Collection 117 Hampton L. Carson (1852-1929) Papers 1715-1941 (bulk 1870-1930) 62 boxes, 19 vols., 31.5 lin. feet Contact: The Historical Society of Pennsylvania 1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107 Phone: (215) 732-6200 FAX: (215) 732-2680 http://www.hsp.org Processed by: Kim Massare Assisted by: Leslie Hunt Processing Completed: August 2004 Sponsor: Processing made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities Restrictions: None. © 2004 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania. All rights reserved. Hampton L. Carson (1852-1929) Papers, 1715-1941 (bulk 1870-1930) 62 boxes, 19 vols., 31.5 lin. feet Collection 117 Abstract Hampton Lawrence Carson was born on February 21, 1852, in Philadelphia to Joseph Carson (1808-1876) and Mary Hollingsworth (1813-1868). He married Anna Lea Baker (1854-1933) in 1880 and with her had five children. Hampton graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1874 and taught there from 1895 to 1903. He was also a partner in several private laws firm and dealt primarily in estate law. In 1903 Governor Samuel W. Pennypacker appointed him attorney general of Pennsylvania, a post which was held until 1907. From 1919 to 1921 Carson was both president of the American Bar Association and chairman of a sub-committee of the Pennsylvania Commission on Constitutional Amendment and Revision. He was a member of several other law organizations throughout his lifetime, as well as several historical associations including the American Historical Association Endowment Fund and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP). He was HSP president from 1921 until his death in 1929. His interest in history is also reflected in his major published works, History of the Supreme Court of the United States and History of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Carson was also an avid collector of manuscripts, autographs, political cartoons, and portraits. A diverse amount of materials related to the legal profession and to Carson’s many personal interests are contained in this collection. Legal practice correspondence and dockets extend from 1871 until 1941; beginning around 1920, however, the materials in this series increasingly pertain to the legal work of his son, Joseph Carson. Documents exist from Hampton Carson’s tenures as attorney general of Pennsylvania, as president of the American Bar Association, and as president of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. His work with the 1887 Constitutional Centennial Commission and with the Pennsylvania Commission on Constitutional Amendment and Revision are also represented, as are his affiliations with many law and historical organizations. The nearly one thousand political cartoons in this collection, which were clipped from newspapers and span the years 1863-1904, primarily depict Governor Samuel W. Pennypacker, Senator Matthew S. Quay, and Senator Boies Penrose. Carson’s portrait collection of lawyers, judges, and statesmen contains images of well over one hundred notable men, and his letters and ephemera collection contains handwriting samples, newspaper clippings, and other materials related to many of the same men. 1 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania Hampton L. Carson Papers Collection 117 Background note Hampton Lawrence Carson was born February 21, 1852, in Philadelphia to Joseph Carson (1808-1876) and Mary Hollingsworth (1813-1868). Hampton had two siblings, Ann Catherine Carson (1853-1923) and Susan Carson (1855-1935). Their father was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, physician at Pennsylvania Hospital, and professor of materia medica (a predecessor of modern-day pharmacology) at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and also at the University of Pennsylvania. Exhibiting an interest in history and city intellectual life that would be shared by his son, Joseph Carson composed a history of the University of Pennsylvania’s medical department that was published in 1869 and was a member of the Philadelphia Medical Society, the Academy of Natural Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. Hampton graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1871 and from its Law School in 1874. He was a professor of law at his alma mater from 1895 to 1903 and later in life maintained ties with the institution by serving on its Board of Trustees. Carson was a partner in several private legal practices and primarily was involved in estate cases. His partners included Joseph F. Lamorelle, J. Levering Jones, John Kent Kane, Dimner Beeber, and later his son, Joseph Carson. Under the governorship of Samuel W. Pennypacker, Hampton was appointed attorney general of Pennsylvania from 1903 to 1907. From 1910 to 1913 Hampton was chancellor of the Law Association of Philadelphia; from 1913 to 1914 was president of the Pennsylvania Bar Association; and from 1919 to 1921 served as the president of the American Bar Association, the first two-term election in the organization’s history. He was also secretary of the 1887 Constitutional Centennial Commission and chairman of a sub-committee of the Pennsylvania Commission on Constitutional Amendment & Revision from 1919 to 1921. At the time of his death, Carson held the posts of president of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, vice-president of the Board of Trustees of the Free Library of Philadelphia, and councillor of the American Philosophical Society. During his lifetime, Hampton was a prolific orator and writer on historical and legal subjects. In 1891 his large work, History of the Supreme Court of the United States was published, and his two-volume History of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania was published posthumously in 1940. Hampton also was interested in the careers of Pennsylvania Governor Samuel W. Pennypacker (1843-1916) and prominent Philadelphia lawyer and art collector John Graver Johnson (1841-1917). After conducting his own research, Hampton delivered memorial addresses for these men, and initiated a committee to erect a memorial statue of Johnson. Additionally, Hampton was a great collector of manuscripts, portraits, letters, and political cartoons, much of which was donated to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Hampton married Anna Lea Baker (1854-1933), daughter of John Remigius Baker and Anna Robeson Lea, on April 14, 1880, and with her had five children: Joseph (1883- 1953), Hope (1885-1980), John Baker (b. 1887), Lawrence (b. 1889), and Anna Hampton (1891-1976). Hampton Carson died in Philadelphia in 1929. 2 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania Hampton L. Carson Papers Collection 117 Scope & content A wide array of materials related to Hampton Carson’s occupations and interests are represented in this collection. Apart from legal practice correspondence and dockets, 1871-1941, documents exist from his tenures as attorney general of Pennsylvania, 1903- 1907, as president of the American Bar Association, 1919-1921, and as president of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP). While attorney general, Carson was criticized for his handling of the Capitol Investigation Commission in 1906, which probed into questionable spending during the construction of the capitol building. Materials related to this issue can be found in series 3. During his presidency of HSP Carson composed a comprehensive two-volume history of the organization, a draft of which can be found in Series 5d. Carson’s work with the 1887 Constitutional Centennial Commission and with the Pennsylvania Commission on Constitutional Amendment and Revision, 1919-1921, are represented in Series 4. The materials from the latter commission provide valuable insight into the complexities of an undertaking as intricate as constitutional revision. Hampton also participated in many organizations, primarily those with a legal and/or historical focus; just a few of those represented in Series 6 and also interspersed in his personal correspondence in Series 7 include the Pennsylvania Legal Advisory Board, 1917-1918, the Pennsylvania War History Commission, 1914-1921, the Valley Forge Commission, 1919-1927, the American Philosophical Society, 1863-1927, and less abundantly, various Republican organizations. Hampton delivered memorial addresses for two of his distinguished colleagues, Governor Samuel W. Pennypacker and John G. Johnson, and his preparatory work, including correspondence with the colleagues of the men being memorialized, can be found respectively in Series 8 and 9. Carson’s papers also contain a large amount of collected materials. These include letters, autographs, and ephemera (Series 11a) related to various notable men in legal, political, and military professions from the 18th through 20th centuries. Thomas McKean, signer of the Declaration of Independence and former governor of Pennsylvania, is best represented here. The portrait collection in Series 11b contains images of many of the same men represented in Series 11a. Incoming letters regarding Carson’s collections are contained in his personal correspondence in Series 7. The nearly one thousand political cartoons in Series 11c primarily depict Governor Samuel W. Pennypacker and to a lesser extent, former Pennsylvania senators Boies Penrose and Matthew S. Quay. The political cartoons, dating to Carson’s tenure as attorney general, provide a vast array of commentary on the careers of these figures and on the issues and controversies in which they were involved. The legal work of Joseph Carson, Hampton’s son, is represented in the legal practice correspondence (Series 1) beginning in roughly 1920. Joseph joined his