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 1: General Correspondence, 1918-1961

Incoming and outgoing personal, family, business, political and diplomatic correspondence arranged alphabetically by subject or surname of correspondent, and thereunder chronologically. The dates following entries in this series indicate the dates of correspondence in the files. (Containers 1-29).

Box 1

Ab-Al (General)
Adee, Capt. Graham, 1937-1940
Albion, Prof. Robert, 1936-1939
Am-Au (General)
Ame-Leroy, 1943-1944
Anderson, Thomas, 1935-1939
Anderson, Thomas, 1940-1944
Armstrong, Hamilton Fish, 1940
Association Against Prohibition Amendment
Auslander, Joseph, 1942-1943
Austin, Nichols & Co.

Box 2

Ba-Be (General)
Baum, Rose, 1937-1939
Bellinger, P.N.L., 1934-1946
Bensaude, Vasco, 1942-1943
Bergson, Peter, 1945-1946
Bi-Bo (General)
Biachi, Dr. Jose, 1937-1939
Bicknell, John Warren, 1938
Bills, 1941-1942
Bingham, Alfred M., 1936-1938
Bloom, Sol, 1939 and 1945
Bloomingdale's
Blumenthal, Dan, 1937-1946
Bonus, Correspondence re
Bookplate Letters

Box 3

Br-Bu (General)
Bristol, Mrs. Mark, 1935
Brody, Arthur, 1935
Brown, Wheelock, Harris & Co., 1934-1935
Brown, Wheelock, Harris, Stevens, Inc., 1937
Brown, Mrs. Wilber Fiske, 1939
Bryer, Raymond, 1935
Budapest
Budapest Inventories, 1941
Buell, Raymond, 1937-1943
Burke, John C., 1934 and 1939
Burkhard, Arnold, 1936
Business Administration
Butler, Nicholas Murray, 1933-1940
Ca-Ch (General)
Cabrillo, Juan R., 1939
Cannon, Cavendish, 1942-1943
Cary, Guy, 1942-1943
Celler, Emanuel, 1943-1946
Chamber of Commerce Speech, Comments re, 1936
Chanler, Ashley, 1942-1943
Christea, James, 1941

Box 4

Cl-Co (General)
Claiborne Family
Claiborne, Mrs. J. Herbert, 1936
Clark, Mrs. J.F.A., 1939
Clarke, John J.-Insurance, 1937-1940
Coins
Colonial Forces
Corcoran, Mrs. George E., 1938
Corwin, Edward S., 1936-1940
Coater, C. Henry, 1936-1946
Cr-Cz (General)

Box 5

Crane, William Carter, 1933-1943

Box 6

D (General)
De La More Press
Davidson, Louis S., 1935-1944
DeBlois and Eldridge
Despard and Company
Drayton, Henry C., 1934-1941
Durfee, John, 1937-1938

Box 7

E (General)
Electric Bond and Share Company
Elliott, Calvin, 1936-1940
Employers Liability Assurance Corporation
Fa-Fl (General)
Farley, James A., 1932-1945
Fish, Hamilton, 1936-1942
Fish, Stuyvesant, 1931-1943
Flags
Flammarion, Librarie
Fo-Fr (General)
Forand, Aime J.
The Forum

Box 8

French Discussion
French, Stuyvesant, 1936
Fu (General)
Furniture Sold
Fyfe, Howard, 1937
Ga-Go (General)
Gade, Capt. John A., 1937-1942
General Electric
Georgopula, G.A., 1939
Germany
Gimbels
Gr-Gw (General)
Gray, David, 1936-1944
Green, Theodore Francis, 1932-1944
Greene, John H., 1937-1939
Grover Cleveland Democratic Club

Box 9

Ha (General)
Hagemeyer, Frank, 1938-1940
Halstead, Mrs. Rita, 1937-1944
Hartigan, John, 1939
Harvard Correspondence, 1921-1939
He-Hi (General)
Helvering, Guy T. - re Transfer Tax, 1937
Hinkley, Rhoda, 1937-1943
Hilter Prophesy
Ho (General)
Holcombe, Arthur, 1931-1960

Box 10

Hopewell Estate
Hu-Hy (General)
Hull, cordell, 1929-1944
Humane Killer, Importation of
Hungary
Hutton, Rupert, 1931
I (General)
Insurance
International Law Conference - London, 1943
Isaacs, Stanley M., 1938-1960
J (General)
Jackson, Robert H., 1932-1945

Box 11

Jamestown Bridge, 1933-1934
Jarvie, Matthew, 1935
Jews, 1944-1945
Juhasz, Emile, 1942-1943
Ka-Ki (General)
Kelley, William A., 1937-1941
Keough, Francis B., 1940-1941
Keyser, Jean, 1940-1945
King, Mrs. Frederick, 1937-1942
King, LeRoy, 1937-1944
Kinnell, Gertrude, 1934-1946

Box 12

Kl-Kr (General)
Knickerbocker Club
Koehler, Commander Hugo, 1931-1939
Koehler, Mrs. Hugo (Pell's First Wife), 1927-1946
Krieger, George W., 1931-1943
La-Le (General)
Langdon Hotel
Lefferts, Halleck, 1934-1938
Leggett, Francis H. & Co.
Li-Ly (General)

Box 13

Lindsay, James N., 1935-1946
Lisbon - American Legation
Lorillard & Co.
Luce, Robert, 1934-1940
Mac-Mc (General)
MacDonald, J. Carlisle, 1935-1939
McIntyre, Marvin, 1942-1943
Mcvicker, John A., 1937-1939
Ma (General)
Macy & Co.
Mahoney, Jeremiah, 1928-1938

Box 14

Mahoney, Jeremiah, 1939-1960 and undated
Maney, Willaim, 1939
Manhattan Storage
Marriner, E.C., 1935-1938
Marsh, Polly, 1943
Martin, LeRoy, 1937-1942
Mason-Manheim, Madeline, 1938-1941
Me (General)
Mead, James, 1938-1944
Mencken, H.L., 1931
Merrick, J. Vaughan, 1935-1940
Merritt, James, 1935
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Mi (General)
Michelson, Charles, 1932-1935
Miller, Francis Pickens, 1935
Mills, Ogden L., 1935-1936
Miranda, Pontes de, 1942-1943
Mo-Mu (General)
Moir, Phyllis, 1943

Box 15

Morgan, Charles D., 1931-1936
Morison, Samuel E., 1938-1941
Morris and McVeigh, 1931-1946

Box 16

N (General)
National Economic League
National Geographic Society
New York Life Insurance Co.
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport Electric Co.
Newport Herald
Newport Newspapers: Pell's Letters to
New York Times: Letters to the Editor and Responses
O (General)
Ober, Gustavus, 1936-1942
O'Conner, John J., 1936-1937
Opdyke, Henry, 1941-1939
Pa-Pe (General)
Pamphlets Sent to Pell

Box 17

Pease and Elliman
Pell, Claiborne (son), 1926 and 1933-1937

Box 18

Pell, Claiborne, 1938-1942

Box 19

Pell, Claiborne, 1943-1960

Box 20

Pell, Clarence (brother), 1933-1960 and undated
Pell Family
Pell for Governor Club
Pell, Herbert: Trip to Hungary, 1941
Pell, Herbert: Personal
Pell, Herbert: Will
Pell, Mrs. Herbert, Sr. (mother)

Box 21

Pell, Howland (cousin), 1931-1937
Pell, John (cousin), 1931-1946
Pell, Olive (Mrs. Herbert, Jr.)
Pell, Robert (cousin), 1931-1960

Box 22

Pell, Stephen (cousin), 1934-1946
Pell, Rev. Walden (cousin), 1932-1960
Perkins, Edward E., 1931-1947
Ph-Po (General)
Platt, Edmund, 1932-1937

Box 23

Politics, 1932
Politics, 1934
Politics, 1936
Politics, 1938
Politics, 1940
Portugal, 1938-1940
Portugal, Joseph C., 1941-1944
Portuguese in Massachusetts
Poughkeepsie Eagle-News
Powell, Richard C., 1931-1935 and 1945
Pr-Py (General)
Princeton University
Press release on War Crimes Commission, April 24, 1945
Progress League, 1936-1939
Prohibition, 1932
Proportional Representation, 1947
Public Utilities, 1935
Pyne, Mrs. Grafton, 1938-1944 and undated
Q (General)

Box 24

Ra-Re (General)
Reader's Digest Association
Refugees, 1940
Reid, Mrs. Ogden, 1939-1945
Rh-Ri (General)
Richardson, Charlotte Pell - Will
Ro (General)
Road Correspondence
Roome, Reginald, 1942
Roosevelt, Franklin D., 1929-1935

Box 25

Roosevelt, Franklin D., 1936-1945
Roosevelt, Mrs. James, 1920-1940
Roosevelt, Mrs. Theodore, 1938-1939
Ru-Ry (General)
Russia
Sa-Sc (General)
St. George's School - Bills
Saperston, Sidney, 1938
Schenley International Corporation
Se (General)
Sh-Sn (General)
Sheperd, William E., 1934
So-Sq (General)
Sprouting Rock Beach Association

Box 26

St-Sz (General)
State Department Correspondence, 1937-1946 and undated
State Department: Preuss
State Department: Shaw, 1943
State Department: Stettinius, 1944-1945
State Department: Welles (see also: Welles), 1941
Stefanelli, Hans, 1939
Stone, I.F., 1945
Sturges, Hollister, 1936
Sullivan, Mortimer, 1931-1934
Ta-Te (General)
Taconic State Park Commission
Tariff, 1932-1933
Taxation - Foreign, 1932
Taylor, Myron, 1937-1943

Box 27

Th-To (General)
Thomas, Norman, 1931-1936
Thomas, Ruth, 1936-1945
Thomas, Sewell, 1933-1941
Tilton, Ellen (Mildred), 1936-1942
Tobin, Daniel, 1940
Tr-Tu (General)
Travers, Howard K., 1942
Tripp - Passport
Troy, Peter, 1936-1938 and 1946
Tully, Grace, 1943
Turton, John K., 1937
U (General)
Union Club
V (General)
Verse
Vivisection League
Wa (General)
Wagner, Robert, 1928-1943

Box 28

War Crimes Commission: Correspondence
War Crimes Commission: Pell Notes and Statements
War Crimes Commission: Organziation
War Crimes Commission: State Department
War Crimes Commission: Reports and Printed Materials
Warren, George Henry, Jr., 1937-1944
Watson, Thomas, 1938-1942

Box 29

We (General)
Weigle, Rev. Harold, 1932
Welsh, Arnon W., 1935-1946
Welles, Sumner (see also: State Dept.: Welles), 1938-1959
Wh-Wi (General)
Wheeler, Elton E., 1931, 1936
Whitley, R., 1936
Winant, John G., 1941-1945
Wo-Wr (General)
X - Y - Z (General)
Yenching University
Zanetti, Prof. J. Enrique, 1932-1944

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]