PRELIMINARY INVENTORY K0391 (KA1107) WALTER HUGH MILLER PAPERS

This collection is available at The State Historical Society of Missouri Research Center- City. If you would like more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Introduction Approximately 1 cubic foot.

The Walter Hugh Miller Papers consist of photocopies of scrapbook materials and films concerning Kansas City, Missouri, political boss, Tom Pendergast.

Thomas Joseph Pendergast was born on July 22, 1872, in St. Joseph, Missouri, to Michael and Mary Reedy Pendergast. During the 1890s, Pendergast worked in a tavern owned by his brother James in the of Kansas City, Missouri. James Pendergast, an alderman for Kansas City, is credited with tutoring his younger brother in the diversities, advantages, and strategies of Kansas City’s political scene. Pendergast served as an alderman for Kansas City between 1911 and 1916, when he stepped down from the position in order to focus his efforts on consolidating the factions of the Jackson County Democratic Party. Pendergast controlled the political scene of Kansas City and Jackson County, Missouri, beginning in 1925 until his falling out with then Missouri Governor Lloyd C. Stark in 1939. Pendergast married Carolyn Elisabeth Dunn Snider on February 3, 1911, in Kansas City, Missouri. He died on January 26, 1945, and is buried at Calvary Cemetery in Kansas City, Missouri.

Donor Information The papers were donated to the University of Missouri by Joann Farris on November 20, 2000 (Accession No. KA1107).

Copyright and Restrictions Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Rights & Reproductions on the Society’s website for more information about reproductions and permission to publish.

Related Collections Thomas J. Pendergast, Jr. Papers (K0316)

Location Note The collection is stored offsite and will need to be retrieved before viewing.

Box List

Box 1 Un-inventoried materials