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William Gibbs McAdoo Papers: Finding Aid
mssMcAdoo papers
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Title: William Gibbs McAdoo Papers
Dates (inclusive): 1823-1992
Bulk dates: 1936-1941
Collection Number: mssMcAdoo papers
Creator:
McAdoo, W. G. (William Gibbs),
1863-1941.
Extent:
12 boxes, 1 oversize folder, 3 oversize volumes.
Repository:
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.
Manuscripts Department
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2129
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
Abstract: This collection consists of papers related to the life and
political career of American lawyer and politician William Gibbs McAdoo (1863-1941). Much of
the correspondence deals with McAdoo's public appearances and engagements as a United
States senator from California and also his failed attempt at re-election in 1938.
Language: English.
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department.
For more information, contact Reader Services.
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.
[Identification of item]. William Gibbs McAdoo Papers, The Huntington Library, San
Marino, California.
Gift of Doris Cross McAdoo, October 1998.
William Gibbs McAdoo (1863-1941) was born in Marietta, Georgia, on 31 October 1863 to Mary Faith (Floyd)
McAdoo and William Gibbs McAdoo. He was a practicing lawyer in both Chattanooga, Tennessee
and New York City after passing the bar in 1885. William Gibbs McAdoo developed and oversaw
the construction of the Hudson River Tunnels, acting as president of the company which
operated them from 1902-1913. He served as vice chairman for the Democratic National
Committee in 1912 and as a delegate for the Democratic National Convention in the years
1912, 1932, and 1936. McAdoo was also a member of President Woodrow Wilson's cabinet as
Secretary of the Treasury from March 1913 to December 1918. He was Director-General of the
United States Railroads during World War I from December 1917 to January 1919. One
interesting fact about McAdoo that is little known is that he was the leading candidate for
the Presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention in 1920. He was a United
States senator from California from 1933 until his resignation in 1936. He was then an
unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1938.
McAdoo was first married to Sarah Hazlehurst Fleming in 1885. His second wife was the
daughter of President Woodrow Wilson, Eleanor Wilson, and they were married in 1914 but
divorced at a later date. McAdoo's third wife was Doris Cross, whom he married in September
1935.
William Gibbs McAdoo died of a heart attack on 1 February 1941 and is buried in Arlington
National Cemetery, Fort Meyer, Virginia.
The collection consists of letters, photographs and clippings related to the life and political career of William Gibbs McAdoo.
Much of the McAdoo correspondence deals with his public appearances and engagements as a United States Senator and also his
failed attempt
at re-election in 1938. Also of interest is McAdoo's involvement with the first Pan-American flight in 1936 and Franklin Delano
Roosevelt's
campaign trip to California in July 1938. There are also materials related to McAdoo's involvement with the Liberty Bond Act
during World
War I and the construction and management of the Hudson River Tunnels.
The earlier materials are letters to and from William Gibbs McAdoo's grandfather, Charles R. Floyd, chiefly dating from 1823
to 1845. Many of the letters are from his wife,
Sophie Floyd, but of note are a few letters from Thomas Butler King.
Persons represented in the collection include: John Anson Ford, J. Edgar Hoover, Cordell Hull, Eleanor Wilson McAdoo,
Doris Cross McAdoo,
Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Woodrow Wilson.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in the following order:
- Material relating to WGM while Director-General of US Railroads during World War I, 1918-1919 (Box 1)
- Correspondence of Charles Floyd (grandfather of WGM), bulk 1823-1945 (Box 2)
- William Gibbs McAdoo Papers (Box 3-11)
- Oversize Materials (Box 12, 1 folder, and 3 volumes)
Note: the materials in Box 3-11 are organized broadly by year, but individual items do not follow strict chronological arrangement
and
there is date overlap among boxes.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the
Huntington Library's Online Catalog.
Floyd, Charles R.
Floyd, Sophie.
McAdoo, Eleanor Wilson, 1889-1967.
McAdoo, Doris Cross.
McAdoo, W. G. (William Gibbs), 1863-1941.
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945.
Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924.
Pan American Airways Corporation.
Airplanes -- American -- 1930-1940.
Political campaigns -- California.
Political campaigns -- United States.
Legislators -- United States -- Archives.
Transpacific flights -- History -- Sources.
Tunnels -- Hudson River (N.Y. and N.J.)
War bonds & funds -- United States -- 1910-1920.
World War, 1914-1918 -- Finance -- United States.
California -- Politics and government -- 1850-1950.
United States -- Politics and government -- 20th century.
Clippings -- United States.
Letters (correspondence) -- United States.
Photographs -- United States.
Floyd, Charles R.
Floyd, Sophie.
Ford, John Anson.
Hoover, J. Edgar (John Edgar), 1895-1972.
Hull, Cordell, 1871-1955.
King, T. Butler (Thomas Butler), 1800-1864.
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945.
Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924.