Diaries of Henry Morgenthau, Jr., April 27, 1933-July 27, 1945 | Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum

Collection Overview

Title: Diaries of Henry Morgenthau, Jr., April 27, 1933-July 27, 1945

Extent: 138.06 Cubic Feet

Arrangement: This digitial collection represents one portion of the larger Henry Morgenthau, Jr. Papers. It is arranged into three sub-series: the Diaries, Presidential Diaries, and Diary Index

Scope and Contents of the Materials

This digitial collection represents one portion of the larger Henry Morgenthau, Jr. Papers. It is arranged into three sub-series: the Diaries, Presidential Diaries, and Diary Index.

During Henry Morgenthau, Jr.'s nearly 12 years as FDR's Secretary of the Treasury, he compiled more than 860 diary volumes. These are not typical diaries; rather, they are Morgenthau's daily record of his official activities, including transcripts of his meetings and telephone conversations as well as copies and originals of the most important correspondence and memoranda that passed over his desk. Morgenthau also kept a diary of his brief tenure as Farm Credit Administrator in the early months of the New Deal before becoming Treasury Secretary.

Because of Morgenthau's long tenure in government and his close personal relationship with Roosevelt, the diaries also document Morgenthau's involvement and interest in New Deal fiscal and monetary policy during the Great Depression, wartime economic mobilization and aid to the Allies, post-war planning and the so-called "Morgenthau Plan" for Germany, the plight of European Jews and the War Refugee Board, planning for the Bretton Woods and United Nations conferences, as well as other social, political, economic and diplomatic issues. Combined, these diaries and index cards total some 285,000 pages.

Collection Historical Note

Henry Morgenthau, Jr., was a Dutchess County neighbor and close friend to Franklin D. Roosevelt. Morgenthau, only son of New York City real estate mogul and diplomat, Henry Morgenthau, Sr., attended Cornell University, studying agriculture. Morgenthau's friendship with FDR began in 1915 when the two shared a common wish to increase rural representation in the New York State Democratic Party.

In 1928, Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Morgenthau Chairman of the New York State Agricultural Advisory Commission and State Conservation Commissioner. Later as President, FDR first appointed Morgenthau Chairman of the Federal Farm Bureau and Farm Credit Administration and then as Secretary of the Treasury, a post he would serve from January 1934 through July 1945. Morgenthau made significant and direct contributions to the New Deal and to the US efforts in World War II. He helped develop the Lend-Lease program of aid to Britain, led the homefront war bond effort, and acted as the driving force in creating the War Refugee Board that resulted in the rescuing of as many as 200,000 Jews from Nazi-occupied countries. He is also widely known for presenting the controversial "Morgenthau Plan" for an agrarian postwar Germany.

For more detailed biographical information, please see the finding aid for parent collection: Henry Morgenthau, Jr. Papers.

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. All other materials are subject to the United States Copyright law, 17 U.S.C. 101, et seq.

Related Materials:

Henry Morgenthau, Jr. Papers (parent collection)

Franklin D. Roosevelt's Papers as President

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Morgenthau Diaries],
[Series 2: Morgenthau Presidential Diaries],
[Series 3: Morgenthau Diaries Index],
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Series 3: Morgenthau Diaries Index

Henrietta Klotz, personal secretary to Henry Morgenthau, Jr., compiled an extensive, card-based subject index to Morgenthau's bound Diaries. The cards are alphabetically arranged, and each subject entry cites to a Diary volume and its subsequent page number (top right corner, numbers separated by a colon), the given document's date, along with any cross references that may apply (usually indicated by "see also:" note). For example, 187:26 means volume 187 at page 26.

Books and Dates: View Online
A-Aleman, Miguel: View Online
Alexander, Henry-Appts. and Resignations: Haas, Saul: View Online
Appts. And Resignations: Richards, Karl-BIS: Conchran reports on annual meeting: View Online
BIS: Conchran reports on annual meeting (cont.)-Barter: View Online
Barter (cont.)-Brazil: View Online
Brazil (cont.)-Business Conditions: View Online
Business Conditions (cont.)-Canada: View Online
Canada (cont.)-China: View Online
China (cont.)-CCC: Conference with FDR: View Online
CCC: Change in Uniforms-Contracts, War: View Online
Contracts, War (cont.)-Cuba: Conference on financial assistance: View Online
Cuba (cont.)-Dependency Benefits, Office of: View Online
Deposits, Div. of-Engraving and Printing, Bur. Of: View Online
Engraving and Printing, Bur. Of: Wage Scale-Fifth Ave. Assn., NYC: View Online
Fifth Column-Financing, Govt.: Inflation: View Online
Financing, Govt.-Financing, Govt.: War Savings Bonds: View Online
Financing, Govt.: War Savings Bonds (cont.): View Online
Financing, Govt.: War Savings Bonds (cont.)-Foreign Funds Control: France: View Online
Foreign Funds Control: Mexico-General Counsel, Office of: View Online
General Counsel, Office of (cont.)-Gold: View Online
Gold (cont.)-Guaranty Trust Co. of NYC: View Online
Guaranty Trust Co. of NYC (cont.)-Housing: View Online
Housing (cont.)-Inflation: View Online
Inflation (cont.)-Italy: View Online
Italy (cont.)-Knollenberg, Bernhard (Librarian, Yale Univ.): View Online
Knollenberg, Bernhard (cont.)-War Conditions: Latin America: View Online
War Conditions: Latin America (cont.)-Latin America: Mexico: View Online
Latin America: Peru-Lend-Lease: View Online
Lend-Lease: UK-Liquor: View Online
Liquor (cont.)-McConnell, Robert: View Online
McConnell, Robert (cont.)-Mint, Bur. Of: View Online
Mint, Bur. Of (cont.)-Narcotics, Bureau of: View Online
Narcotics-New York Times: View Online
New York Times (cont.)-OWI: View Online
OWI (cont.)-Permanente Corp., Calif.: View Online
Perrine, Mr.-Post-War Planning: View Online
Post-War Planning: Currency Stabilization-Post-War Planning: Surplus Property: View Online
Post-War Planning (cont.)-PWA: View Online
PWA (cont.)-Refugees: View Online
Refugees (cont.)-Revenue Revision: View Online
Revenue Revision (cont.)-Ruml, Beardsley: View Online
Ruml, Beardsley (cont.)-Secret Service: View Online
Secret Service (cont.)-Silver: View Online
Silver (cont.)-Speeches by H.M. Jr.: View Online
Speeches by H.M. Jr. (cont.)-Stabilization: View Online
Stabilization (cont.)-Statements by H.M. Jr.: View Online
Statements by H.M. Jr. (cont.)-Switzerland: View Online
Switzerland (cont.)-Taxation: View Online
Taxation (cont.)-Transamerica: View Online
Transamerica (cont.)-Unemployment Relief: View Online
Unemployment Relief (cont.)-United Kingdom: View Online
United Kingdom (cont.)-Universal Trading Corp.: View Online
Universal Trading Corp. (cont.)-War Conditions: Airplanes: View Online
War Conditions: Airplanes (cont.)-War Conditions: Burma: View Online
War Conditions: Business-War Conditions: Exchange Market Resume: View Online
War Conditions: Exchange Market Resume-War Conditions: Foreign Funds Control: Hungary: View Online
War Conditions: Foreign Funds Control: Italy-War Conditions: Greece: View Online
War Conditions: Greece (cont.) -War Conditions: Lend-Lease: View Online
War Conditions: Lend Lease (cont.)-War Conditions: Price Control: View Online
War Conditions: Price Control (cont.)-War Conditions: Shipping: View Online
War Conditions: Shipping (cont.)-War Conditions: Shipping: U.S.: View Online
War Conditions: U.S.: Surplus Material-War Savings Bonds: View Online
War Savings Bonds (cont.)-Windels, Paul: View Online
Windsor, Duke and Duchess-Zita, Empress (former): View Online

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Morgenthau Diaries],
[Series 2: Morgenthau Presidential Diaries],
[Series 3: Morgenthau Diaries Index],
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