George E. Crothers papers, 1905-1957

Summary

Creators:

Crothers, George E. (George Edward)

Abstract:

Correspondence (1905-1957), speeches, articles, legal documents, photographs, newsclippings and scrapbooks. Major subjects include Stanford University, Republican Party activities (1909-1930), California State Normal Schools, United States monetary policy and U.S. relations with the Republic of China (1920-1940). Correspondents include persons prominent in educational and political affairs in the U.S. as well as many leading California lawyers and educators. Also includes correspondence between Crothers and his brother T. G. Crothers relating to Stanford Board of Trustees matters and University legal problems, minutes of the Board (April 1905, May-June 1907), a typescript description of the founding grant and an anonymous diary (1895-1902).

Extent:

24.5 Linear Feet

Language:

Undetermined .

Preferred citation:

[identification of item] George E. Crothers Papers (SC0130). Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Background

Scope and content:

The Crothers Papers contain George Crothers' correspondence dated from 1905-1957. The bulk of the outgoing correspondence was written between 1930 and 1955. The collection also includes manuscript and typescript copies of Crothers' speeches, articles, legal documents, photographs, newsclippings and scrapbooks and memoranda, as well as printed matter collected by Crothers.

Of primary interest are Crothers' writings on his alma mater, Stanford University, which he served as attorney for Jane Stanford, as member of the university 's Board of Trustees, and as part-donor of two graduate dormitories. The collection also includes materials concerning United States relations with the Republic of China, c. 1920-1940; Republican party activities, c. 1909-1930; California State Normal Schools; and United States economic affairs and monetary policy, c. 1920-40.

Correspondents include persons prominent in educational and political affairs in the United States, as well as a large number of leading California lawyers and educators. Also includes correspondence between Crothers and his brother T. G. Crothers relating to Stanford Board of Trustees matters and University legal problems, minutes of the Board (April 1905, May-June 1907), a typescript description of the founding grant and an anonymous diary (1895-1902).A partial list of the correspondents is included in the Register.

Biographical / historical:

Judge and member of the Stanford Board of Trustees (1902-1912). He served as attorney to Jane Lathrop Stanford and was part donor of two graduate dormitories at Stanford University.

Missing Title

Date	Event
1870	Born (May 27), Wapello, Iowa; son of John and Margaret Jane (Fair) Crothers.
1883	Family moved to San Jose, California. Crothers attends San Jose HighSchool.
1895	Received A.B., Stanford University (in "Pioneer Class").
1896	Received A.M. (in law), Stanford University. Admitted to California Bar.
1897	Formed partnership With brother in San Francisco law practice.
1898	Retained by Mrs. Jane Stanford to write amendment to California State Constitution for purpose of reducing tax burden on University.
1899	Began serving as attorney in Fair Trust case (to 1902). Became president, General Alumni Association of Stanford University. Elected to membership, Golden Gate Commandery # 16, Masonic order. Received Order of Red Cross, Masonic order.
1900	Received Order of Temple, Masonic order.
1902	Became first alumnus to serve on Stanford Univ. Board of Trustees.
1904	Formulated By-Laws & Rules of Order for board of trustees. Devised articles of faculty organization adopted by board of trustees, March 31, 1904
1905	Acted as attorney for board of trustees on death of Jane Stanford. Recomnended establishment of Jewel Fund for acquisition of library books for Stanford University. As chairman, committee on medical education, brought about association of Cooper Medical College with Stanford University.
1909	Became chairman, independent Republican movement, San Francisco. Represented Theodore Roosevelt in urging California Governor & legislators not to undertake land legislation against Orientals.
1911	Married Elizabeth Mills (March 23). Became chairman, Board of Trustees, San Francisco State Normal School. (to 1921)
1912	Became chairman, Republican County Committee (to 1913).
1913	Appointed judge of Superior Court of San Francisco.
1915	Elected to succeed himself on bench by highest vote ever accorded by San Francisco Bar Association.
1916	Resigned as chairman of Republican County Committee.
1919	Served as presiding judge of Superior Court.
1920	Wife, Elizabeth, died (August 18).
1921	Returned to active practice of law.
1924	Made a summer tour of Europe.
1932	Published article, "Outline of History of Founding of Stanford University".
1933	Delivered speech, "Educational Ideals of Jane Lathrop Stanford"
1946	Announced he would help to finance building of graduate dormitory for law students to be called "Crothers Hall"•
1948	Completion and dedication of Crothers Hall.
1951	Two new wings added to Crothers Hall.
1953	Announced he would help to finance building of graduate dormitory for engineering students to be dedicated to his mother, Margaret Jane Fair Crothers, and to be called "Crothers Memorial Hall".
1955	Completion and dedication of Crothers Memorial Hall.
1957	Died, May 16.

Memberships: California Historical Society, American Law Institute, American Political Science Association, Schoolmaster's Club of California, Stanford Faculty Club, Commercial Club, Commonwealth Club, Marin Country Club, Pacific Union Club, University Club of San Francisco, Monterey Peninsula Country Club, American Historical Association, Sigma Nu, Phi Delta Phi, Burlingame Country Club, San Francisco Opera Guild, American Geographic Society.

Honorary trustee, San Francisco Boys Club.

Director, Western States Life Insurance Company.

Life trustee, Leland Stanford Junior Kindergarten Trust.

For further reference see Container # 13 for biographical data concerning George Crothers.

Acquisition information:

Gift of George Crothers to the Stanford Library, 1962; transferred to University Archives, 1975.

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

Related resources

Separated material:

Five framed items were labelled and shelved with the picture collection in the Department of Special Collections:

Missing Title

1. Photograph or Painting of Jane L. Stanford
2. Photograph or Painting of George Crothers
3. Photograph or Painting of Thomas G. Crothers
4. Printed note to Crothers from student residents of Crothers Hall, Nov. 17, 1951
5. Letter from Herbert Hoover, copies of which can be found in the Crothers Papers (in "Related correspondence," filed under "Hoover")

These five items were removed in 1962 at the time the collection was first arranged.

In May 1966 Ralph Hansen removed all the Trustee Minutes from the collection (formerly in boxes 17 and 18). These Minutes were added to the group of Trustee Minutes in the University Archives (#1011). Rather than renumber the rest of the boxes in the collection, a note simply was made that Boxes 17 and 18 no longer existed. (For an exact list of the Minutes transferred, see the original 1962 Register filed in the "Crothers" correspondence file in the general files of University Archives.)

Indexed terms

Subjects:

Monetary policy -- United States.
Judges.
Lawyers.
Articles.
Photoprints.
Speeches.
Newsclippings.
Scrapbooks

Names:

Stanford University. Board of Trustees
Republican Party (U.S.)
Stanford University. Crothers Hall
Shortridge, Samuel Morgan, b. 1861.
Simpson, Sidney Post
Sinclair, Upton
Rogers, Frederick Rand
Roseberry, L. H.
Spreckels, Rudolph.
Sproul, Robert Gordon.
Spaeth, Carl B.
Carpenter, Thomas P.
Chandler, Harry.
Stone, Harlan Fiske
Boynton, Albert E.
Swain, Robert E. (Robert Eccles)
Burk, Frederic
Terman, Frederick Emmons, 1900-1982
Wilbur, Curtis D.
Stephens, William D.
White, Andrew Dickson,
Warren, Earl
Stanford, Thomas Welton
Lane, Franklin K.
Jordan, David Starr
Cubberley, Ellwood Patterson
Lane, Arthur Bliss.
Kirkwood, Marion.
Wilbur, Ray L. (Ray Lyman)
MacArthur, Walter.
Lurie, Louis R.
Lillick, Ira.
Leib, Samuel F. 1848-1924.
Older, Fremont, Mrs.
Norman, R. S.
Neylan, John Francis.
Kefauver, Grayson Neikirk
Robinson, Edgar Eugene
Morell, George
Elliott, Orrin Leslie
Cowley, W. H. (William Harold)
Hughes, Charles Evans, 1962-1948
Reid, Whitelaw
Osborne, George.
Keesling, Francis V. (Francis Valentine)
Davis, Horace
French, Will J. (Will John), b. 1871
Fuller, W. Palmer.
Gerberding, Elizabeth.
Abbott, Nathan, 1854-1941
Hoover, Herbert
Gunst, Morgan.
Hassett, William D.
Hayes, J. O.
Howe, Louis M. (Louis McHenry)
Stanford, Jane Lathrop
Jones, Herbert C. (Herbert Coffin)
Sterling, J. E. Wallace (John Ewart Wallace)
Coolidge, Calvin, 1872-1933
Considine, John W.
Hopkins, Timothy
Johnson, Hiram, 1866-1945
Eurich, Alvin C. (Alvin Christian)
Crothers, George E. (George Edward)
Dailey, M. E.
Cutler, Leland W. (Leland Whitman)
Dern, George T.
Downs, Winfield Scott
Dinkelspiel, Lloyd W.
Edwards, Paul C. (Paul Carroll)
Tresidder, Donald Bertrand
Dunn, Francis.
Eells, Walter C.
James, William

Places:

United States -- Foreign relations -- China
China -- Foreign relations -- United States
United States -- Foreign relations

Restrictions:

This collection is open to researchers with permission of the Stanford University Archives.

Terms of access:

All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, California 94304-6064. Consent is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission from the copyright owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright owner, heir(s) or assigns. See: http://library.stanford.edu/depts/spc/pubserv/permissions.html.

Restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.

Preferred citation:

[identification of item] George E. Crothers Papers (SC0130). Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Location of this collection:

Stanford University, University Archives

Stanford University Archives, Green Library

557 Escondido Mall

Stanford, CA 94305-6064, US

Contact:

(650) 725-1022

specialcollections@stanford.edu

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