DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER LIBRARY ABILENE, KANSAS FINDER, LEONARD V.: Papers 1930-69 Accession: 71-28 Processed by: Julie F. Kyllonen Date Completed: 9-1-71 The papers of Leonard V. Finder, attorney, business executive, public relations counselor, and newspaper editor and publisher, were deposited in the Eisenhower Library in August, 1970, by Mrs. Leonard V. Finder for the Finder family. Mrs. Finder executed a letter of gift for these papers on August 9, 1970. Linear feet shelf space occupied: 13.4 Approximate number of pages: 26,600 Approximate number of items: 6,500 Literary rights in the unpublished writings of Leonard V. Finder in these papers and in other collections of papers in the Eisenhower Library are reserved to Mrs. Finder during her lifetime and thereafter to her children and grandchild and then to the people of the United States. By agreement with the donor the following classes of documents will be withheld from research use: 1. Papers relating to the family and the private business affairs. 2. Papers relating to the family and private business affairs of other persons who have had correspondence with Mr. Finder. 3. Papers relating to investigations of individuals or to appointments and personnel matters. 4. Papers containing statements made by or to Mr. Finder in confidence unless in the judgment of the Director of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library the reason for the confidentiality no longer exists. 5. All other papers which contain information or statements that might by used to injure, harass, or damage any living person. SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE The papers of Leonard V. Finder span the years 1930 to 1969, with the bulk of the material falling between the years 1960 to 1969. Perhaps the most significant portions are contained in the Eisenhower File (1946-1969) and in the subject and correspondence files which cover the years 1962 to 1966 when Finder was editor and publisher of the Sacramento (California) Union. The beginning of Leonard Finder’s friendship with Dwight D. Eisenhower may be dated from mid-1947 when Finder invited then General Eisenhower to speak at the Manchester (New Hampshire) Community Forum. Eisenhower spoke to the Forum on October 16, 1947, and from correspondence in the Eisenhower File it is evident that Finder’s role in the “Draft General Eisenhower” campaign started soon after. Of particular interest are copies of the letters of January 22 and 27, 1948 which Ike wrote to Finder to explain publicly (Jan. 22) why he would not run for public office and to explain privately (Jan. 27) why he had chosen Finder’s letter to answer. (The originals of these letters are still in the possession of the Finder family). In Finders Literary and Speech File are drafts and manuscripts of the articles which Finder wrote in support of Eisenhower in 1948, 1951, and 1955. Other correspondence in the file gives evidence to the long personal relationship which the Finder family maintained with the Eisenhowers. The early records (Subject and Correspondence File, 1930-1950 and Literary and Speech File, 1932-1959) chronicle Finder’s college and post-college literary experiences as well as his association with the Anti-Defamation League and his early career as a publisher with the Manchester (N.H.) Evening-Leader and the Strafford Star. (Note: Bound copies of these two newspapers for the periods May 27, 1947 to April 30, 1949 and April 17 to July 29, 1950, respectively, have been deposited in the Book Collection of the Library). Major correspondents in the early period include Sherman Adams, Carl Berendsen, Henri Bonnet, Styles Bridges, William C. Bullitt, Tom C. Clark, Louis Denfield, Thomas E. Dewey, Joseph C. Grew, Lister Hill, David E. Lilienthal, Claude Pepper, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr., and Charles W. Tobey. The Subject and Correspondence File for the period 1951 to 1961 gives evidence of Finder’s involvement in many civic activities as well as in business matters related to his position as Vice President and Secretary of the Universal Match Corporation in St. Louis, Missouri. Not only was he involved in B’nai B’rith activities but he also provided major support in the Bonds for Israel campaign, and served on the board of directors of the St. Louis United Fund campaign, worked actively for the support of Washington University and several local welfare agencies. Major correspondents in this period include Sherman Adams, Josaphat T. Benoit, Newell Brown, Christian A. Herter, Lon Hocker, Jacob K. Javits, Philip M. Klutznick, Charles E. Merrow, Maxwell M. Rabb, Abram L. Sachar, Robert L. Schulz, Fred A. Seaton and Adlai E. Stevenson. Papers for the period 1962-1966 consist of general and personal correspondence, a subject file, and editorial reference file, and a personal file. The subject and editorial reference files in particular document newspaper publisher and editor Finder’s interest in the John Birch Society and other extremist groups, Republican Party affairs, California politics, world travel, public issues of the times, and Jewish community affairs. Principal correspondents in the 1962-66 period include Joseph G. Babish, Thomas W. Braden, Edmund G. Brown, George Christopher, Mark O. Hatfield, Frank M. Jordan, Philip M. Klutznick, William F. Knowland, Thomas H. Kuchel, George Murphy, Richard M. Nixon, Gaylord B. Parkinson, James A. Rhodes, Nelson A. Rockefeller, Carlos P. Romulo, and Pierre Salinger. After Finder left the Sacramento Union in 1966, he devoted his time lecturing and writing-- lecturing primarily at the University of California at Davis and, following a world tour in 1966, working on a book manuscript entitled “Reflections in Asia” as well as numerous newspaper and magazine articles. During this period he was also very active in the California Republican Party and the Republican Council, The National Council on Crime and Delinquency, the Sacramento Area Mental Health Association, and the Sacramento Committee for Peace in the Middle East, and he pursued an interest in serving in the International Executive Service Corps. Primary correspondents in this period included George Christopher, Robert H. Finch, Mark O. Hatfield, Jacob K. Javits, Thomas H. Kuchel, George Murphy, John E. Moss, Richard M. Nixon, and Nelson A. Rockefeller. Five monographs were added to the Library’s Book Collection, numerous photographs of Mr. Finder were added to the Audiovisual Collection, and several items were transferred to the Museum collections. BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE 1910 Born in Chicago, Illinois 1930 B.A. University of Illinois 1933 LL.B., with Honors, University of Illinois Law School 1933-38 Attorney, Chicago, Illinois 1937-43 Assistant National Director and Eastern Regional Director, Anti-Defamation League, New York City 1944-47 Public Relations Counselor and President, Leonard V. Finder Associates, New York City 1947-51 Publisher, Manchester (NH) Evening-Leader and the Stafford (NH) Star 1951-61 Vice President and Secretary, Universal Match Corporation, St. Louis, Missouri 1962-66 Editor and Publisher, Sacramento (CA) Union 1966-69 Lecturer, University of California at Davis, and Writer 1969 July 3 - Died in Sacramento, California SERIES DESCRIPTION Box Nos. Series 1 Eisenhower File, 1946-1969 and undated. 1 container. Letters received and copies of letters sent, notes, manuscripts, near-print and printed items, photocopies, and newspaper and magazine clippings arranged by type of material and chronologically. 2-6 Subject and Correspondence Files, 1930-1950 and undated. 5 containers. Correspondence, notes, memoranda, reports, near-print and printed items, photographs and newspaper clippings arranged alphabetically by topic and including correspondence folders chronologically arranged. 7-9 Subject and Correspondence Files, 1951-1961 and undated. 3 containers. Letters received and copies of letters sent, notes, memoranda, reports, near-print and printed items, newspaper and other clippings arranged in alphabetical order by name of individual, organization, or topic. 10-12 Personal File, 1962-1966 and undated. 3 containers. Correspondence, notes, vouchers, receipts, reports, newspaper and magazine clippings and other publicity materials arranged alphabetically by topic. 13-15 General and Personal Correspondence, 1962-1966 and undated. 3 containers. Letters received and copies of letters sent, notes and memoranda, reports, photographs and newsclippings arranged alphabetically by name of individual, organization, or topic. 16-21 Subject File, 1962-1966 and undated. 6 containers. Correspondence, notes, memoranda, reports, printed matter, newspaper clippings, and photographs arranged alphabetically by topic or type of material. 22-25 General and Personal Correspondence, 1965-1969 and undated. 4 containers. Letters received and copies of letters sent, notes, reports, newspaper and magazine clippings, membership lists, speech drafts and outlines, and publicity materials arranged alphabetically by name of individual, organization or topic. 26-29 Subject File, 1965-1969 and undated. 4 containers. Correspondence, notes, memoranda, reports, lecture notes and outlines, near-print and printed items, newspaper clippings and publicity materials arranged alphabetically by topic. 30-31 Literary and Speech File, 1929-1959 and undated. 2 containers. Correspondence, notes, and manuscripts of stories, plays and articles, etc. arranged in alphabetical order. 32-34 Editorial Reference File, 1962-1966 and undated. 3 containers. Correspondence, notes, memoranda, reports, near-print and printed items, newspaper and magazine clippings