Thomas Lee Woolwine papers, approximately 1914-1922

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Summary

Creators:
Woolwine, Thomas Lee, 1874-1925
Abstract:
A collection of material related to the organization and conduct of attorney Thomas Lee Woolwine's campaigns for the offices of Los Angeles County district attorney and California governor.
Extent:
1 Linear Feet (2 boxes)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Thomas Lee Woolwine papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

A collection of 1,651 items from approximately 1914 to 1922, which consists of letters, manuscripts and documents related to Thomas Lee Woolwine's term as Los Angeles district attorney, Los Angeles city and county politics, and Woolwine's campaign for governor in 1922. The collection includes political correspondence related to Woolwine's 1916 and 1920 campaigns for district attorney, as well as press releases, drafts of public statements, expense accounts, a few pieces of campaign advertising, and three statistical reports from the County District Attorney's Office. There are also 76 letters from community residents written to Woolwine applauding the 1916 Los Angeles County District Attorney Office's crackdown on gambling in Santa Monica, Ocean Park, and Venice. Correspondents in the collection include: Harrison Gray Otis, the California State Colored Republican League, and United States Attorney General Harry M. Daughtery.

Biographical / historical:

Thomas Lee Woolwine (1874-1925) was a Los Angeles attorney. Woolwine was born in Nashville, Tennessee and received law degrees from Cumberland University in 1903 and from George Washington University in 1904. He came to California in 1896 and married Alma Foy, the daughter of Samuel C. Foy, an early Los Angeles businessman. Woolwine made his reputation and political career on his enforcement of the law, prosecuting cases against gamblers, swindlers, houses of prostitution, and other representatives of vice. Woolwine served in several capacities in Los Angeles city, county, and federal justice departments from 1897 to 1908. He was elected district attorney of Los Angeles for the years 1915 to 1923. Woolwine was also a candidate for the Democratic nomination as governor of California in 1918 and 1922, but lost the primary in 1918 and the general election in 1922.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Alma Foy Woolwine Gravel, October 1944.
Processing information:

Processed by Peter Blodgett, November 1985. In 2021, Gayle Richardson created the finding aid derived from a legacy summary report.

Arrangement:

Arranged by subject and format.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

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]. Thomas Lee Woolwine papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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