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 7: Diaries and Related Materials

The diaries cover the years 1938-45 and 1951-52. Daily calendars and reminders are also filed in this series.

Box 140

Daily Calendar, January 1939-December 1939
Daily Calendar, January 1940-July 1940
Daily Calendar, August 1940-December 1940
Daily Calendar, January 1941-March 1942

Box 141

Daily Reminders, I, March 1942-January 1943
Daily Reminders, II, February 1943-September 1943
Daily Reminders, III, October 1943-May 1944

Box 142

Daily Reminders, September 1944-November 1945

Box 143

Daily Calendar (telephone), March 1942-June 1942
Daily Calendar (telephone), July 1942-September 1942
Daily Calendar (telephone), October 1942-December 1942

Box 144

Daily Calendar (telephone), January 1943-April 1943
Daily Calendar (telephone), May 1943-August 1943
Daily Calendar (telephone), September 1943-December 1943

Box 145

Diaries, October 1938-February 1939
Diaries, June 1940-July 1940
Diaries, January 1941-February 1941
Diaries, April 1941-September 1941
Diaries, January 1941-April 1943

Box 146

Diaries, Carbons, January 1941-August 1941
Diaries, June 1942-December 1942
Diaries, January 1943-April 1943

Box 147

Diaries, May 1943-June 1943
Diaries, July 1943-August 1943
Diaries, September 1943-October 1943

Box 148

Diaries, October 1943-December 1943
Diaries, January 1944-April 1944
Diaries, May 1944

Box 149

Diaries, June 1, 1944-June 26, 1944
Diaries, June 27, 1944-August 1944
Diaries, September 1944

Box 150

Diaries, October 1944
Diaries, November 1, 1944-November 24, 1944
Diaries, November 25, 1944-December 1944

Box 151

Diaries, January 1945-February 1945
Diaries, March 1945-May 1945
Diaries, June 1945-July 1945

Box 152

Diaries, August 1945
Diaries, September 1945-November 1945
Diaries, April 1944-December 1944
Diaries, 1941, 1945 and 1951-1952