Guide to the James M. Cox Papers

Biography of James M. Cox

James Middleton Cox was born March 31, 1870, at the Cox homestead in Jacksonburg, Butler County, Ohio. He was the youngest of seven children born to Gilbert and Eliza (Andrew) Cox.

James M. Cox attended high school in Amanda, a suburb of Middletown, Ohio, and graduated in 1886. He was employed as a printer's devil in a newspaper office during his off hours from high school.

In 1887, Cox earned his teacher certification. He taught in Rockdale Schools and Titus School District. He was also a superintendent of night school in Middletown, Ohio. On Saturdays, Cox delivered the entire circulation of the (Middletown) Weekly Signal, a newspaper owned by his brother-in-law; this was the job that began his career in journalism. He (later) became a reporter and was associated with the Cincinnati Enquirer in an editorial capacity (1892).

Cox's career as a newspaper owner included the following newspapers (with dates of acquisition): Dayton (OH) Daily News (1898); Springfield (OH) Press-Republic (1905); Miami (FL) Metropolis (1923), later renamed Miami Daily News; Canton (OH) News (1923, sold 1930); Atlanta (GA) Journal (1939); Dayton (OH) Journal Herald (1948); and Atlanta (GA) Constitution (1950).

Cox's career as a politician included: Member 61st & 62nd Congress, 3rd Ohio Congressional district: 1909-1913; Governor of Ohio (3 terms): 1913-1915, 1917-1919, 1919-1921; and Vice-chairman, American delegation to the World Monetary and Economic Conference in London, England: 1933.

On May 25, 1893, in Cincinnati, Ohio, James M. Cox married Mary Simpson Harding (1875-1957), daughter of George W. and Emily E. (Simpson) Harding. James and Mary had four children:

(1) Paul James Cox was born in November 1894 and died in December 1894.

(2) Helen H. Cox was born in March 1896, married Daniel James Mahoney, and died May 16, 1921, in Oakwood, Ohio.

(3) James M. Cox, Jr., was born in June 1903, married Helen Rumsey in 1930, and died in October 1974.

(4) John William Cox was born in December 1907, died after 1940.

James and Mary were divorced, about 1912. Mary later married Richard Lee in 1914.

On September 15, 1917, James M. Cox married Margaretta Blair (1890-1960), and they had three children:

(5) Thomas Blair Cox, born and died in June 1918.

(6) Anne Beau Cox, born December 1919; married (1) Louis G. Johnson in 1940, and (2) Robert W. Chambers in 1955; Anne died January 31, 2020.

(7) Barbara Blair Cox, born December 1922; married (1) Bradford Ripley, (2) Stanley C. Kennedy, Jr., (3) James Glover, and (4) Garner Anthony, Jr.; Barbara died May 28, 2007.

James Cox's Dayton area residence was known as Trailsend (now 3500 Governors Trail Road in Kettering). His ancestry was English, and his religion was Episcopalian. He was an avid outdoorsman and golfer. In 1946, he authored an autobiography Journey Through My Years. He was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Ohio State University in 1947.

James M. Cox, Sr., died at the age of 87 on July 15, 1957, in Dayton, Ohio. His funeral arrangements were handled by Boyer Funeral Home in Dayton, and he was buried in Woodland Cemetery in Dayton.

Scope and Content

The papers of James M. Cox contain a variety of materials covering the years 1908-1957. These materials include bills, bulletins, correspondence, newspaper clippings, Photostats (of newspapers, letters, and speeches), photographs, reports, and speeches. The collection divides naturally into three record series: speeches, subject/topical files, and correspondence.

Series I, Speeches, consists of speeches given by James M. Cox. These are contained in boxes 1 and 2 of the collection, and cover the years 1908-1916 and 1918-1946, respectively. (A few speeches are undated.) These speeches were given on various occasions and cover a variety of topics, including agriculture, the Civil War, President Andrew Jackson, President Abraham Lincoln, Support of the Payne Tariff Bill, roads, schools, taxes, and workmen's compensation. Those which may be of particular interest, include bound speeches by Cox, while Governor of Ohio, to the state's General Assembly (1913-1915), his acceptance speech as the democratic nominee for president of the United States in 1920 (July 6, 1920), a series of radio campaign speeches (1920), a speech supporting Governor Al Smith's (D.NY) bid for the presidency in 1928 (November 3, 1928), speeches in support of Franklin D. Roosevelt and various policies of his administration(s), and a speech, on the occasion of FDR's death, paying tribute to Roosevelt and also commenting on Eleanor Roosevelt. The speeches are arranged in chronological order, with undated speeches at the end. The dated speeches span from 1908 to 1946. Most of the speeches contain a slip of paper affixed on the top, over the actual speech, detailing the occasion at which the speech was given as well as the subjects covered in the speech.

Series II, Subject/Topical Files, are contained in Boxes 3-6 of the Cox Papers, and cover international and political matters: 1920 (Box 3), political matters: 1920-1947 (Box 4) and gubernatorial election: 1912 (Box 4), elections: 1912, 1914, & 1916 (Box 5) and gubernatorial and general letters (Boxes 5-6). Topics of interest, include League of Nations, the Court of International Justice, the World Monetary and Economic Conference (1933), the National Elections of 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1940, & 1946, the 1912, 1914, & 1916 gubernatorial elections, the 1913 Dayton (OH) flood, Montgomery County (OH) general materials, and correspondence and clippings concerning the Wright Brothers. Materials in Series II date from 1912 to 1947.

Series III, Correspondence, contains the majority of materials in the Cox papers. These materials, which date from 1911 to 1960, are contained in Boxes 7-43 of the collection, and cover such topics as the Florida Everglades, the Florida land speculation boom (1920's), journalism, golfing, boxing, and dog breeding. Topics which are discussed at length and maybe of particular interest, include the economy, the New York Stock Exchange, and the Market Crash (1929), the American newspaper business, labor, industry, and politics (on all levels: international, national, regional, state, and local). (A few materials post-date the death of James Cox in 1957, including items concerning the death of his widow, Margaretta, in 1960.) The correspondence series also includes "Miscellaneous" files containing correspondence from historically unimportant or unrecognizable figures; if there was only a single instance of correspondence, but the correspondent was historically prominent, then that material was placed in a folder, alphabetically, by last name of the correspondent. A (partial) list of nationally known correspondents includes:

· Baker, Newton Diehl: Secretary of War under Woodrow Wilson: (1916-1921).

· Baruch, Bernard M.: Member of New York Stock Exchange, and Economic Advisor to various presidents (notably, Franklin D. Roosevelt).

· Bowers, Claude G.: Historian, Foundation Executive, Ambassador to Spain (1933-1939); Ambassador to Chile (1939-1953), Editor of Fort Wayne (IN) Journal Gazette, Editorial writer for New York World, and political columnist for New York Journal.

· Daniels, Josephus: Ambassador to Mexico (1933-1942), Secretary of the Navy under Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921), consolidated the State Chronicle of North Carolina and the North Carolinian News and Observer, and editor of the News and Observer.

· Farley, James A.: Organized and was President of James A. Farley and Company (became General Builders Supply Company), was associated with, and served in various positions for Coca-Cola, served in various New York political positions (1912-1944), Chairman of the Democratic National Committee (1932-1940), Delegate to the Democratic National Convention(s) (1924-1948), and Post Master General of the United States under Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1940).

· Hull, Cordell: Secretary of State under Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1944) (resigned), and Chairman of the Democratic National Committee (1921-1924).

· Krock, Arthur: Newspaper man from reporter to ed-'in-chief of the Louisville (KY) Times and the Louisville (KY) Courier Journal (1907-1923), Washington correspondent (and various other positions) on the New York World, Inter-Allied Press Committee, Assistant to the Chairman of the Democratic National Committee (1920), and decorated military officer (WW I).

· Lasker, Albert Davis: Advertising expert with Lord & Thomas Advertising Agency (1898-1942), Assistant Chairman of the Republican National Committee (1918-1920).

· Lippmann, Walter: Editor of the New York Republic and the New York World, special writer for the New York Herald-Tribune (and various other papers), Assistant Secretary of War under Woodrow Wilson (1917), U.S. Army Military Intelligence, and received a Pulitzer Prize Citation.

· Morganthau, Henry: Chairman of the Finance Commission of the Democratic National Committee, President of Central Reality Bond and Trust, Director of the Underwood Corporation, Director of Equitable Life, and Ambassador to Turkey and Mexico.

· Rayburn, Samuel (Sam): Congressman (63rd-87th Congresses), Democratic Majority Leader of Congress (75th -77th Congresses), and Speaker of the House (80th of 83rd Congresses).

· Roosevelt, Franklin Delano: 32nd President of the United States, (1933-1945) (4 terms), and Governor of New York State (1928-1932) (2 terms).

· Tumulty, Joseph P.: Personal Secretary to Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)

· Wilson, Woodrow: 28th President of the United States (1913-1921) (2 terms), Governor of New Jersey, and President of Princeton University.

· Wright, Orville and Wilbur: Inventors and Aeronauts.

The materials in the correspondence series on (Franklin and Eleanor) Roosevelt originally filed alphabetically in Box 34, have been separated from the correspondence and placed in a half-sized Hollinger Box (no. 35) because of their value and frequent use as part of the Cox collection. There are two folders dealing specifically with Franklin D. Roosevelt covering the years 1921-1940 and 1941-1945 (The War Years), respectively, and one folder devoted to Eleanor Roosevelt covering the years 1945-1958. The other two folders filed under Roosevelt, Franklin D., contain newspaper clippings, photos, and Warm Springs (GA) materials.

The researcher will find that because of the breakdown into a subject/topical series and a correspondence series there is a good deal of material which is cross-referenced. For example, in the subject/topical files, under International and Political Matters: 1920 (Box 4), there are materials under the heading: League of Nations. There are also materials concerning League of Nations in the correspondence series under Wilson, Woodrow. The correspondence series is filed alphabetical by the last name of the correspondent, and chronologically within each folder.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Use

Copyright restrictions may apply. Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.

Restrictions on Access

There are no restrictions on accessing materials in this collection.

MS-458: Dayton Daily News Archive. Microfilm for the Dayton Daily News and Dayton Journal-Herald is also available at Wright State University Libraries.

MS-330: Arthur Compton / Trails End Club Papers.

James M. Cox Papers (MSS 324), Ohio History Connection, Columbus, Ohio.

Subject Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

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Preferred Citation

[Description of item, Date, Box #, Folder #], MS-2, James M. Cox Papers, Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio.

Acquisition Information

The collection was donated to Special Collections and Archives, Wright State University Libraries, by James M. Cox, Jr., the eldest son of James M. Cox, in April 1969.

Processing Information

Due to the value and irreplaceable nature of correspondence from some of the former Presidents including: Roosevelt, Truman, Taft, and Wilson, many of these materials have been encapsulated. Due to deterioration of the newspaper clippings, all of them have been Xeroxed, and the Xerox copies put back in the collection to replace the originals.

Other Finding Aid

The finding aid is available on the Special Collections & Archives, Wright State University Libraries web site at
https://wright.libraryhost.com/repositories/2/resources/666.

Bibliography

Cox, James M., Journey Through My Years, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1946; available in the reading room at call number E748.C88 A3.

Collection Inventory