Search

Writings and memorabilia of Straus. The most interesting item in the collection is the letter from the President of Columbia College, Frederick A.P. Barnard, to President Ulysses S. Grant, dated 25 June 1869, recommending Straus, then a student at Columbia College, for a government appointment. Also, five manuscripts of poems, ten volumes of writings by and about Straus, and three scrapbooks of clippings, one of which covers 1909, the period of his ambassadorship in Constantinople.

Correspondence, manuscripts of poems, and manuscripts of lectures by Benjamin. The correspondence consists of original letters of Benjamin, typescript and photostatic copies of Benjamin letters in other libraries, and letters to Benjamin from some of his literary contemporaries including Paul Hamilton Hayne, Willis Gaylord Clark, John Lothrop Motley, and Fitz-Greene Halleck. Many of the letters relate to Park Benjamin's lecture tours. There are other family letters and many documents relating to the Benjamin family,and two letterbooks of John Lothrop Motley. Also, a large amount of genealogical material of the Benjamin family, and its related families from the 16th century to the present day. There are also financial records, monographs, clippings, and photographs.

A collection of about 250 uncatalogued items consisting of correspondence with various Governors of the State of New Jersey, 1908-1936. Governors represented in the collection are Woodrow Wilson, John Franklin Fort, and Morgan F. Larson. The subject of the correspondence is extremely varied and is typical of the material crossing the desk of the average governor. Typical items are a letter from a local Woman's Christian Temperance Union chapter complaining about conditions at a local militia camp; a diplomat outraged at the treatment afforded a countryman at a local amusement park; a memorial erected to a Mexican aviator killed in the state; official transmittal of the Supreme Court decision in the Delaware River Basin Case involving New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania; campaign contributions; and intra-party correspondence during the Wilson Gubernatorial administration. There is also a collection of three scrapbooks consisting of correspondence from contributors to the Wilson campaign chest, arranged by state and town of the correspondent. The collection offers insight into the grass roots appeal that Woodrow Wilson had for the poor and lower middle class American of the early 20th century. Also, a binder of newspaper clippings concerning Woodrow Wilson and his career, 1910-1912, that was compiled and presented to Wilson by Joseph Hayter of New Brunswick, N.J. on June 3, 1912.