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John G. Winant Papers (Small Collections), 1932-1947 | Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum

Collection Overview

Title: John G. Winant Papers (Small Collections), 1932-1947Add to your cart.

Primary Creator: John Gilbert Winant (1889-1947)

Extent: -1.0 Cubic Feet

Arrangement: The collection is organized into four series; Speeches and Articles, International Labor Organization, Printed materials, Subject Files. Folders are arranged chronologically with the exception of the Subject Files series which is arranged alphabetically.

Date Acquired: 10/15/1987

Scope and Contents of the Materials

This collection contains speeches given by Winant and correspondence from individuals pertaining to Winant's efforts in the International Labor Organization. Also included within the collection are printed materials and subject files of materials pertaining to Winant's responsibilities in various state, federal, and international offices.

Collection Historical Note

John Gilbert Winant was born in New York City on February 23, 1889. He attended St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire and entered Princeton University as a member of the Class of 1913.

After withdrawing from Princeton in late 1912, Winant returned to St. Paul’s School as a history teacher. He became active in local politics and was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 1917. When the United States entered World War I, Winant enlisted in the American Expeditionary Forces and was assigned to the 1st Aero Squadron. By the time he left the service in 1919, he had risen to the rank of Captain of the 8th Aero Squadron. After the war he returned to St. Paul’s School as a teacher and Second Vice-Rector. He reentered New Hampshire politics in 1920 and was elected to a term in the State Senate. Later he served a second term in the House and three terms as Governor of the state, 1925-26, 1931-32, and 1933-34.

Throughout his career, Winant was interested in social and labor legislation. During his Governorship, the State Legislature passed a Minimum Wage bill, a State Relief bill, an Aid to Dependent Children bill and established a State Planning Board. Winant also unsuccessfully supported the passage of a 48-Hour bill. In 1931, he proposed the “New Hampshire Plan” which urged a nationwide four-day work week as a means of solving the nation’s economic ills. At this time, Winant was also active in the National Recreation Association, the National Consumers’ League, the American Association for Labor Legislation, and the Young Men’s Christian Association.

Although a Republican, Winant became a supporter of Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal policies. In 1934 Roosevelt appointed him to an Advisory Council to the Committee on Economic Security which assisted the Labor Department in drafting national social security legislation.

After successful intervention in the 1933 strike of textile workers in Manchester, New Hampshire, Winant became head of a Special Board of Inquiry into the United Textile Workers’ Strike of 1934. His work on this committee gave rise to a movement to have him nominated as the 1936 GOP Presidential candidate. Winant refused to run for the Presidency or for a fourth term as Governor. Instead, he accepted the post of Assistant Director of the International Labor Office in Geneva in April 1935 but stayed in Geneva only a few months before returning to Washington to become the first chairman of the Social Security Board. Continuing his contacts with the International Labor Organization, he served as chairman of the American Delegation to the 1936 Labor Conference in Geneva. After Landon attacked the Social Security Act during the 1936 Presidential campaign, Winant resigned as Chairman of the Social Security Board to freely defend the Act and President Roosevelt; he later returned to the Chairmanship. Resigning from the Board a second time in early 1937, he returned to Geneva as Assistant Director of the I.L.O. He was made Director of the organization in February 1939. With the coming of the second World War, Winant assured the continuance of the I.L.O. by engineering the transfer of the Office to Montreal.

President Roosevelt appointed Winant to replace Joseph P. Kennedy as Ambassador to Great Britain in 1941. Winant advocated increased aid to Great Britain and Russia before the United States officially entered the war. He was extremely popular with the British people; however, his authority as Ambassador was often overshadowed by the dispatch of special missions to London and the personal relationship which developed between President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill. Winant was also interested in post-war planning, particularly as it affected Russia and in November 1943 was named as Untied States representative on the European Advisory Commission which considered post-war treatment of Germany.

Early in 1946, President Truman appointed Winant to be the United States representative to the United Nations Economic and Social Council which dealt with refugees, displaced persons and other post-war problems. Resigning as Ambassador, Winant returned to the United States in May 1946. He continued to serve on the Economic and Social Council until January 1947.

Though officially retired, Winant accepted the chairmanship of National Brotherhood Week in February 1947, making an exhausting cross-country speech-making tour. At that time he was also working on a series of books describing his Ambassadorial experiences. The first volume, entitled Letter From Grosvenor Square, was completed and he had begun work on the second when he died on November 3, 1947.

Administrative Information

Repository: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum

Acquisition Source: Carol Lubin

Box and Folder Listing


Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Speeches and Articles],
[Series 2: International Labor Organization (ILO)],
[Series 3: Printed Material],
[Series 4: Subject Files],
[All]


Series 1: Speeches and ArticlesAdd to your cart.

Box 1Add to your cart.

Inaugural Address - New Hampshire GovernorAdd to your cart.

Speech: WBZ Radio State House, October 27, 1932Add to your cart.

Speech, December 14, 1935Add to your cart.

Speech, January 20, 1936Add to your cart.

Speech, January 29, 1936Add to your cart.

Speech, February 21, 1936Add to your cart.

Speech Draft Material, 1930-1940Add to your cart.

Speech, 1940Add to your cart.

Correspondence/Speech, 1940-1941Add to your cart.

Speeches - MiscellaneousAdd to your cart.

Speeches - MiscellaneousAdd to your cart.

Series 2: International Labor Organization (ILO)Add to your cart.

Box 1Add to your cart.

Initial Appointment to ILO, 1935Add to your cart.

ILO, February-May 1939Add to your cart.

ILO, November 1939Add to your cart.

Box 2Add to your cart.

ILO, December 1939Add to your cart.

ILO, December 1939Add to your cart.

ILO, January-April 1940Add to your cart.

ILO, April-August 1940Add to your cart.

ILO, September-October 1940Add to your cart.

ILO, November 1940Add to your cart.

ILO Owen Survey, 1940Add to your cart.

ILO, 1941Add to your cart.

ILO - ClippingsAdd to your cart.

Series 3: Printed MaterialAdd to your cart.

Box 3Add to your cart.

Messages as Governor of New HampshireAdd to your cart.

Nation Article, November 15, 1947Add to your cart.

Printed MaterialsAdd to your cart.

Miscellaneous MaterialsAdd to your cart.

Printed MaterialsAdd to your cart.

MiscellaneousAdd to your cart.

MiscellaneousAdd to your cart.

News ClippingsAdd to your cart.

ClippingsAdd to your cart.

Series 4: Subject FilesAdd to your cart.

Box 4Add to your cart.

1941Add to your cart.

Addresses/Memos to Staff re Voluntary Contributions Crises, 1938-1941Add to your cart.

Appointment to Social SecurityAdd to your cart.

Cables - Telegrams, 1939-1940Add to your cart.

Director's Report, 1939Add to your cart.

Election (Director), 1938Add to your cart.

General, 1937-1938Add to your cart.

Havana Conference, 1939Add to your cart.

Johnson, EthelAdd to your cart.

Letters of Introduction, 1940Add to your cart.

Lima Conference, 1938Add to your cart.

Lisbon, 1940Add to your cart.

Material re Special Trade Study Willits, 1938-1939Add to your cart.

Notes - Buisness CardsAdd to your cart.

Papers in Briefcase at ResignationAdd to your cart.

Reappointment to ILO, 1937Add to your cart.

Resignation and Appointment as Ambassador, 1941Add to your cart.

Social Security Board, 1936Add to your cart.

Social Security in a World at WarAdd to your cart.

Transfer to Montreal - Original Winant TelegramsAdd to your cart.

U.S. Labor Movement, 1939-1941Add to your cart.

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Speeches and Articles],
[Series 2: International Labor Organization (ILO)],
[Series 3: Printed Material],
[Series 4: Subject Files],
[All]