Philip Ackley Stanton: Finding Aid
Finding aid prepared by David P. Levitus.
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical
Gardens
Manuscripts Department
The Huntington Library
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2191
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
© 2008
The Huntington Library. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Philip Ackley Stanton Papers
Dates: 1907-1929
Collection Number: mssStanton papers
Creator:
Stanton, Philip Ackley, 1868-1945
Extent:
336 items in 1 box
Repository: The Huntington Library,
Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Manuscripts
Department
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2191
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
Abstract: The collection consists of papers
related to the political, business and personal life of Southern California real estate developer
and politician Philip A. Stanton (1868-1945). The majority of the collection
concerns Philip Stanton’s political relationships, ambitions, and positions.
Language of Material: The records are in English.
Access
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader
Services.
Administrative Information
Publication Rights
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]. Philip Ackley Stanton Papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Provenance
Purchased from G. F. Hollingsworth on February 14, 1956, and May 30, 1958.
Biographical Note
Philip Ackley Stanton (1868-1929) came to California in 1887, became president of several real
estate companies, and was responsible for building the towns of Huntington Beach
(originally Pacific City, 1901) and Seal Beach (originally Bay City, 1915). The town
of Stanton is named after him and he assisted in its 1911 incorporation. He served
in the California assembly (1903-10), including a term as speaker from 1909 to 1910,
served as a member of the Republican National Committee for California 1912 to 1916.
In 1910, Stanton lost the Republican gubernatorial primary to the progressive Hiram
Johnson.
Scope and Content
The collection consists of papers related to the political, business and personal
life of Philip A. Stanton. The papers span the years from 1909 to 1929. The majority of the collection concerns Philip
Stanton’s political relationships, ambitions, and positions.
Notable items include letters from William H. Taft, Samuel M. Shortridge, fellow
legislators, and exchanges with Charles C. Chapman and Henry M. Wisler about citrus
growers’ aid to the suffering civilian populations of Western Europe during World
War I.
One folder contains correspondence related to Stanton’s business interests, almost
exclusively in real estate and land development in Orange and Los Angeles Counties.
It is organized chronologically. Notable items include a letter from Henry E.
Huntington, several from his son Howard Huntington, and fifteen letters from Isaias
W. Hellman, the prominent German-Jewish L.A. based businessman.
The one folder of newspaper clippings concerns Stanton’s political career,
specifically the 1910 Republican gubernatorial primary and 1916 Republican
senatorial primary. An ornate leather-bound scrapbook, decorated with metal plates,
contains eleven telegrams and letters from such notables as David Starr Jordan,
Harrison Gray Otis, and Hiram Johnson, congratulating Stanton on his role as
California Assembly Speaker in defeating anti-Japanese legislation in 1909.
Overall, the papers illuminate the tight social networks that linked leading
businessmen, land development, and the powerful conservative wing of the California
Republican Party. Major subjects include land development in Orange and L.A.
Counties and state and national politics in Southern California, including the
California Assembly, Republican National Committee, the 1920 Presidential election,
the status of Japanese in California, and relief of European civilians affected by
World War I. Major participants include Charles C. Chapman, Isaias W. Hellman, Henry
E. Huntington, Howard Huntington, Senator Samuel M. Shortridge, President William
Taft and Henry M. Wisler.
Arrangement
The collection is grouped into
folders by document type, the folders are in alphabetical order and files within
every folder are arranged chronologically, except for political correspondence. Three folders contain
political correspondence, arranged in alphabetical order of the author’s name.
Indexing Terms
Personal Names
Hoover, Herbert,
1874-1964.
Johnson, Hiram,
1866-1945.
Stanton, Philip Ackley,
1868-1945.
Corporate Names
California.
Legislature. Assembly -- History -- Sources.
California. Legislature
-- Officials and employees -- Archives.
United States.
President -- Elections, 1920.
Republican National
Committee (U.S.)
Republican Party
(Calif.)
Subjects
Governors -- California --
Election.
Japanese -- California.
Legislators -- California --
Archives.
Real estate development -- California,
Southern.
World War, 1914-1918.
Geographic Areas
California -- Politics
and government -- 1850-1950.
Genre
Letters (correspondence) -- California
20th century.
Alternate Authors
Chapman, Charles
C.
Hellman, Isaias W.
(Isaias William), 1842-1920.
Huntington, Henry
Edwards, 1850-1927.
Otis, Harrison Gray,
1837-1917.
Shortridge, Samuel
Morgan, b. 1861.
Taft, William H.
(William Howard), 1857-1930.
Correspondence: Business.
1907-1929
Physical Description: 47 items.
Correspondence: Lothian Estate.
1915-1929
Physical Description: 26 items.
Correspondence: Personal.
1908-1929
Physical Description: 27 items.
Correspondence: Political, A – I.
1907-1929
Physical Description: 65 items.
Correspondence: Political, J – R.
1907-1929
Physical Description: 48 items.
Correspondence: Political, S – X.
1907-1929
Physical Description: 47 items.
Correspondence: Scrapbook on Anti-Japanese Legislation.
1909
Physical Description: 1 item.
Ephemera: Newspaper Clippings.
1910-1916
Physical Description: 18 items.
Ephemera: Pamphlets, Invitations, Programs.
1907-1929
Physical Description: 25 items.
Ephemera: Used Envelopes.
1907-1929
Physical Description: 32 items.
