Register of the Richard Michael Fraser, Baron Fraser of Kilmorack papers

Finding aid prepared by David Jacobs

Hoover Institution Library and Archives

434 Galvez Mall

Stanford University

Stanford, CA 94305-6003

hoover-library-archives@stanford.edu

URL: http://www.hoover.org/library-and-archives

Title: Richard Michael Fraser, Baron Fraser of Kilmorack papers

Date (inclusive): 1930-1977

Collection Number: 98012

Contributing Institution: Hoover Institution Library and Archives

Language of Material: English

Physical Description: 97 manuscript boxes (40.5 Linear Feet)

Abstract: Correspondence, minutes, memoranda, speeches, reports, and printed matter, relating to British domestic and foreign policy, and to activities of the Conservative Party.

Creator: Fraser of Kilmorack, Richard Michael Fraser, Baron, 1915-1996

Physical Location: Hoover Institution Library & Archives

Access

Originals closed; microfilm use only. Materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.

Use

For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Acquisition Information

Acquired in 1998.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Richard Michael Fraser, Baron Fraser of Kilmorack Papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Alternative Form Available

Also available on microfilm (117 reels).

Biographical Note

1915	Born, Nottingham, England, as Richard Michael Fraser (and using the name Michael Fraser as an adult)
1939-1946	Serves in the Royal Artillery, attaining rank of Lieutenant-Colonel
1946	Receives M.B.E. (Member of British Empire) award
1946-1964	Works in the Conservative Research Department, serving as Director from 1959 to 1964
1964-1975	Serves as Deputy Chair of the Conservative Party
1974	Awarded life peerage, becoming Baron Fraser of Kilmorack
1996	Died

Scope and Content Note

The papers of Baron Fraser of Kilmorack in the Hoover Institution Library & Archives document a career spent in the higher echelons of the British Conservative Party during the three decades following World War II. In his work as a party official, including a term as Deputy Chair, Fraser participated in nearly every aspect of Conservative politics, including the devising of campaign strategies, the selection of party leaders, the management of public relations, and the choice of day-to-day tactics in parliamentary debate. The Fraser papers provide a view of the internal and external workings of the Conservative Party both in opposition and in government during a period of considerable change in British politics.

A detailed record of Conservative Party life is contained in the Letterbooksseries of the papers, which consists largely of correspondence sent by Fraser to various party officials and politicians over a 30-year period. Much of this is concerned with administrative matters, but larger issues of power and policy are also addressed, as is the question of influencing British public opinion. The Alphabetical Correspondence series contains additional letters sent to and received from party leaders, including R. A. Butler, as well as correspondence with the Conservative prime ministers of the period, Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan, Alec Douglas-Home, and, in particular, Edward Heath.

The Fraser papers include the minutes of proceedings of various Conservative Party bodies, both those taking place in the public arena, such as party conferences, and others involving private deliberations of the party leadership, such as the Leader's Consultative Committee and Steering Committee (see Conservative Party Meetings File). There is also material in this section relating to the evolution of British policy toward the European Community.

Among other activities, the work of the Conservative Research Department involved the sampling of public opinion as a guide to the formulation of party policy. Both poll results and political position papers can be found in the Conservative Research Department Administrative Fileof the Fraser papers. There is additional material concerning Conservative electoral strategies in the Subject File, which also contains documents assessing the domestic impact of the British role in the Suez crisis of 1956. As a whole, the Fraser papers represent a significant record of Conservative politics in the time between the Churchill era and the realignment of the party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1945-1964

Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1964-1979

Great Britain -- Foreign relations -- 1945-

Conservative Party (Great Britain)

Microfilm Reel Content Guide

Downloadable PDF file of the Microfilm Reel Content Guide

Military Records 1942-1946

Scope and Contents note

Correspondence, diagrams, indexes, memoranda, and reports, arranged by military posting and therein chronologically

Scope and Contents note

Correspondence, diagrams, indexes, memoranda, and reports

Instructor in Gunnery Duty Officer papers, 1st Anti-Aircraft Group

box 1, folder 1

1942 June 30-1943 July 5

box 1, folder 2

1943 July 6-November 28

box 1, folder 3

1943 November 28-1944 April 15

box 2, folder 1

1944 April-July

box 2, folder 2

Air Intelligence Duty Officer papers 1945 April-1946 April

Letterbooks 1946-1975

Scope and Contents note

Correspondence, mainly outgoing, arranged chronologically. Includes accompanying memoranda, minutes, and reports

box 2, folder 3

1946 October-1947 May

box 2, folder 4

1947 June-December

1948

box 2, folder 5

January-March

box 3, folder 1

April-June

box 3, folder 2

July-October

box 3, folder 3

November-December

1949

box 4, folder 1

January-March

box 4, folder 2

April-June

box 4, folder 3

July-September

box 5, folder 1

October-December

1950

box 5, folder 2

January-February

box 5, folder 3

March-May

box 5, folder 4

June-July

box 6, folder 1

August-September

box 6, folder 2

October

box 6, folder 3

November

box 6, folder 4

December

1951

box 6, folder 5

January

box 6, folder 6

February

box 7, folder 1

March-April

box 7, folder 2

May-June

box 7, folder 3

July-August

box 7, folder 4

September-October

box 8, folder 1

November-December

1952

box 8, folder 2

January-February

box 8, folder 3

March-April

box 8, folder 4

May-June

box 8, folder 5

July-August

box 9, folder 1

September-October

box 9, folder 2

November-December

1953

box 9, folder 3

January-February

box 9, folder 4

March-April

box 9, folder 5

May-June

box 9, folder 6

July-September

box 10, folder 1

October-December

1954

box 10, folder 2

January-March

box 10, folder 3

April-June

box 10, folder 4

July-September

box 11, folder 1

October-December

1955

box 11, folder 2

January-February

box 11, folder 3

March

box 11, folder 4

April

box 11, folder 5

May

box 12, folder 1

June-July

box 12, folder 2

August-October

box 12, folder 3

November-December

1956

box 12, folder 4

January

box 12, folder 5

February

box 12, folder 6

March

box 13, folder 1

April

box 13, folder 2

May

box 13, folder 3

June

box 13, folder 4

July-August

box 13, folder 5

September

box 14, folder 1

October

box 14, folder 2

November

box 14, folder 3

December

1957

box 14, folder 4

January

box 14, folder 5

February

box 15, folder 1

March

box 15, folder 2

April

box 15, folder 3

May

box 15, folder 4

June

box 15, folder 5

July

box 15, folder 6

August

box 16, folder 1

September

box 16, folder 2

October

box 16, folder 3

November

box 16, folder 4

December

1958

box 16, folder 5

January

box 16, folder 6

February

box 17, folder 1

March

box 17, folder 2

April

box 17, folder 3

May

box 17, folder 4

June

box 17, folder 5

July

box 18, folder 1

August

box 18, folder 2

September

box 18, folder 3

October

box 18, folder 4

November

box 18, folder 5

December

1959

box 19, folder 1

January

box 19, folder 2

February

box 19, folder 3

March

box 19, folder 4

April

box 20, folder 1

May

box 20, folder 2

June

box 20, folder 3

July

box 20, folder 4

August

box 20, folder 5

September

box 21, folder 1

October

box 21, folder 2

November

box 21, folder 3

December

1960

box 21, folder 4

January

box 21, folder 5

February

box 22, folder 1

March

box 22, folder 2

April

box 22, folder 3

May

box 22, folder 4

June

box 22, folder 5

July

box 23, folder 1

August

box 23, folder 2

September

box 23, folder 3

October

box 23, folder 4

November

box 23, folder 5

December

1961

box 23, folder 6

January

box 24, folder 1

February

box 24, folder 2

March

box 24, folder 3

April

box 24, folder 4

May

box 24, folder 5

June

box 25, folder 1

July

box 25, folder 2

August

box 25, folder 3

September

box 25, folder 4

October

box 25, folder 5

November

box 26, folder 1

December

1962

box 26, folder 2

January

box 26, folder 3

February

box 26, folder 4

March

box 26, folder 5

April

box 27, folder 1

May

box 27, folder 2

June

box 27, folder 3

July

box 27, folder 4

August

box 27, folder 5

September

box 28, folder 1

October

box 28, folder 2

November

box 28, folder 3

December

1963

box 28, folder 4

January

box 28, folder 5

February

box 29, folder 1

March

box 29, folder 2

April

box 29, folder 3

May

box 29, folder 4

June

box 29, folder 5

July

box 30, folder 1

August

box 30, folder 2

September

box 30, folder 3

October

box 30, folder 4

November

box 30, folder 5

December

1964

box 31, folder 1

January

box 31, folder 2

February

box 31, folder 3

March

box 31, folder 4

April

box 32, folder 1

May

box 32, folder 2

June

box 32, folder 3

July

box 32, folder 4

August

box 32, folder 5

September

box 33, folder 1

October

box 33, folder 2

November

box 33, folder 3

December

1965

box 33, folder 4

January

box 33, folder 5

February

box 34, folder 1

March

box 34, folder 2

April

box 34, folder 3

May

box 34, folder 4

June

box 35, folder 1

July

box 35, folder 2

August

box 35, folder 3

September

box 35, folder 4

October

box 35, folder 5

November

box 36, folder 1

December

1966

box 36, folder 2

January

box 36, folder 3

February

box 36, folder 4

March

box 36, folder 5

April

box 37, folder 1

May

box 37, folder 2

June

box 37, folder 3

July

box 37, folder 4

August

box 37, folder 5

September

box 38, folder 1

October

box 38, folder 2

November

box 38, folder 3

December

1967

box 38, folder 4

January

box 38, folder 5

February

box 39, folder 1

March

box 39, folder 2

April

box 39, folder 3

May

box 39, folder 4

June

box 39, folder 5

July

box 40, folder 1

August

box 40, folder 2

September

box 40, folder 3

October

box 40, folder 4

November

box 40, folder 5

December

1968

box 41, folder 1

January

box 41, folder 2

February

box 41, folder 3

March

box 42, folder 1

April

box 42, folder 2

May

box 42, folder 3

June

box 42, folder 4

July

box 43, folder 1

August

box 43, folder 2

September

box 43, folder 3

October

box 44, folder 1

November

box 44, folder 2

December

1969

box 44, folder 3

January

box 45, folder 1

February

box 45, folder 2

March

box 45, folder 3

April

box 45, folder 4

May

box 46, folder 1

June

box 46, folder 2

July

box 46, folder 3

August

box 47, folder 1

September

box 47, folder 2

October

box 47, folder 3

November

box 48, folder 1

December

1970

box 48, folder 2

January

box 48, folder 3

February

box 49, folder 1

March

box 49, folder 2

April

box 49, folder 3

May

box 50, folder 1

June

box 50, folder 2

July

box 50, folder 3

August

box 50, folder 4

September

box 51, folder 1

October

box 51, folder 2

November

box 51, folder 3

December

1971

box 51, folder 4

January

February

box 52, folder 1

February

box 52, folder 2

March

box 52, folder 3

April

box 52, folder 4

May

box 53, folder 1

June

box 53, folder 2

July

box 53, folder 3

August

box 53, folder 4

September

box 54, folder 1

October

box 54, folder 2

November

box 54, folder 3

December

1972

box 54, folder 4

January

box 55, folder 1

February

box 55, folder 2

March

box 55, folder 3

April

box 55, folder 4

May

box 56, folder 1

June

box 56, folder 2

July

box 56, folder 3

August

box 56, folder 4

September

box 57, folder 1

October

box 57, folder 2

November

box 57, folder 3

December

1973

box 57, folder 4

January

box 58, folder 1

February

box 58, folder 2

March

box 58, folder 3

April

box 58, folder 4

May

box 59, folder 1

June

box 59, folder 2

July

box 59, folder 3

August

box 59, folder 4

September

box 60, folder 1

October

box 60, folder 2

November

box 60, folder 3

December

1974

box 60, folder 4

January

box 61, folder 1

February

box 61, folder 2

March

box 61, folder 3

April

box 61, folder 4

May

box 61, folder 5

June

box 62, folder 1

July

box 62, folder 2

August

box 62, folder 3

September

box 62, folder 4

October

box 62, folder 5

November

box 63, folder 1

December

1975

box 63, folder 2

January

box 63, folder 3

February

box 63, folder 4

March

box 63, folder 5

April

Personal Correspondence 1967-1971

Scope and Contents note

Letters, memoranda, and enclosures, arranged chronologically

box 64, folder 1

1967

box 64, folder 2

1968

1969

box 64, folder 3

January-June

box 64, folder 4

July-December

box 64, folder 5

1971

Alphabetical Correspondence 1951-1976

Scope and Contents note

Letters, memoranda, and enclosures, arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent

box 65, folder 1

Amory, Derick Heathcoat 1958-1960

box 65, folder 2

Beer, Samuel H. 1953-1964

box 65, folder 3

Bishop, F. A. 1959-1964

box 65, folder 4

Blakenham, Viscount 1963-1967

box 65, folder 5

Buchanan-Smith, Alick, Sir 1960-1962

Butler, R. A.

box 65, folder 6

1951-1953

box 65, folder 7

1954

box 65, folder 8

1955

box 66, folder 1

1956

box 66, folder 2

1957

box 66, folder 3

1958

box 66, folder 4

1959

1960

box 66, folder 5

January-June

box 67, folder 1

July-December

1961

box 67, folder 2

January-June

box 67, folder 3

July-December

box 67, folder 4

1962

box 67, folder 5

1963

box 67, folder 6

1964

box 68, folder 1

. 1965-1972

box 68, folder 2

. 1973-1976

box 68, folder 3

Miscellany.

box 68, folder 4

Churchill, Winston, Sir 1958-1964

box 68, folder 5

Curran, Charles 1954-1968

box 68, folder 6

Deedes, William 1962-1964

box 68, folder 7

Douglas-Home, Alec, Sir 1963-1966

box 68, folder 8

Du Cann, Edward 1965-1968

box 69, folder 1

Eden, Anthony, Sir 1956-1964

box 69, folder 2

Egremont, John, Lord 1965-1969

box 69, folder 3

Goldman, Peter, . 1968-1975

Hailsham, Viscount

box 69, folder 4

1957

box 69, folder 5

1958

box 69, folder 6

1959-1963

Heath, Edward

box 69, folder 7

1956-1960

box 69, folder 8

1961-1965

1966

box 70, folder 1

January-June

box 70, folder 2

July-December

1967

box 70, folder 3

January-June

box 70, folder 4

July-August

box 70, folder 5

1968

1969

box 70, folder 6

January-June

box 71, folder 1

July-August

1970

box 71, folder 2

January-June

box 71, folder 3

July-December

box 71, folder 4

1971

box 71, folder 5

. 1972

box 72, folder 1

. 1973

. 1974

box 72, folder 2

January-February

box 72, folder 3

March-December

box 72, folder 4

. 1975

box 72, folder 5

Miscellany.

box 72, folder 6

Hill, Charles 1957-1964

box 72, folder 7

Hutchinson, George 1968-1970

Lloyd, Geoffrey

box 73, folder 1

1955-1962

box 73, folder 2

1963-1964

box 73, folder 3

Lloyd, Selwyn 1960-1964

Low, Toby, Sir

box 73, folder 4

1959-1960

box 73, folder 5

1961-1964

Macleod, Iain

box 73, folder 6

1959-1961

box 73, folder 7

1962

box 73, folder 8

1963-1964

box 74, folder 1

Macmillan, Harold, . 1967-1977

box 74, folder 2

Maudling, Reginald 1963-1964

Poole, Oliver, Lord

box 74, folder 3

1955-1958

box 74, folder 4

1959-1964

box 74, folder 5

Powell, Enoch

Redmayne, Martin

box 74, folder 6

1959-1962

box 74, folder 7

1963-1964

box 74, folder 8

Soames, Christopher, Sir (Commission of the European Communities), . 1971-1974

box 74, folder 9

Thorneycroft, Peter 1957

box 74, folder 10

Woolton, Earl 1953-1963

Conservative Party Meetings File 1950-1975

Scope and Contents note

Correspondence, minutes of proceedings, papers, speeches, and other records of Conservative Party bodies, arranged alphabetically by name of party body or meeting, and therein chronologically

Advisory Committee on Policy

box 75, folder 1

1950-1954

box 75, folder 2

1955-1960

box 75, folder 3

1961-1964

box 75, folder 4

Chequers meeting of party leaders 1963 April 28

Committee on Europe (Europe Coordinating Group, Executive Committee of Britain in Europe).

Scope and Contents note

Includes 1975 Britain in Europe referendum campaign records

box 75, folder 5

1970-1971

box 75, folder 6

1972

box 75, folder 7

1974-1975

box 76, folder 1-3

1975

Leader's Consultative Committee

Minutes

box 76, folder 4

1964

box 76, folder 5-6

1965

box 77, folder 1-2

1966

box 77, folder 3-4

1967

box 77, folder 5

1968

box 78, folder 1

1968 (Contd.)

box 78, folder 2-3

1969

box 78, folder 4

1970

box 78, folder 5

1974

box 79, folder 1

1974 (Contd.)

box 79, folder 2-3

1975

Papers (numbered series of memoranda and position papers) 1964-1974

box 79, folder 4

1-20

box 79, folder 5

21-30

box 80, folder 1

31-50

box 80, folder 2

51-70

box 80, folder 3

71-88

box 80, folder 4

89-118

box 80, folder 5

119-140

box 81, folder 1

141-154

box 81, folder 2

156-170

box 81, folder 3

171-190

box 81, folder 4

191-199

box 81, folder 5

201-210

box 82, folder 1

211-240

box 82, folder 2

241-250

box 82, folder 3

251-270

box 82, folder 4

271-275

box 82, folder 5

276-284

box 82, folder 6

74/1-74/20

box 83, folder 1

74/21-74/40

box 83, folder 2

74/41-74/54

Liaison Committee

box 83, folder 3

1965

box 83, folder 4

1970-1973

Official Group on Policy

box 83, folder 5

1967

box 83, folder 6

1968

box 84, folder 1-3

1968 (Contd.)

box 84, folder 4-5

1969

box 84, folder 6

1970

box 85, folder 1

1971

box 85, folder 2

1972

box 85, folder 3-4

1973

box 85, folder 5

1974

Party Chairman's meetings

box 86, folder 1

1966-1968

box 86, folder 2

1969

box 86, folder 3

1970-1972

Party Conferences

box 86, folder 4

1966-1968

box 86, folder 5

1969-1972

box 86, folder 6

Policy Advisory Group 1964

box 86, folder 7

Shadow Cabinet 1970

box 87, folder 1

Shadow Cabinet, (Contd.) 1970

Steering Committee

box 87, folder 2

1957-1958

1963

box 87, folder 3

January-June

box 87, folder 4

July-December

1964

box 87, folder 5

January-March

box 88, folder 1

April-June

box 88, folder 2

July

box 88, folder 3

September

box 88, folder 4

1971

box 88, folder 5

1972

box 89, folder 1

1973

1974

box 89, folder 2-3

January

box 89, folder 4-5

February

box 90, folder 1-2

1975

box 90, folder 3

Taxation Subcommittee 1956

Miscellaneous local party meetings

box 90, folder 4

1947-1951

box 90, folder 5

1954-1962

Conservative Research Department Administrative File 1930-1974

Scope and Contents note

Calendar, correspondence, memoranda, opinion poll summaries, papers, and reports, arranged within a departmental history file and by physical form and subject, and therein chronologically

Departmental history and organization file

box 90, folder 6

Correspondence and memoranda 1948-1959

box 90, folder 7-9

Reports, . 1949-1967

Scope and Contents note

Typescripts

box 91, folder 1

Opinion poll summaries, . 1965-1974

Scope and Contents note

Typescripts

box 91, folder 2

Press advertisements (by Conservative Party), . 1957-1958

Scope and Contents note

Printed copies

United States, Contacts in.

Scope and Contents note

Correspondence

box 91, folder 3

1952

box 91, folder 4

1954-1964

Policy position papers.

Scope and Contents note

Typescripts

box 91, folder 5

1946

box 91, folder 6

1952-1959

box 92, folder 1

1960

box 92, folder 2-3

1961

box 92, folder 4

1962-1963

box 92, folder 5-6

1964

box 92, folder 7

1966-1974

box 92, folder 8

Strategic calendar, . 1971

Scope and Contents note

Printed copy

box 92, folder 9

Administrative memoranda and correspondence 1930-1971

Conservative and Unionist Central Office File 1964-1972

Scope and Contents note

Correspondence, memoranda, and report, arranged alphabetically by physical form, and therein by subject and date

Correspondence and memoranda organized by subject 1964-1972

Press advertisements

box 93, folder 1

1965-1969

box 93, folder 2

1970

Radio and television broadcasts

box 93, folder 3

1964-1968

box 93, folder 4

1969-1970

box 93, folder 5

1971

box 94, folder 1

1972

box 94, folder 2

Report, . 1970

Scope and Contents note

Typescript

Subject File 1950-1974

Scope and Contents note

Correspondence, graph, memoranda, minutes, notes, and reports, arranged alphabetically by subject

box 94, folder 3

Agricultural ownership

box 94, folder 4

Commonwealth Parliamentary Association

Elections

box 94, folder 5-7

1964

box 94, folder 8

1970

box 94, folder 9

1974

box 95, folder 1-2

1974

box 95, folder 3

Electoral reform

box 95, folder 4

Environment

box 95, folder 5

House of Lords reform

box 95, folder 6

Industrial relations

Leadership selection procedure of Conservative Party

box 95, folder 7

1963-1964

box 95, folder 8

1965-1966

box 96, folder 1

1974-1975

box 96, folder 2

Suez crisis 1956

box 96, folder 3

Taxation policy

Clippings 1939-1975

Scope and Contents note

Articles largely relating to the Conservative Party and British politics

box 96, folder 4

1939-1948

box 96, folder 5

1950-1960

box 96, folder 6

1961-1963

box 96, folder 7

1964

box 97, folder 1

1965-1966

box 97, folder 2

1967-1970

box 97, folder 3

1971-1975