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Fall (Albert B.) Papers
mssFA
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Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Albert B. Fall papers
Creator:
Fall, Albert B. (Albert Bacon), 1861-1944
Identifier/Call Number: mssFA
Physical Description:
45.45 Linear Feet
(109 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1887-1941
Date (bulk): 1912-1923
Abstract: This collection contains the papers of New Mexican Senator Albert B. Fall (1861-1944) consisting of letters and documents
related to the following subjects: Fall's terms of office as senator for New Mexico (1912-21) and secretary of the Interior
(1921-23), family affairs (1907-41); personal business (1912-23); politics and government (both in New Mexico and on a national
level); New Mexico (especially land, water, forest, and mineral questions); Mexico; reclamation projects (especially the Colorado
River Project and Elephant Butte Dam); Indian Affairs (particularly with the Apache, Navajo, and Pueblo tribes); and Alaska.
Language of Material: English.
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader
Services.
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material,
nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and
obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
[Identification of item]. Albert B. Fall papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Mahlon T. Everhart, Jr., 1952-1963.
Albert B. Fall (1861-1944), senator from New Mexico (1912-1921) and secretary of the Interior (1921-1923), came to the West
from his native Kentucky, entered the field of law, purchased a large cattle ranch, and entered New Mexico politics. He was
one of the state's first senators and chairman of the Senate Subcommittee Investigating Mexican Affairs. As secretary of the
Interior he concentrated his efforts on the development of the nation's resources, such as the controversy over Alaskan resources,
the transfer from the Forestry Bureau to the Interior Department, the building of Boulder Dam, and the leasing of the Elk
Hills (CA) and Teapot Dome (WY) Naval Oil Reserves. These oil leases ended his career and Fall, deemed guilty of having accepted
a bribe, was sentenced to prison and died in 1944.
This collection contains letters and documents related to the following subjects: Fall's terms of office as senator for New
Mexico and secretary of the Interior (1912-23), family affairs (1907-41), and personal business (1912-23); politics and government
(both in New Mexico and on a national level); New Mexico (especially land, water, forest, and mineral questions); Mexico (including
the testimony before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee Investigating Mexican Affairs); reclamation projects (especially the Colorado
River Project and Elephant Butte Dam); Indian Affairs (particularly with the Apache, Navajo, and Pueblo tribes); Alaska. Significant
persons represented in the collection include: Holm Olaf Bursum (31 pieces), Thomas Benton Catron (5), George Curry (20),
Harry Micajah Daugherty (15), Henry Ossian Flipper (25), Warren Gamaliel Harding (25), Herbert Clark Hoover (10), Charles
Evans Hughes (23), Franklin Knight Lane (24), Robert Lansing (21), Henry Cabot Lodge (13), Stephen Tyng Mather (10), Theodore
Roosevelt (10), Woodrow Wilson (15).
This finding aid was updated in 2022 by Melissa Haley as part of the American Presidential Papers Project with enhanced description
of the presidential material present.
Former call number: mssFA Boxes 1-109.
See the Additional Collection Guide for a detailed index of correspondents and materials in the collection:
Supplementary 1984 finding aid (PDF version).
The collection is arranged in the following 4 series:
- Personal Correspondence (Boxes 1-12)
- Political Correspondence (Boxes 13-43)
- Natural resources (Boxes 44-70)
- Mexican affairs (Boxes 71-109)
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Cabinet officers -- United States -- Archives
Conservation of natural resources -- West (U.S.)
Indians of North America -- New Mexico
Legislators -- United States -- Archives
Natural resources -- West (U.S.)
Oil industries -- West (U.S.)
Teapot Dome Scandal, 1921-1920 -- History -- Sources
Water reuse -- New Mexico
Mexico -- Foreign relations -- United States
Mexico -- History -- Revolution, 1910-1920
New Mexico -- History -- 1848- -- Sources
New Mexico -- Politics and government -- 1848-1950
United States -- Foreign relations -- Mexico
Letters (correspondence) -- United States -- 19th century
Letters (correspondence) -- United States -- 20th century
Bursum, Holm Olaf
Catron, Thomas Benton, 1840-1921
Curry, George, 1861-1947
Daugherty, H. M. (Harry Micajah), 1860-1941
Flipper, Henry Ossian, 1856-1940
Harding, Warren G. (Warren Gamaliel), 1865-1923
Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964
Hughes, Charles Evans, 1862-1948
Lane, Franklin K.
Lansing, Robert, 1864-1928
Lodge, Henry Cabot, 1850-1924
Mather, Stephen Tyng, 1867-1930
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930
Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Foreign Relations
United States. Department of the Interior