Oscar S. Cox Papers | Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum

Collection Overview

Title: Oscar S. Cox Papers

Primary Creator: Cox, Oscar

Extent: 67.7 Cubic Feet

Arrangement: The papers are arranged into eight series. Those series are generally arranged alphabetically, and then chronologically.

Date Acquired: 08/03/1967

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The papers are divided into eight series. The first five focus on Cox's various roles as a legal and adminstrative council in the president's administration up to and during World War II (1938-1945). The contents are of an official nature, except for personal correspondence which is confined to paragraphs in otherwise official letters, and diaries. They reflect Cox's involvement in his various federal government posts, but because of his many assignments, often held concurrently, the files overlap. General Counsel, Lend-Lease Administration and Office of Emergency Management material, are located both in the files pertaining to lend-lease and the Justice Department.

Collection Historical Note

Oscar Sydney Cox was born in Portland, Maine, on December 3, 1905. He attended Masschusetts Institute of Technology, and received his Ph.B. (1927) and LL.B. (1929) from Yale University. Cox was associated with the law firm of Cadwalader, Wickersham and Taft, and a member of both the Supreme Court and New York bars from 1929 to 1934. He was appointed the City of New York's assistant corporation counsel in charge of taxes (1934), and held this post until 1938. His federal government career began in 1938 when he was appointed Assistant to the General Counsel, U. S. Treasury Department, a post he held until 1941. Cox then served as General Counsel of both the Lend-Lease Administration and the Office of Emergency Management (1941-1943); Assistant Solicitor General of the United States (Feb., 1942-Dec., 1943); General Counsel, Foreign Economic Administration (Dec., 1943-Jan., 1945); and Deputy Administrator, Foreign Economic Administration (Jan.-Oct., 1945). Mr. Cox died in Washington, D. C. on October 4, 1966.

Administrative Information

Repository: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum

Access Restrictions: This collection is available for use by the general public.

Use Restrictions: These papers contain documents restricted in accordance with Executive Order 11652; also material which might be used to embarrass, harass or injure living persons has been closed.

Acquisition Source: Mrs. Oscar Cox

Acquisition Method: Donation

Related Materials: Material relating to Oscar Cox will be found in PPF 8746 (Oscar Cox). Material related to his service in the Treasury Department will be found in PSF: Treasury and OF 21 (Treasury Department); Lend-Lease and OF 4193 (Lend-Lease Agreements); Office of Solicitor General in OF 10-F (Solicitor General); and Foreign Economic Administration in OF 5430 (Foreign Economic Administration).

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Alphabetical File],
[Series 2: Treasury Department Files, 1938-1941],
[Series 3: Justice Department Files, 1941-1943],
[Series 4: Lend Lease File],
[Series 5: United Nations File],
[Series 6: Subject File, 1944-1963],
[Series 7: Diaries and Related Materials],
[Series 8: Clippings],
[All]

Series 5: United Nations File

Correspondence for the period 1944-45 arranged alphabetically by subject. As a result of Cox's association with the Foreign Economic Administration he became involved with planning for the United Nations. Most of the materials deal with the Bretton Woods and San Francisco Conferences.

Box 122

Dumbarton Oaks Peace Conference, August 1944
Mexico City Conference (1), March 1945
Mexico City Conference (2), March 1945
Economic and Social Council

Box 123

Comments and Suggestions on the Dumbarton Oaks Proposals, March 1945
Comments and Proposed Amendments Concerning the Dumbarton Oaks Proposals, May 7, 1945
U.S. Additional Amendments

Box 124

U.S. - U.S.S.R. Relationships (General) (1)
U.S. - U.S.S.R. Relationships (General) (2)
U.S. - U.S.S.R. Relationships Clippings (1), 1945
U.S. - U.S.S.R. Relationships Clippings (2), 1945

Box 125

Bretton Woods Conference - Pre-Conference Materials
Bretton Woods Conference - Taxation of Government Instrumentaliti (1)
Bretton Woods Conference - Taxation of Government Instrumentaliti (2)
Bretton Woods Conference - Proposals (1)
Bretton Woods Conference - Proposals (2)

Box 126

Bretton Woods Conference - Bank for Reconstruction & Development
Bretton Woods Conference - International Monetary Fund (1)
Bretton Woods Conference - International Monetary Fund (2)
Bretton Woods Conference - After Conference Materials

Box 127

Bretton Woods Conference - Journal (1)
Bretton Woods Conference - Journal (2)
Bretton Woods Conference - Bretton Woods Agreement
Bretton Woods Conference - Clippings (1)
Bretton Woods Conference - Clippings (2)

Box 128

Bretton Woods Conference - Commission I
Bretton Woods Conference - Commission II (1)
Bretton Woods Conference - Commission II (2)
Bretton Woods Conference - Commission III

Box 129

Bretton Woods Conference - Printed Material

Box 130

San Francisco Conference - Background Information - New Federalist
San Francisco Conference - Big 4 Joint Proposals
San Francisco Conference - Bank for Reconstruction & Development
San Francisco Conference
Bretton Woods Conference
San Francisco Conference - Economic and Social Council (Article for Free World)
San Francisco Conference - 2nd Plenary Session - Summary
San Francisco Conference - Canadian Amendments
San Francisco Conference - Daily Opinion Developments - Summary
San Francisco Conference - Dumbarton Oaks
San Francisco Conference - Economic Staff Committee
San Francisco Conference - General
San Francisco Conference - Interim Comm. on Economic & Social Problems
San Francisco Conference - International Monetary Fund & Bank
San Francisco Conference - News Digest - Special Conf. Edition
San Francisco Conference - Polish Leaders

Box 131

San Francisco Conference - Position Document
San Francisco Conference - San Francisco Conference Report
San Francisco Conference - San Francisco Conference, 1945
Senate Small Business Committee
Statute for Economic and Social Council
Text of Chapter IX and Social Council
UNNRA - Certification by Joint Chiefs of Staff

Box 132

Handbooks for members of the U.S. Delegation, San Francisco Conference
Printed Materials on the San Francisco Conference
Round-Up of Radio Reaction