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Title: Denison Kitchel papers
Date (inclusive): 1947-1980
Collection Number: 81127
Contributing Institution: Hoover Institution Library and Archives
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
5 manuscript boxes
(2.1 Linear Feet)
Abstract: Speeches and writings, correspondence, memoranda, and clippings, relating to American politics, and especially to the 1964
presidential campaign of Barry Goldwater.
Creator:
Kitchel, Denison
The collection is open for research; 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.
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library & Archives in 1981.
[Identification of item], Denison Kitchel Papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Denison Kitchel was born on March 1, 1908 in Bronxville, New York. After completing his B.A. at Yale University, he entered
Harvard Law School from which he received his LL.B. in 1933. Upon finishing his studies, he moved to Arizona where he was
admitted to the bar in 1934. His initial position was with Ellinwood and Ross; in 1946, along with two other lawyers, he founded
the firm of Evans, Kitchel and Jenckes in Phoenix. In 1970 he retired from practice.
Denison Kitchel was active in Republican politics in Arizona from about 1950 on. His primary association was with Barry Goldwater
- as friend, advisor, and general manager of Senator Goldwater's campaign for the presidency in 1964. The Barry Goldwater
file, spanning the years from 1947 to 1980, is the largest file in the correspondence series and, perhaps, the richest and
most reward- ing relevant to political events. The researcher should be aware that other important Goldwater material, including
correspondece, is located in all of the other series excepting Miscellaneous. Other noteworthy correspondents in the correspondence
series include William J. Baroody, president of the American Enterprise Institute; Paul Fannin, senator from and governor
of Arizona; author and political observer Raymond Moley; Supreme Court Justice William H. Rehnquist; Arizona Congressmen John
J. Rhodes and Sam Steiger; and Arizona Governor Jack Williams.
The Goldwater Presidential Campaign series is small and limited, both in scope and in content. Much of the material in it
is commonplace, particluarly the general correspondence section and the voluminous congratulatory correspondence received
by Kitchel. Those letters from the correspondence subseries of the Goldwater Presidential Campaign series which were deemed
more substantial and interesting were placed in the general Correspondence series discussed in the preceeding paragraph. Of
greatest note in the Goldwater Presidential series would be the "Draft Goldwater Endeavor" file, material of which spans the
years 1962 - 1963. This file offers a short but interesting account of the genesis of the Goldwater presidential camapign.
The Office File contains material relevant to a few different legal issues in which Mr. Kitchel was, to a greater or lesser
extent, involved. Informative in their own right, the various files within the Office File series also yield information on
Mr. Kitchel's legal opinions and thinking.
Approximately the same size as the last two series is the Speeches and Writings series. The various items are listed either
by subject or by title. The most detailed, and perhaps most interesting, entry is that of "Explaining Things to Ike." The
article specifically concerns a meeting between Goldwater and Eisenhower at which Senator Goldwater's statement "extremism
in defense of liberty is no vice," is explained to the former President. The files for that particular article contain drafts,
revisions and correspondence relating to the genesis of Senator Goldwater's phrase.
There is also a very small Miscellany File.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
United States -- Politics and government -- 1945-1989
Presidents -- United States -- Election -- 1964
Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- )
Goldwater, Barry M. (Barry Morris), 1909-1998