The Grace Tully Collection | Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum

Printer-friendly |

Contact the Archives

Collection Overview

Title: The Grace Tully Collection

Primary Creator: Tully, Grace (1900-1984)

Other Creators: LeHand, Marguerite A. ("Missy"), Roosevelt, Franklin D. (1882-1945)

Extent: 6.55 Cubic Feet

Arrangement:

When the Tully Collection, aslo know as the Grace Tully Archive, was acquired, there was no discernable original order because the collection had passed through several dealers, auction houses, and private owners prior to its donation to the Library. The materials had been rearranged and repackaged to enhance salability, not preserve original archival order. Archivists at the Roosevelt Library who organized the materials for research imposed a reasonable and accessible order to each sub-collection consistent with standard archival practices. In arranging the collection into its component sub-collections, if original ownership could not be clearly determined, the materials were deemed to belong in the Tully Papers.

The Tully Archive is arranged into three series:

Abstract

This collection is composed of three smaller collections: the Grace Tully Papers, the Marguerite A. ("Missy") LeHand Papers, and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Papers.

Scope and Contents of the Materials

This collection is composed of three smaller collections: the Grace Tully Papers, the Marguerite A. ("Missy") LeHand Papers, and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Papers.

The collection is titled the "Tully Archive" because, while there are three distinct collections within it, all of the materials were in the sole custody of Grace Tully from at least 1941 until her death in 1984, at which time the collection was transferred through numerous dealers and private owners until its ultimate donation to the Roosevelt Library. The title accurately reflects its unique provenance.

Biographical Note

Grace Tully Biographical Timeline

Born in Bayonne, New Jersey, August 9, 1900. Father died when young, and she and two sisters and brother were raised by devout Catholic mother. Attended parochial and convent schools before enrolling in secretarial school. Worked for Bishop (then later) Cardinal Patrick Hayes as secretary for ten years. Sought new employment with Democratic National Committee in 1928. Assigned to assist Eleanor Roosevelt who was organizing support for presidential nominee Al Smith. When FDR was nominated for Governor later that year, Grace went to work on Roosevelt's staff. Grace performed the dictation and typing duties that FDR's principal personal secretary Missy LeHand disliked. Grace served with FDR in Albany during his four years as Governor of New York. Moved to Washington in 1933 when FDR elected President. Roles of Tully and LeHand were by this time well defined and accepted. Grace performed dictation and typing, managed the President's mail, and served as primary files manager for the White House. After Missy LeHand suffered a stroke in 1941, Grace became FDR's primary personal secretary. Grace was in Warm Springs with FDR when he died on April 12, 1945. Grace thereafter became executive secretary of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial Foundation. Prior to his death, FDR appointed Grace to a three person committee to serve as a steward of FDR's papers in preparation for their opening to researchers. The other members of the committee were Harry L. Hopkins and Samuel Rosenman. The papers committee was disbanded in the late 1940s after ownership of the FDR papers was confirmed in the United States government following the administration of Roosevelt's estate. The establishment of the committee was deemed a non-testamentary request by the President not binding on the Archivist of the United States. In 1955, Tully joined the staff of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee, working closely with then-Senate Majority leader Lyndon B. Johnson. She remained as an aide there until 1965. Grace Tully died on June 15, 1984 at George Washington University Hospital in Washington DC. She never married and had no children.

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. The writings of Eleanor Roosevelt within this collection are subject to Mrs. Roosevelt's literary estate. All other materials are subject to the United States Copyright law, 17 U.S.C. 101, et seq.

Separated Materials: Framed items, memorabilia, books and photographs have been removed from the Tully Archive and transferred to the appropriate collection within the FDR Library.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Grace Tully Papers],
[Series 2: Marguerite A. ("Missy") LeHand Papers],
[Series 3: Franklin D. Roosevelt Papers],
[All]

Series 3: Franklin D. Roosevelt Papers

Boxes 11-13:This collection can truly be described as a "first draft of history." As FDR's personal secretaries, both Missy LeHand and Grace Tully took dictation, drafted correspondence, and worked on the President's speech drafts. As a result, the two women handled drafts of correspondence, handwritten notes or chits from FDR that would have been typed into memorandum form, and first and intermediate drafts of speeches and messages. This collection contains all of this variety of material and is primarily composed of documents that normally would have been filed in FDR's own papers in the White House that came to the Library after his death. For reasons lost to history, this material remained in the custody of his secretaries and became part of the Tully Archive instead of being filed within FDR's own papers.

Sub-Series 1: Correspondence

Box 11

Bevill-Champion, F.G., 1937: View Online
Brown, Elliot C., 1933: View Online
Brown, Wilson, 1944: View Online
Byoir, Carl, 1936: View Online
Byrns, Joseph Wellington, 1935: View Online
Corcoran, Thomas G., 1935: View Online
Couzens, James, 1936: View Online
Cushing, Mrs. Harvey, 1937: View Online
Day, Joseph P., 1934: View Online
Delano, Frederic A., 1936 and undated: View Online
Drabble, R. K., 1937: View Online
Edison, Charles, 1940: View Online
Epstein, Henry, 1935: View Online
Fahey, John H., 1933: View Online
Farley, James A., 1932: View Online
Flynn, Edward, 1942: View Online
Frankfurter, Felix, 1935-1939: View Online
Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, 1943: View Online
Friederich, Prince of Prussia, 1933: View Online
Garner, John Nance, 1933-1937: View Online
Gilligan, C. F., 1938: View Online
Glass, Carter, 1935: View Online
Grayson, Cary T., 1932: View Online
Greenway, Mrs. John C., 1932: View Online
Guernsey, Homer W., 1934: View Online
Herridge, William Duncan,, 1935: View Online
Hobson, Richard P., 1936: View Online
Hoover, Herbert, 1932: View Online
Hopkins, Harry L., 1940: View Online
Horner, Henry, 1933: View Online
Howe, Louis McHenry, 1934: View Online
Hull, Cordell Jones, C. W., 1937, , undated: View Online; View Online
Johnson, Hugh S. Jones, Jesse H., 1934, , 1941: View Online; View Online
Kelly, Colin P. III, 1941: View Online
Kennedy, Joseph P., undated: View Online
King, W. L. Mackenzie, 1938: View Online
Ladd, Carl E., 1935: View Online
Landis, James M., 1937: View Online
LeHand, Marguerite A. ("Missy"), 1942-1943: View Online
Lehman, Herbert H., ca. 1936: View Online
Loftus, Robert, 1940: View Online
McGuire, Edward S., 1940: View Online
McIlhenny, John, 1940: View Online
McNutt, Paul V., 1937: View Online
McSwain, J. J., 1932: View Online
Murray, Arthur, 1938: View Online
Mussolini, Benito, 1933-1937: View Online
Palmer, Peggy, 1939: View Online
Peabody, Endicott, 1935: View Online
Pearson, Paul M., 1935: View Online
Phillips, William, 1933: View Online
Pinchot, Gifford, 1931: View Online
Pulsifier, George P., 1937: View Online
Purcell, Thomas E., 1933: View Online
Robinson, Joseph T., 1935: View Online
Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1932-1935 and undated: View Online
Roosevelt, Franklin D., Jr., 1941: View Online
Roosevelt, G. Hall, 1940: View Online
Roosevelt, James, undated: View Online
Ruland, Arthur J., 1936: View Online
Slomovitz, Philip, 1935: View Online
Smith, Alfred E., 1932: View Online
Stimson, Henry L., 1942: View Online
Sumners, Hatton W., 1937: View Online
Talmadge, Eugene, 1935: View Online
Tuttle, Charles E., 1939: View Online
Van Wagner, Murray D., undated: View Online
Villard, Oswald Garriosn, 1935: View Online
Wemyss, Lady Wester, 1936: View Online
White, George, 1933: View Online
Windsor, Edward, Duke of, 1937: View Online
Yamamoto, Mrs. Admiral [joke letter to], 1943: View Online

Box 12

Daily Appointment Schedules [2 folders], 1939-1941: View Online (Part 1); View Online (Part 2); View Online (Part 3); View Online (Part 4)
List of Speeches, 1920-1940: View Online (Part 1); View Online (Part 2)
Memorabilia: Engraving on Silk of Napoleon, Brought from France in 1869 by Sara Delano Roosevelt's Father (copy-original transferred to Museum Collection): View Online
Miscellaneous Materials, 1930-1941 and undated: View Online
Testamentary Instructions, 1945: View Online
Trip and Travel Materials, 1932-1944: View Online

Sub-Series 3: Handwritten Notes and Chits

Box 12

Betting Sheets and Election Returns: View Online
Domestic Policy and New Deal: View Online
Meetings and Social Entertainments: View Online
Military and Defense: View Online
Miscellaneous: View Online
Nominations and Appointments: View Online
Trip and Travel Arrangements: View Online

Sub-Series 4: Speech Drafts

Box 13

Phi Beta Kappa Speech, Harvard University, June 17, 1929: View Online
Statement by the Governor on Prison Riots and Prison Reform, July 30, 1929: View Online
Message to the Legislature Recommending Further Improvements in Prison Administration, January 6, 1930: View Online
Armistice Day Address, Boston, Massachusetts, November 11, 1930: View Online
Annual Message to the Legislature, January 7, 1931: View Online
Memorandum for the Press Regarding Selection of Senator Barkley to Chair the Democratic National Convention, April 4, 1932: View Online
Tribute to George Washington, Address before the Conference of Governors, Richmond, Virginia, April 27, 1932: View Online
Speech Accepting the Democratic nomination for the presidency, Chicago, Illinois, July 2, 1932: View Online
Statement on Soldiers' Bonus, October 4, 1932: View Online
Address at Rochester, New York, October 18, 1932: View Online
Statement on New York State and Federal Budgets, ca. 1932: View Online
Appeal to Nations of the World on Disarmament, May 16, 1933: View Online
Address at the Lighting of the Community Christmas Tree, Washington DC, December 24, 1933: View Online
Address before the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, December 28, 1933: View Online
Statement on Disarmament, ca. 1933: View Online
Remarks on Receipt of Monies Raised on Behalf of Crippled Children, May 9, 1934: View Online
Address at Bankers' Convention, Constitution Hall, Washington DC, October 24, 1934: View Online
Remarks on Andrew Jackson and the Hermitage, November 1934: View Online
Message to Congress on the Use of National Resources, January 24, 1935: View Online
Memorandum on Signing Joint Resolution on Appropriations, February 13, 1935: View Online
Message to Congress on Tax Revision, June 19, 1935: View Online
Address on Agriculture, Fremont, Nebraska, September 28, 1935: View Online
Jackson Day Dinner Address, Washington DC, January 8, 1936: View Online
Address at the Dedication of the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial, January 19, 1936: View Online
Message to Congress Vetoing the Soldiers' Bonus for a Second Time, January 24, 1936: View Online
Radio Address to Boy Scouts, February 8, 1936: View Online
Democratic National Platform, June 25, 1936: View Online
Speech by John E. Mack Nominating Franklin D. Roosevelt for President, June 26, 1936: View Online
Acceptance Speech on Renomination for the Presidency, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 27, 1936: View Online
Address at the Dedication of Shenandoah National Park, July 3, 1936: View Online
Address at the Dedication of the Triborough Bridge, New York City, July 11, 1936: View Online
Speech at Omaha, Nebraska, October 9, 1936: View Online
Annual Message to Congress, January 6, 1937: View Online
Message to Congress Transmitting the National Resources Committee's Six-Year Program of Public Works, February 3, 1937: View Online
Fireside Chat on Reorganization of the Judiciary, March 9, 1937: View Online (Part 1); View Online (Part 2)
Address at Bonneville Dam, Oregon, September 28, 1937: View Online
Message to Congress Recommending Legislation, November 5, 1937: View Online
Annual Message to Congress, January 3, 1938: View Online
Address at the Jackson Day Dinner, Washington DC, January 8, 1938: View Online
Message to Congress on Stimulating Recovery, April 14, 1938: View Online
Fireside Chat on Economic Conditions, April 14, 1938: View Online
Address at Marietta, Ohio, July 8, 1938: View Online
Radio Address on Third Anniversary of Social Security, August 15, 1938: View Online
Annual Message to Congress, January 4, 1939: View Online
Young Democratic Clubs of America Resolution, 1939: View Online
Radio Address for the Mobilization of Human Needs, October 13, 1940: View Online
Speech at Poughkeepsie, New York, November 4, 1940: View Online
Radio Address from Hyde Park on Election Eve, November 4, 1940: View Online
Christmas Greeting to the Nation, December 24, 1940: View Online
Third Inaugural Address, January 20, 1941: View Online
Address at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, March 15, 1941: View Online
Addresses at the Dedication of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, June 30, 1941: View Online
D-Day Prayer, June 6, 1944: View Online
Miscellaneous Speech Notes and Materials: View Online

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Grace Tully Papers],
[Series 2: Marguerite A. ("Missy") LeHand Papers],
[Series 3: Franklin D. Roosevelt Papers],
[All]