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
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]
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Series 4: Secretary to the President, 1933-1936 - Subject files arranged alphabetically. This series also contains some oversize materials, printed matter, scrapbooks, and ledger which are listed at the end of the series.
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Box 37 -
Box 38 -
Box 39 -
Box 40 -
Box 41 -
Box 42 -
Box 43 -
Box 44 -
Box 45 -
Box 46 -
Box 47 -
Federal Emergency Relief Administration -
Federal Power Commission -
Federal Trade Commission -
Flax -
G (General) -
H (General) -
Hawaii -
Herald Tribune Forum, October 1933 -
Hopkins, Harry L., 1933-1935 -
Howe, Louis M., and Family, 1933-1936 -
I-J (General) -
Indiana -
Industrial Emergency Committee -
Inland Gas Corporation - Kentucky Fuel Gas Corporation -
Labor Department -
Latin America
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Box 48 -
Box 49 -
Maine, 1935 -
Massachusetts -
N (General) -
National Emergency Council - Folder 1, March 1933-February 1935 -
National Emergency Council - Folder 2, March 1933-February 1935 -
National Emergency Council - Folder 1, March 1935-April 1936 -
National Emergency Council - Folder 2, March 1935-April 1936 -
National Industrial Recovery Act -
National Labor Relations Board -
National Recovery Administration -
Navy Department -
Negroes -
Newspaper Code
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Box 50 -
Box 51 -
Radio Materials - Folder 1, February 1933-September 1933 -
Radio Materials - Folder 2, February 1933-September 1933 -
Radio Materials - Folder 3, February 1933-September 1933 -
Radio Materials - Folder 1, October 1933-August 1934 -
Radio Materials - Folder 2, October 1933-August 1934 -
Radio Materials - Folder 3, October 1933-August 1934
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Box 52 -
Box 53 -
Subsistence Housing, Folder 1, January 1934-May 1934 -
Subsistence Housing, Folder 2, January 1934-May 1934 -
Subsistence Housing, Folder 3, January 1934-May 1934 -
Subsistence Housing, Folder 1, June 1934-January 1935 -
Subsistence Housing, Folder 2, June 1934-January 1935 -
Subsistence Housing, Folder 3, June 1934-January 1935
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Box 54 -
Subsistence Housing: Reedsville Experiment Reports, Folder 1, January 1934-August 31, 1935 -
Subsistence Housing: Reedsville Experiment Reports, Folder 2, January 1934-August 31, 1935 -
Subsistence Housing: Reedsville Experiment Reports, Folder 3, January 1934-August 31, 1935 -
Transportation -
Treasury Department -
Veterans -
Walker, Frank C. (See also Executive Council), 1933 -
Wolf, Charles -
Zook, George F., 1933
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Box 55 -
Box 56 -
Box 57 -
Box 58 -
Box 59 -
Box 60 -
Box 61
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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]