Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- Francis V. Keesling Sr. Papers
- Dates:
- 1889-1973
- Abstract:
- This collection includes a wide variety of records related to the political activities, civic work, life insurance career, and personal papers accrued by Francis V. Keesling Sr. Keesling Sr. was a prolific figure in San Francisco in the early to mid-1900s and his papers span from 1889 to 1973.
- Extent:
- 56.3 Linear Feet
- Language:
- English .
- Preferred citation:
-
[identification of item], Francis V. Keesling Sr. papers (M0100). Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford Libraries, Stanford, Calif.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The Keesling Sr. papers consist of correspondence, diaries, notebooks, drafts of speeches and articles, reports, minutes of meetings, newspaper and magazine clippings, maps and blueprints, circular and form letters, political flyers, etc., pamphlets, annotated government documents, promotional brochures, miscellaneous printed material, and financial and legal papers. They span the years 1889 to 1973.
The political series contains a number of topics, including material from 1910 to 1920 on local, state (California), and national Republican political campaigns. Keesling Sr. was a "regular" Republican, one of the few whose papers are extant, and greatly opposed to Hiram Johnson and the Progressives. The active part played by Keesling Sr. in California politics at this time and the scarcity of the original material by those holding similar views make this collection quite unique. The picture of this split in the California Republican party has been very one-sided in favor of the Progressives simply because of the lack of material supporting the opposition. In addition to the Hughes campaign, the Coolidge, Hoover, Willkie, Dewey, and Eisenhower Presidential campaigns are also covered. The many state and local campaigns, their candidates and issues, are represented by even more material. Other papers refer to world affairs, foreign policy, war, Communism and related movements, patriotic organizations, labor, legal matters, insurance business, government and governmental procedures, economic affairs, education and social and charitable organizations.
The second series relates to the San Francisco Charter of 1931. This material is quite complete and includes Keesling Sr.'s booklet on the subject and some later papers on amendments and revision.
The Interim Committee of Twenty Five on State Reorganization, the third series, includes reports, meeting minutes and other notes, letters, pamphlets, a printing block, and a scrapbook.
The fourth series is on the Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District and the construction of the bridge. This is quite a complete account especially for the Building Committee from 1929 to 1937. Some, but not all, of this material was used as the basis for a doctoral dissertation in 1958.
The fifth and sixth series are quite small. The fifth series recounts the San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906 through newspaper clippings and Keesling Sr.'s orders and reports as an officer of the National Guard and active participant in rescue and patrol work. Material related to his National Guard service is also found here.
The sixth series contains miscellaneous material on or related to Stanford University. This collection, in addition to being of general historical interest, would seem to form a very solid base for a good biography of Keesling Sr. It covers almost all of his activities and interests within the time span of the papers. His very frank and uninhibited correspondence reveals his personality and opinions very clearly. Of the correspondents in these papers, many number among the politically and socially prominent on local, state and national levels. Others, not so well known, are important to this collection because of the content and size of their correspondence.
The following series are additions made in 2024 from the acquisition of materials gifted by Francis V. Keesling Jr., his son. An incomplete inventory list is kept at the beginning of the newer materials, starting at Box 78. The seventh series consists of records related to life insurance work accumulated by both Keesling Sr. and Keesling Jr. The first subseries includes correspondence and records related to the foreign business conducted by the West Coast Life Insurance Company, most of which is about litigation cases against clients who lived abroad. The second subseries consists of general correspondence, speeches and addresses given by Keesling Sr., notes on the history of the West Coast Life Insurance Company, and publications.
The eighth series contains Keesling Sr.'s personal and family-related records. The first subseries mostly consists of outgoing correspondence and recommendation letters. The second subseries includes incoming correspondence, newspaper clippings, addresses and speeches beyond the topic of life insurance, condolence and birthday letters, collected poetry, reprints, and publications, and photos. Also within this subseries are printing blocks and plates.
The ninth and last series contains many collected materials from his son, Keesling Jr., which are mostly U.S. Navy records. It also includes Keesling Sr.'s earlier attorney work unrelated to life insurance, his entrepreneurial work, and investments. Lastly, this series includes the letter books of Herman H. Grau, Keesling Sr.'s father-in-law. Since these materials were all part of an accession from 1973, they have been retained in this collection rather than separately.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Missing Title Date Event 1877, Feb. 17 born San Jose, Calif.; son of Francis Marion and Mary (Nunez) Keesling.1898 A.B. Stanford. First president of class of '98, editor-in-chief '98 Quad, baseball manager for season of '98. Member of Philolexian Literary Society, Sigma Nu fraternity, Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity, and Skull and Snakes Honor Society.1898 admitted to California Bar, practiced in San Francisco (retired 1953), July - entered law office of Crothers and Crothers (George E. and Thomas G.) - survey legislative candidates for '98 for adoption of amendment to state constitution permitting exemption of such foundation trusts as Stanford from taxation (passed 1901).1901-1909 member National Guard of California, retired as major. Special board which re-wrote Calif. Military law to conform to federal; commanding artillery batallion San Francisco fire 1906.1903, Nov. 19 married Haidee Grau - 4 children1906-1908 regent Sigma Nu fraternity1908-1909 attorney for General John A. Koster, auditor of San Francisco.1910 Republican candidate for lieutenant-governor of California1910-1938 vice-president and general counsel West Coast Life Insurance Co.1914 Republican candidate for governor of California1914-1916 chairman Republican State Central Committee of California1915-1916 chairman legal section, American Life Convention1916 & 1924 delegate to Republican National Convention1917 Mason 33 - Grand Master of California1917-1921 participated in every Liberty Loan Drive during World War I in executive capacity. On general executive committee and other committees of Community Chest1919 & 1929-1930 president Stanford Alumni Association1927-1928 chairman executive committee Association of Life Insurance Counsel1928-1929 governor Bar Association of San Francisco1928-1929 member committee of Bar examiners State Bar of California1929-1930 board of governors State Bar of California1929-1937 a director of Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District and chairman of building committee1929-1931 vice-president Association of Life Insurance Counsel1930 member San Francisco Board of Freeholders and chairman of drafting committee which wrote the 1931 Charter of the city and county, conducted campaign which resulted in its adoption.1930-1933 member executive committee American Life Convention1931-1933 president Association of Life Insurance Counsel1931-1933 president Bar Association of San Francisco1932-1933 president Stanford Law Society1933-1934 president American Life Convention1936-1942 president San Francisco Y.M.C.A.1936-1942 chairman California Statewide Committee on Reorganization of State Government (or on Taxation and Cost of Government) known as the Interim Committee of 251936-1942 member board of governors Stanford Associates1938-1949 president and director West Coast Life Insurance Co. and general counsel1941-1942 special assistant to Attorney General of the United States Hearing officer of Northern District of California on appeals of conscientious objectors1941-1942 organized U.S.O. Council in San Francisco, first chairman1941 or -42 to 1947 member council National Municipal League1941 quarterly chairman Commonwealth Club (S.F.)1942 board of directors San Francisco Y.M.C.A.1942-1946 chairman Civilian Council for Officer Procurement United States Navy1942-1947 president California Insurance Federation1943 Grand Treasurer Masons Grand Lodge, California1943 chairman of campaign committee - Roger Lapham for mayor of San Francisco1943-1947 member board of governors Commonwealth Club1944-1947 chairman San Francisco Charter Revision Committee1945-1946 director San Francisco Bay Area Council, chairman executive committee1946-1947 member executive committee San Francisco Bay Area Council1946- member State (California) Committee on Intergovernmental1947 executive committee Commonwealth Club1949-1953 chairman of the board West Coast Life Insurance Co.1949 director Better Business Bureau of San Francisco1963, September 25 died. - Acquisition information:
- This collection was given by Francis V. Keesling Sr. to Stanford University, Special Collections in 1953 and 1957. Additional gifts were given by Francis V. Keesling Jr. in 1973 and 1974.
- Physical description:
- Special Collections and University Archives materials are stored offsite and must be paged 36 hours in advance.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-05-23 09:26:06 -0700 .
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Open for research. Note that material must be requested at least 36 hours in advance of intended use.
- Terms of access:
-
Property rights reside with the repository. Literary rights reside with the creators of the documents or their heirs. To obtain permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Public Services Librarian of the Dept. of Special Collections.
- Preferred citation:
-
[identification of item], Francis V. Keesling Sr. papers (M0100). Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford Libraries, Stanford, Calif.
- Location of this collection:
-
Department of Special Collections, Green Library557 Escondido MallStanford, CA 94305-6004, US
- Contact:
- (650) 725-1022