prevention of World War III, 1949-1956
Stevenson, Adlai, 1955-1957
Syracuse University, 1925-1926

Box 62

T, 1922-1924
T, 1947-1955
Tilton, Mrs. Newell, 1931-1932
Travel Journals of Herbert Pell
Travel Journals of Herbert Pell, 1956
Travel Journals of Herbert Pell, 1957
Travel Journals of Herbert Pell, 1958
U, 1953-1955
V, 1923-1925
V, 1946-1960
Van Nagell, Baron, 1930-1953
W-Y, 1922-1924
W, 1930-1955
Weddell, Alexander, 1940
Y-Z, 1955

Box 63

Writings-American Aurora
Writings-American Aurora
Writings-Commissions & Omissions
Writings-Municipal Socialism in Vienna
Writings-My Trip to Washington, April 15, 1934-April 20, 1934
Writings-Short Story
Writings-Moralities and Mores
Writings-England and France in Wartime
Writings-Notes
Writings-Government Ownership
Writings-Clippings: Politics Rhode Island
Writings-Clippings

Box 64

Writings (Untitled Folders)

Box 65

Poetry

Box 66

Printed Materials

Box 67

Photographs

Box 68

Photographs & Photo-postcards

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: General Correspondence, 1918-1961],
[Series 2: Speech and Writings File],
[Series 3: Financial File, 1931-1961],
[Series 4: Addendum, 1905-1963],
[All]