Oscar Underwood Papers Finding

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OSCAR UNDERWOOD PAPERS, 1876-1962

Finding aid

Call number: LPR29

Extent: 75 cubic ft. (89 archives boxes, 26 records center cartons, 10 oversize boxes, 6 oversize volumes, and 1 oversize folder.)

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Alabama Dept. of Archives and History, 624 Washington Ave., Montgomery, AL 36130 www.archives.alabama.gov OSCAR UNDERWOOD PAPERS COLLECTION NUMBER: LPR29 OUTLINE OF SERIES DESCRIPTION

A. PERSONAL LIFE, 1876-1912 p. 3

B. U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 1895-1914 p. 5

C. U.S. SENATE, 1915-1927 p. 17

D. SPEECHES, 1907-1925, n.d. p. 21

E. POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS, 1894-1924 p. 21

F. RETIREMENT, 1924-1929 p. 41

G. BOOK, 1928 p. 43

INDEX p. 44 OSCAR UNDERWOOD PAPERS: SERIES DESCRIPTION Collection number: LPR29

SERIES A. PERSONAL LIFE, 1876-1962 This series is divided into eleven subseries which are described in more detail below: 1. Biographical and genealogical, 1913-1962; 2. Diaries, 1876, 1925-1927; 3. Letters, family, 1895-1928; 4. Financial records, 1902-1929; 5. Organization memberships, various dates; 6. Invitations, 1904-1912; 7. Notebooks, 1894 and 1910; 8. Photographs, 1903, 1920-1925; 9. Printed materials, 1910(?) -1945; 10. Diploma, 1922; and 11. Clippings, 1878-1928.

1. Biographical and genealogical, 1913-1962 This subseries contains genealogical information about the Underwood family. It also includes biographical information about Underwood, found in the correspondence between Oscar W. underwood, Jr., and his father’s biographers, including Evans C. Johnson and Lee N. Allen. The genealogical material is unarranged; biographer correspondence is arranged chronologically. Box 1, Folders 1-5

2. Diaries, 1876 and 1926-1927 The 1876 diary is a record of Underwood’s visit to the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, Sept. 23-29, 1876. The second diary describes Underwood’s daily routine and activities while at Woodlawn, his retirement home in Virginia during April 3 - June 15, 1925 and March 10-14, 1927. Box 1, Folders 6-7

3. Letters, family, 1895-1928 Correspondents include half brothers Eugene Underwood, Jr., William Thompson Underwood, brother Sidney Smith Underwood, and son John Lewis Underwood. Topics discussed include an engineering project in Havana, national politics, family matters, and an irrigation project in Puerto Rico. Note: Additional family letters can be found throughout the collection and can be traced, for the most part, through the index. Unarranged. Box 1, FolderS 8-9

4. Financial records, 1903-1928 This subseries includes bills, receipts, cancelled checks, bank statements, and the 1921- 1922 estate papers of Mrs. Frederick V. Underwood, mother of Oscar Underwood. There is also a copy of the 1911 will of W. T. Woodward, father of Underwood’s second wife, Bertha. Note: See also “Subseries 7: Notebooks” for an expense account notebook. Unarranged. Box/Folder 129 1 1902 129 2 1904-1908 129 3 1925-1929 129 4 1921-1922 (Estate papers) Oscar Underwood papers Collection number: LPR29

SERIES A. PERSONAL LIFE, 1876-1962 (continued)

5. Organizational memberships, various dates In this subseries membership cards, bills for membership dues, and letters document Underwood’s social and fraternal organizational activities. Unarranged. Box 129, Folder 5

6. Invitations, 1904-1912 This subseries is a collection of invitations to receptions, clambakes, political rallies, and other events. Unarranged. Box130, Folder 1

7. Notebooks, various dates This subseries is a collection of small notebooks, including an undated memo book containing speaking engagements; an expense account book, 1894 and 1910; two volumes containing index to law cases, 1891 and n.d.; and a small hymnal. Unarranged. Box 130, Folders 2-3

8. Photographs, 1903, 1920-1925, and various dates This subseries of photographs, mainly of family members, includes those removed from a scrapbook (Box 130). Other photographs of Oscar W. Underwood III, can be found in another scrapbook (Box 112). Box 126 is a photo album documenting Underwood’s October12-24, 1903, trip through the U. S. southwestern territories. It includes photographs of Santa Fe, the Grand Canyon, street scenes of Prescott (Arizona), Shawnee (Oklahoma Territory), and Purcell (Indian Territory). William Randolph Hearst is in many of the photos. The loose photographs are not arranged; some are not dated or identified. 1912 campaign photographs of Underwood can be found in Box 53. Box/Folder 53 7 1912 campaign publicity photographs (includes photo of his wife) 112 Scrapbook A, 1878-1928 126 Southwestern trip, 1903 130 4 1925 and n.d. 130 5 1920-1924, n.d.

9. Printed material, 1910(?)-1945 Political and biographical articles about Underwood. Unarranged Box 130, Folder 6

10. Diplomas and other honors Includes an honorary Ph.D. from Harvard University; an honorary Ph. D. from Columbia University; certificate commissioning him to represent the U.S. at the Conference on the Limitation of Armament; and other certificates. Oversize folder. CD-211 Oscar Underwood papers Collection number: LPR29

SERIES A. PERSONAL LIFE, 1876-1962 (continued)

11. Clippings, 1878-1928 This collection of scrapbook-mounted clippings includes poems, commentaries, newspaper articles, etc. It was apparently assembled by Underwood. Box 112 Scrapbook A, 1878-1928 Scrapbook C, 1894-1896

SERIES B. U. S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 1895-1914 This series is divided into five subseries which are described in more detail below: 1. Letters, general, 1895-1914; 2. Petitions and resolutions, 1905-1914; 3. Miscellaneous papers, n.d.; 4. Clippings and other printed matter, 1892-1923. 1. Letters, general, 1895-1914 This subseries consists of letters, telegrams, and postcards written to Underwood during his years as a congressman. Note: Underwood did not routinely keep copies of the letters he wrote until he became a U. S. Senator in 1915. One prominent topic discussed in this series is the tariff, its revision, and other related issues including the development of a free list. Another frequently mentioned topic is the U. S. postal service, whose rural free delivery, post offices, postmasterships, and salaries were a major concern of Underwood’s. Other topics include Alabama banks, bankers, and banking issues; the oleomargarine bill; the Philippine Islands; labor legislation (including the eight hour work day issue); railroad legislation and freight rates; the restriction of immigration and use of alien labor; the good roads issue; federal aid for agricultural schools in Alabama colleges; the development of the Panama Canal; cotton trade; Negro and women’s suffrage; and prohibition.

Other topics discussed include hydroelectric dams on Alabama rivers; Alabama politics on local, county and state levels; national politics; the Interstate Commerce Commission; the Esch-White Phosphorous March Act; the Canadian reciprocity treaty; internal revenue tax; and currency issues.

The 1903 William Randolph Hearst-sponsored Congressional trip through the American southwest was an effort to gain statehood for the southwestern territories. A photograph album documents the excursion in Box 126.

Although Underwood’s 1912 presidential nomination campaign is extensively covered in SERIES E: POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS, related papers can be found in this subseries.

Correspondents in this series include Alabama bankers, lawyers, politicians, congressmen and senators, as well as businessmen, special interest associations, and constituents from rural Alabama. Specific correspondents include Jane Addams, Joseph S. Auerbach, John H. Bankhead, Sr., John H. Bankhead, Jr., E. W. Barrett, Sydney J. Bowie, William Oscar Underwood papers Collection number: LPR29