Finding aid for the Newton D. Baker Papers, Series III
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Title: |
Newton D. Baker Papers, Series III |
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Repository: |
Western Reserve Historical Society
Phone: 216-721-5722
http://www.wrhs.org
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Creator: |
Baker, Newton D. |
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Dates: |
1892-1961 |
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Bulk dates: |
1918-1937 |
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Quantity: |
1.01 linear feet (3 containers and 1 oversize folder) |
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Abstract: |
Newton D. Baker was the Cleveland, Ohio, city solicitor (1903-1911) and Mayor (1912-1916), and United States Secretary of
War (1916-1921). The collection consists of letters written by Baker to his daughters and other acquaintances as well as
a copy of a speech given at Waterloo, Iowa, and various materials related to the Clarence H. Cramer biography of Baker.
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Identification: |
MS 4564 |
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Location: |
closed stacks |
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Language: |
The records are in English |
Biography of Newton D. Baker
Newton Diehl Baker (1871-1937), was born on December 3, 1871, in Martinsburg, West Virginia, the second of four sons of Newton
Diehl and Mary Ann (Dukehart) Baker. Baker entered Johns Hopkins University in 1888 and graduated from there in 1892. That
same year, Baker went to Washington and Lee University where he obtained a law degree in 1894. From 1894 to 1896 Baker practiced
law in Martinsburg. In 1896 he was summoned to Washington to serve as secretary to William L. Wilson, Postmaster-General
in Cleveland's cabinet. When the Democrats left office the next year Baker went to Europe for a brief vacation. On his return
voyage he met Martin A. Foran who invited him to practice law with his firm in Cleveland.
Baker accepted his offer and became a law clerk in Foran's firm until 1901 when he took the post as the assistant director
of the city's law department. He became the city solicitor, a post he held until 1911. He was married to Elizabeth Leopold
(ca. 1873-1951) in 1902. In 1911 he ran successfully for mayor and held that post until January I., 1916. After leaving
office Baker had intended to practice law privately but his plans were altered on March 6, 1916, when President Wilson called
him to Washington to be his Secretary of War. Baker served in this capacity until the end of Wilson's term. In 1921, Baker
returned to practice law in Cleveland with his firm of Baker, Hostetler, Sidlo and Patterson. Baker died on December 25,
1937, and was survived by his wife and three children, Elizabeth B., Newton Diehl III, and Margaret B. Baker.
click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Newton D. Baker
Scope and Content
The Newton D. Baker Papers, Series III, 1892-1961 (1918-1937), consist of letters written by Baker to his daughters and other
acquaintances as well as a copy of a speech given at Waterloo, Iowa, and various materials related to the C. H. Cramer biography
of Baker.
This collection is of value to researchers interested in Cleveland, Ohio, political figures, political figures of World War
I, Baker's personal life, and family life of a political figure during the 1920s and 1930s.
Also included are recollections regarding Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, McAdoo, the League of Nations, and responsibilities
as Secretary of War.
Statement of Arrangement
The collection is arranged by document type and then chronologically.
Restrictions on Access
None.
Related Material: Related Material
The researcher should also consult MS 3491 Newton D. Baker Letters; MS 3845 Newton D. Baker Papers; and MS 3867 Newton D.
Baker Papers, Series II.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Subjects:
Baker family (Newton D. Baker).
Baker family.
Baker, Newton Diehl, 1871-1937.
Cramer, C. H. (Clarence Henley), 1905- Newton D. Baker, a Biography.
League of Nations.
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945.
Statesmen -- United States.
Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924.
World War, 1914-1918 -- United States.
Preferred Citation
[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4564 Newton D. Baker Papers, Series III, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio
Acquisition Information
Mrs. Fulton J. Wright, 1984.
Processing Information
Processed by Rhonda H. Kaminsky in 1991.
Detailed Description of The Collection
Newton D. Baker Papers, Series III, 1892-1961; undated
Box 1 / Folder 1
Correspondence, consisting of letters from Baker to his daughter, Betty, including comments
on his Secretary of War responsibilities in the United States and France, March 1918-August 1919
Box 1 / Folder 2
Correspondence, September, consisting of letters from Baker to his daughter, Betty, and
including information on Betty's schooling in Switzerland, his trips to New York City and London,
several ocean voyages, and his response to a school official regarding the issue of Betty's
church attendance as well as the concept of religious freedom, September-November 1923
Box 1 / Folder 3
Correspondence, consisting of letters from Baker to his daughter, Betty, including comments
on the activity of Congress and the upcoming presidential race, the impact of women on political
affairs, McAdoo's desire to be president, the League of Nations, and his visits with President
Wilson, December 1923-February 1924
Box 1 / Folder 4
Correspondence, consisting of letters from Baker to his daughter, Betty, including comments
on the League of Nations, League of Women Voters, classical music, and education, March-October 1924
Box 1 / Folder 5
Correspondence, November, consisting of letters from Baker to his daughter,
Betty, including comments on Betty's education at Wellesley College, and a request for
information regarding Mont Choisi (the school Betty attended in
Switzerland), November 1924-January 1925
Box 1 / Folder 6
Correspondence, consisting of letters from Baker to his daughter,
Betty, including remarks about a recollection of a meeting with Woodrow Wilson which he
speculates may have had an influence on Wilson's decision to make
him Secretary of War, discussions regarding the freedom given to his daughter
to choose what to do about college, the American South, and general philosophical
musings on life, February-April 1925
Box 1 / Folder 7
Correspondence, consisting of letters from Baker to his daughter,
Betty, including letters written to her on honeymoon at Lake Placid, and a letter
to Baker from Antonio Galindo, a prisoner writing to him
from New York City requesting assistance (the Galindo letter was sent to Betty
with a card attached), May 1925-December 1926
Box 1 / Folder 8
Correspondence, consisting of letters from Baker to his daughter, Betty, and son-in-law, Jack,
including mention of various Clevelanders, family matters, and day-to- day life in Cleveland, January-March 1927
Box 2 / Folder 9
Correspondence, consisting of letters from Baker to his daughter, Betty, and a letter
from Baker to Mrs. Lee A. Phillips including a discussion of the changes occurring in family
life due to technological advances, government, and recollections of the past when he worked with
President Wilson, April-May 1927
Box 2 / Folder 10
Correspondence, consisting of letters from Baker to his daughter,
Betty, and a letter to Mrs. Baker, including remarks on the anticipation of
a grandchild, advice regarding smoking and drinking, and weddings
attended, June-September 1927
Box 2 / Folder 11
Correspondence, consisting of letters from Baker to his daughter, Peggy, including recollections
on his visit with President Wilson and information on his work with the Wilson Foundation, October-December 1930
Box 2 / Folder 12
Correspondence, consisting of letters from Baker to his daughter, Peggy, including
accounts of his ocean voyage and his visit to Cairo, Egypt, his political future, businesses,
and various Clevelanders, January-December 1931
Box 2 / Folder 13
Correspondence, consisting of letters from Baker to his daughter,
Peggy, including references made to a local election, his grandchildren, the Lindbergh
baby kidnapping, comments regarding crime in an
ordered society, anecdotes regarding the Boy Scout Silver Buffalo Award ceremony, and Peggy's
marriage, January 1932-June 1934
Box 2 / Folder 14
Correspondence, consisting of letters from Baker to his daughter, Peggy and son-in-law, Fulton,
including some anecdotes regarding Mrs. Roosevelt, July-December 1934
Box 2 / Folder 15
Correspondence, consisting of letters from Baker to his daughter, Peggy, from Baker to his wife,
and letters written during his trip to Panama and Mexico, January-March 1935
Box 2 / Folder 16
Correspondence, consisting of letters from Baker to his daughter, Peggy and son-in-law, Fulton,
including comments on local and national events, June-December 1935
Box 3 / Folder 17
Correspondence, consisting of letters from Baker to his daughter,
Peggy, including a lengthy criticism of a Roosevelt speech, comments on political
matters and business transactions, and comments about a voyage
to the Caribbean, January-May 1936
Box 3 / Folder 18
Correspondence, consisting of letters from Baker to his daughter,
Peggy, including local news and comments on political events, June-September 1936
Box 3 / Folder 19
Correspondence, consisting of letters from Baker to his daughter Peggy and son-in-law, Fulton
including lengthy remarks made about President Roosevelt, current economic conditions, and the future
of the Republican party, October-December 1936
Box 3 / Folder 20
Correspondence, consisting of letters from Baker to his daughter,
Peggy and son-in-law, Fulton, including brief comments on various issues and
people such as Adolph Hitler, January-July 1937
Box 3 / Folder 21
Correspondence, consisting of a letter to Newton D. Baker from A. J. Lee regarding Baker's
daughter's marriage, letter from Ralph Hayes to Newton D. Baker, and a letter to one of the girls
from her mother, undated
Box 3 / Folder 22
Miscellaneous, consisting of an address of Newton D. Baker, Secretary of War, given at Waterloo,
Iowa, September 17, 1920, chart of the S. S. Pittsburgh with written comments
by Baker, and an undated and unsigned Valentine card, 1920
Box 3 / Folder 23
Memoranda, notes, correspondence, and reviews related to C.H. Cramer's biography of Newton D. Baker, 1960-1961
Folder 24
Oversize Folder 1: Awards, diplomas, and certificates, presented to Newton D. Baker or members of his
family, 1892-1938