Ely (Northcutt) papers, 1900-1982

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Summary

Title:
Northcutt Ely Papers
Dates:
1900-1982
Creators:
Ely, Northcutt
Abstract:
Known particularly for his accomplishments in the field of water rights, Northcutt Ely was legal representative of various interests in disputes over water projects on the Colorado and other rivers. He was also executive assistant to the Secretary of the Interior during the Hoover Administration.
Extent:
220.2 Linear Feet
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Northcutt Ely Papers. M0223. Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Background

Scope and content:

Briefs, correspondence, memoranda, research notes, rough drafts of reports, printed reports and pamphlets.

Collection was initially organized into four accessions originally treated as separate collections: M0223 (Series 1: Working files ; Series 2 : General files) ; M252 (Series 3 : Books ; Series 4 : Magazines; Series 5 : Pamphlets ; Series 6 : Reports ; Series 7 : Miscellaneous) ; M269 (Series 8 : Oil and Gas ; Series 9 : Water Irrigation ; Series 10 : Colorado River), M365 (Series 11: Water and mineral resources files).

Later accessions were added as Addenda 1983-026, Addenda 1984-017, and Addenda 2002-112.

Biographical / historical:

Northcutt Ely (1904-2002) was a graduate of Stanford and Stanford Law School. After practicing in California and New York, he became Executive Assistant to Secretary of the Interior Ray Lyman Wilbur in the Hoover Administration. He represented Wilbur in negotiating the Hoover Dam power and water contracts. After leaving the Interior Department, Mr. Ely practiced law in Washington, DC.

He has argued before the United States Supreme Court seven times, including representation of California in Arizona v. California. Some of Ely's last cases include the representation of the City of Los Angeles and Southern California Edison Company in the renewal of the Hoover power contracts, advice to Imperial Irrigation District in their water conservation program, and representation of other clients in several international matters. He was a member of the Board of Overseers of the Hoover Institution at Stanford, and a trustee of the Hoover Foundation.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Northcutt Ely, 1971, 1973, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, and of his estate, 2002.
Physical location:
Special Collections and University Archives materials are stored offsite and must be paged three business days in advance. For more information on paging collections, see the department's website: https://library.stanford.edu/libraries/special-collections.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Processed by Special Collections staff.
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-09-01 08:37:55 -0700 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research. Note that material is stored off-site and must be requested at least three business days in advance of intended use.

Terms of access:

While Special Collections is the owner of the physical and digital items, permission to examine collection materials is not an authorization to publish. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. Any transmission or reproduction beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the owners of rights, heir(s) or assigns. See: http://library.stanford.edu/spc/using-collections/permission-publish

Preferred citation:

Northcutt Ely Papers. M0223. Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Location of this collection:
Department of Special Collections, Green Library
557 Escondido Mall
Stanford, CA 94305-6004, US
Contact:
(650) 725-1022
specialcollections@stanford.edu
Website