Albert B. Fall Papers: Finding Aid mssFA

Finding aid prepared by Huntington Library staff; machine-readable finding aid encoded by Diann Benti in 2017.
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Note

Finding aid last updated on June 13, 2022 by Melissa Haley.


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.

Conditions Governing Access

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.

Conditions Governing Use

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.

Preferred Citation

[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.

Biographical / Historical

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.

Scope and Contents

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).

Processing Information

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.

General

Former call number: mssFA Boxes 1-109.

Other Finding Aids

See the Additional Collection Guide for a detailed index of correspondents and materials in the collection: Supplementary 1984 finding aid (PDF version). 

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in the following 4 series:
  1. Personal Correspondence (Boxes 1-12)
  2. Political Correspondence (Boxes 13-43)
  3. Natural resources (Boxes 44-70)
  4. 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

 

Personal correspondence

Box 1

Personal correspondence, A-Br

Box 2

Personal correspondence, Bu-Cu

Box 3

Personal correspondence, D-E

Box 4

Personal correspondence, Fall (Appointments and invitations)

Box 5

Personal correspondence, Fall (Automobile-Mining Properties)

Box 6

Personal correspondence, Fall (Mining properties in Mexico-Westmoreland Apartments)

Box 7

Personal correspondence, Fall, Anna-Fr

Box 8

Personal correspondence, G-K

Box 9

Personal correspondence, L-Par

Box 10

Personal correspondence, Pat-Ta

Box 11

Personal correspondence, Th-Tr

Box 12

Personal correspondence, Tu-Z

 

Political correspondence

Box 13

Political correspondence, A-Br

Box 14

Political correspondence, Ba-Bo

Box 15

Political correspondence, Br-Cer

Box 16

Political correspondence, Cat-Co

Box 17

Political correspondence, Cr-Eg

Box 18

Political correspondence, Elks-Fall (political appointments)

Box 19

Political correspondence, Fall (political correspondence to Fall)-White House Conference

Scope and Contents

Folder 8 includes Woodrow Wilson typecript letter signed to Albert B. Fall, 1919 August 20 (4 pages).
Box 20

Political correspondence, Fallon-For

Box 21

Political correspondence, Fow-Gra

Box 22

Political correspondence, Gre-Haw

Box 23

Political correspondence, Hay-Ho

Box 24

Political correspondence, Hu-Ka

Scope and Contents

Folder 4 contains three typescript copies of Woodrow Wilson letter to Albert B. Fall, 1913 April 29 (1 page).
Box 25

Political correspondence, Ke-Lem

Box 26

Political correspondence, Lev-McT

Box 27

Political correspondence, Ma-Moo

Box 28

Political correspondence, Mor-New Mexico (Secretary of State)

Scope and Contents

Folder 21 contains Woodrow Wilson typescript letter signed to Albert B. Fall, 1913 June 23 (2 pages). Folder 24 contains: Woodrow Wilson typescript letters signed to Albert B. Fall, 1913 June 4 (1 page), 1913 June 19 (2 pages and addressed envelope), 1913 July 21 (1 page), 1913 November 12 (1 page), 1913 November 14 (1 page), 1914 February 19 (1 page); folder also includes letters written on behalf of Wilson by his secretary and copies of letters from Fall to Wilson.
Folder 24 contains typescript copies of letters from William H. Taft to Franklin MacVeagh, 1912 April 15 (1 page), to Walter L. Fisher, 1912 May 10 (1 page) and to Frank H. Hitchcock, 1912 May 10 (1 page).
Box 29

Political correspondence, New Mexico (State politics)-New York Times

Box 30

Political correspondence, New York World-Otero, E. M.

Box 31

Political correspondence, Otero, M. R.-Po

Box 32

Political correspondence, Pr-Rei

Box 33

Political correspondence, Rep-Rey

Box 34

Political correspondence, Ri-Ro

Scope and Contents

Folder 19 contains items pertaining to and copies of Fall's correspondence with Theodore Roosevelt; items concern the situation in Mexico, the 1916 presidential election, and Roosevelt's death and the Roosevelt Memorial Association. Included are typescript copies of letters and telegrams from Roosevelt to Fall dated: 1914 December 8, 1915 February 22, 1915 February 26, 1915 March 13, 1915 December 27, 1916 January 7, 1916 June 17, 1916? July 26, and 1918 October 29.
Box 35

Political correspondence, Sa-Sal

Box 36

Political correspondence, San-Sme

Box 37

Political correspondence, Smi-Sz

Box 38

Political correspondence, Ta-Tu

Box 39

Political correspondence, Ty-United States Department of Justice

Box 40

Political correspondence, United States Department of Labor-United States Post Office Department

Box 41

Political correspondence, United States Public Health-United Staets Veterans' Bureau

Box 42

Political correspondence, United States War Department-Wilson, Percy

Scope and Contents

Folder 4 contains Woodrow Wilson typescript letter signed to Albert B. Fall, 1913 July 31 (1 page).
Box 43

Political correspondence, Woodrow Wilson

Scope and Contents

Primarily copies of Wilson correspondence, speeches, and clippings. Original items are in folder 1: Wilson typescript letter to Albert B. Fall, 1913 July 18 (1 page) and folder 2: Wilson typescript letter signed to Fall, 1919 December 8 (2 pages).
 

Natural resources

Box 44

Political correspondence, Win-Z; and Miscellaneous Correspondence, A-Z

Box 45

Natural Resources, A-Br

Box 46

Natural Resources, Ba-Ca

Box 47

Natural Resources, Ce-Co

Box 48

Natural Resources, Cr-Ele

Box 49

Natural Resources, El Paso-Fa

Box 50

Natural Resources, Fe-Gam

Box 51

Natural Resources, Gar-Hi

Box 52

Natural Resources, Ho-Indian Depredation

Box 53

Natural Resources, Indian Medical-Indians, Osage

Box 54

Natural Resources, Indians, Pueblo-Land Grants

Box 55

Natural Resources, Lang-Ma

Scope and Contents

Items in folder 12 pertain to a request from Victor M Locke, Principal Chief of the Choctaw Nation, to organize an army battalion under Theodore Roosevelt and includes a typescript letter signed from Roosevelt to Albert B. Fall, 1917 May 23 (1 page).
Box 56

Natural Resources, Me-National Forests (Alamo)

Box 57

Natural Resources, National Forests (Carson)-National Parks (Mescalero)

Box 58

Natural Resources, National Parks (Platt)-Oa

Box 59

Natural Resources, Oil File, A-Cl

Box 60

Natural Resources, Oil File, Co-N

Box 61

Natural Resources, Oil File, O-Z

Box 62

Natural Resources, Oil and Gas-Pr

Box 63

Natural Resources, Pu-Ra

Box 64

Natural Resources, Re-Roach

Box 65

Natural Resources, Roads-Sa

Box 66

Natural Resources, Sc-Su

Box 67

Natural Resources, Ta-United States Breau of Reclamation

Box 68

Natural Resources, United States Bureau of the Budget-United Staets Fish and Wildlife Service

Box 69

Natural Resources, United States Forest Service-United States Office of Indian Affairs

Box 70

Natural Resources, United States War Mineral-Z

 

Mexican affairs

Box 71

Mexican Affairs, A

Box 72

Mexican Affairs, Ba-Bon

Box 73

Mexican Affairs, Boo-Bul

Box 74

Mexican Affairs, Bur-Cara

Box 75

Mexican Affairs, Carl-Coll

Box 76

Mexican Affairs, Colu-Cy

Box 77

Mexican Affairs, D-Ec

Box 78

Mexican Affairs, Ed-Fall (Lists of Casualties)

Box 79

Mexican Affairs, Fall (Press Statements)-Fall (Speeches on Mexico)

Box 80

Mexican Affairs, Fall, W. S.-Fu

Box 81

Mexican Affairs, Ga-Gog

Box 82

Mexican Affairs, Gom-Har

Box 83

Mexican Affairs, Has-Hy

Box 84

Mexican Affairs, Im-Jones, Gus

Box 85

Mexican Affairs, Jones, Guy-La

Box 86

Mexican Affairs, Le-Mai

Box 87

Mexican Affairs, Man-Mexico (Finances)

Box 88

Mexican Affairs, Mexico (Government)-Mor

Box 89

Mexican Affairs, Mos-New York Times

Box 90

Mexican Affairs, New York Tribune-Ol

Box 91

Mexican Affairs, Om-Po

Box 92

Mexican Affairs, Pr-Rober

Box 93

Mexican Affairs, Robi-Shi

Box 94

Mexican Affairs, Si-Sa

Box 95

Mexican Affairs, Swe-Thomp

Box 96

Mexican Affairs, Thoms-United States Congress (Lists of Witnesses)

Box 97

Mexican Affairs, United States Congress (Reports of…)-United States Congress (Subcommittee Subpoenas)

Box 98

Mexican Affairs, United States Congress (Subcommittee Testimony, Volumes 1-7)

Box 99

Mexican Affairs, United States Congress (Subcommittee Testimony, Volumes 8-20)

Box 100

Mexican Affairs, United States Congress (Subcommittee Testimony, Volumes 21-28)

Box 101

Mexican Affairs, United States Congress (Subcommittee Testimony, Volumes 29-43)

Box 102

Mexican Affairs, United States Congress (Subcommittee Testimony, Volumes 44-59)

Box 103

Mexican Affairs, United States Congress (Subcommittee Testimony, 2nd and 3rd series)

Box 104

Mexican Affairs, United States Congress (Subcommittee Vouchers)-United States War Department

Box 105

Mexican Affairs, Univ-Walker, G.

Box 106

Mexican Affairs, Walker, H.-Wile

Box 107

Mexican Affairs, Will-Z

Box 108

Mexican Affairs, Lane File, A-G

Scope and Contents

Folder 1 contains Woodrow Wilson typescript letter signed to Franklin K. Lane, 1916 August 31 (1 page).
Box 109

Mexican Affairs, Lane File, H-Z

Scope and Contents

Folder 65 contains Woodrow Wilson typescript letters signed to Franklin K. Lane, 1916 December 5 (1 page) and 1917 May 1 (1 page).