Summary Information
Abstract
This collection documents the personal and political life of Charles Poletti,
lawyer, politician, and the 46th governor of the State of New York. Poletti also served
as an allied military governor in Italy during and after World War II.
At a Glance
Call No.: | MS#1013 |
Bib ID: | 4078522 View CLIO record |
Creator(s): | Poletti, Charles, 1903-2002. |
Title: | Charles Poletti
Papers,
1865-1991
[Bulk: 1923-1970].
|
Physical description: | 44 linear feet (64 document boxes; 3 file card boxes; 16
oversize boxes)
|
Language(s): |
Material is in English.
|
Access: |
This collection is located off-site. You will need to request this material at least
two business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript
Library reading room.
This collection has no restrictions.
More information » |
Arrangement
Arrangement
This collection has been arranged into fourteen series:
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Series I: Correspondence, 1965-1982
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Series II: Subject Files, 1910-1991
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Series III: Harvard College and Law School, 1920-1928
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Series IV: Legal Briefs, 1940-1964
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Series V: Speeches and Press Releases, 1937-1947
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Series VI: General, undated
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Series VII: Jean E. Poletti Papers, 1931-1964
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Series VIII: Articles by and about Charles Poletti, circa 1930-1970
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Series IX: Photographs, 1920-1983
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Series X: Memorabilia, circa 1915-1965
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Series XI: Audiotapes and Films (New York World's Fair), 1939-1964
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Series XII: Records, 1937-1964
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Series XIII: Clipping Books, 1933-1948
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Series XIV: Oral History, 1978
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Description
Scope and Content
The collection contains personal and professional material spanning most of Poletti's
life, documenting his education at Harvard, his political career, and his military
appointments in Italy. It also contains personal correspondence, family papers, and a
small amount of information on his wife, Jean E. Poletti. Materials include
correspondence, notes, academic papers, speeches, diaries, articles, ephemera, press
releases, articles, clippings, certificates and plaques, photographs, and audio and film
reels.
Series I: Correspondence, 1865-1982
This series contains incoming and outgoing correspondence in English and Italian
and spans much of Poletti's life. While some of the material relates to his work
and discusses specific bills or laws, most of the material is more personal in
nature, and consists of letters of congratulation, invitations, and short notes
and letters from friends, family, and political figures. Some letters are
accompanied by photographs of Poletti at public events. Correspondence is filed
alphabetically by name of individual or institution. Documents filed under
Poletti's name consist of correspondence with Who's Who and many articles that
provide basic biographical information.
Series II: Subject Files, 1910-1991
This extensive series holds information on a wide range of subjects relating to
Poletti's military, political, and professional careers. Allied Military
Government (AMG) files document his work as an allied military governor in Italy
and include official orders, reports, correspondence, and descriptions of the
state of the country. "Discrimination" Files contain a variety of material
relating to Poletti's stance against discrimination, including press releases and
campaign fliers focusing on his support of minority groups; discussions of the
appointment of black employees to government positions; and correspondence and
reports relating to the State War Council Committee on Discrimination in
Employment, which investigated cases of discrimination in the workforce. They also
contain a travel diary kept by philosopher Corliss Lamont, detailing his
observations of racism on a 1926 trip through the South with Poletti, and his
report based on the experience. Files on the New York World's Fair hold
correspondence and reports outlining plans for the fair; photographs of Poletti
and others at work on the project; and information on each of the country
pavilions. They also hold public documents such as promotional fliers, postcards,
maps, and articles. The series also contains material on Poletti's political
campaigns and his work with the power authority, as well as notes and
correspondence on a variety of issues such as low-cost housing and birth control.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject
Series III: Harvard, 1920-1928
This series documents Poletti's experiences as an undergraduate at Harvard and
later as a law student. It includes his notes, examinations, and papers from
classes in economics, English, government, philosophy, and psychology, among
others. It also holds three diaries covering Poletti's time in college and
graduate school. Materials are filed by subject and document type.
Series IV: Legal Briefs, 1940-1964
This small series contains legal briefs for cases on which Poletti served as an
attorney. Some include Poletti's annotations. They are filed chronologically.
Series V: Speeches and Press Releases, 1937-1947
This series is comprised primarily of campaign speeches given by Poletti at
conventions and meetings, or over the radio. They cover topics such as public
housing, discrimination, labor legislation, and civil and religious liberty.
Several speeches present Poletti's experiences working with Herbert. H. Lehman.
Files contain both drafts and completed speeches, arranged chronologically. An
index can be found within each folder. The series also holds press releases
announcing Poletti's actions as Lieutenant Governor and as acting Governor of New
York, filed chronologically.
Series VI: General, undated
The files in this series hold family manuscripts in Italian, notes, and other
personal documents
Series VII: Jean E. Poletti, 1931-1964
This series is comprised of letters written by Poletti's wife, Jean Knox Ellis
Poletti, written during the early years of their marriage. It also contains seven
travel diaries chronicling her visits to many countries during the 1960s.
Series VIII: Articles by and About Charles Poletti, circa 1930-1970
Articles written by Charles Poletti typically touch on political topics. Those
written about him generally regard his post in Italy immediately following World
War II. Articles on Poletti's career can also be found in Series XIII: Clipping
Books.
Series IX: Photographs, 1920-1983
Some of these photographs are records of Charles Poletti's time in Italy during
and following the Second World War, when he served in the Allied Military
Government as a civil affairs officer. It also contains portraits of other
politicians from the time, and images of Poletti with various members of his
family, including his wife Jean. Several folders contain images that pertain to
the 1964 World's Fair in New York City in 1964. Photographs can also be found
throughout Series I: Correspondence.
Series X: Memorabilia, circa 1915-1965
This collection of materials including address books, diaries, passports, campaign
buttons, and other personal effects belonging to Charles Poletti, as well as
certificates and plaques awarded to him.
Series XI: Audiotapes and Films, 1939-1964
The audio tapes and films in this series pertain to the 1939 and 1964 New York
World's Fairs. They include a speech Poletti gave about the 1939 Fair and
interview with Poletti about his involvement in the 1964 Fair, among others.
Series XII: Records, 1937-1964
This series holds speeches and interviews with Poletti recorded on record albums,
including talks on low-cost housing, anti-corruption, and a report on the 1964
World's Fair. It also contains a number of popular music records owned by Poletti.
Series XIII: Clipping Books, 1933-1948
Series XIII is comprised of clipping books containing newspaper articles about
Poletti. Most were collected systematically by press clipping agencies, and the
1940-1942 books contain a near complete record of Poletti's appearances in New
York newspapers. Books are arranged chronologically.
Series XIV: Oral History, 1978
This series contains transcripts and tapes of Poletti's oral history, which was recorded in 1978.
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Using the Collection
Offsite
Access Restrictions
This collection is located off-site. You will need to request this material at least
two business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript
Library reading room.
This collection has no restrictions.
Restrictions on Use
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish material
from the collection must be requested from the Curator of Manuscripts/University
Archivist, Rare Book and Manuscript Library (RBML). The RBML approves permission to
publish that which it physically owns; the responsibility to secure copyright permission
rests with the patron.
Preferred Citation
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Charles Poletti Papers; Box and
Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.
Finding Aid available in repository and online; folder level control.
Related Material
Herbert H. Lehman Papers Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University
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About the Finding Aid / Processing Information
Columbia University Libraries. Rare Book and
Manuscript Library; machine readable finding aid created by Columbia University
Libraries Digital Library Program Division
Processing Information
Correspondence, subject files, speeches, clippings, photographs, memorabilia Surveyed
05/--/87 Julie Miller
Papers Surveyed 05/--/87
Papers processed 2009 Stefanie Patterson, Columbia College, 2012
Finding aid written June 2009 Carolyn Smith
Machine readable finding aid generated from MARC-AMC source via XSLT conversion
December 2, 2009
Finding aid written in English.
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Subject Headings
The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches at Columbia University through the Archival Collections Portal and through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, as well as ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.
All links open new windows.
Genre/Form
Heading | CUL Archives: Portal | CUL Collections: CLIO | Nat'l / Int'l Archives: ArchiveGRID |
---|
Photoprints. | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
Subjects
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History / Biographical Note
Biographical Note
Charles Poletti was born on July 2, 1903 in Barre,
Vermont. His parents, Dino and Carolina Gervasini Poletti, were both Italian immigrants,
and his father worked as a stonecutter in a granite quarry. As a student at Barre High
School, Poletti distinguished himself academically and socially. Well respected within
the community, he was offered the opportunity to manage a store after graduation, but
his principal encouraged him to apply to college. He won a scholarship to Harvard and
supported himself in Cambridge, Massachusetts, by tending furnaces, waiting tables, and
tutoring. In 1924, he graduated suma cum laude and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He then
attended the University of Rome on the Eleonora Duse Fellowship and took classes in
Spain. Poletti returned to study at Harvard Law School, graduating with an L.L.B. in
1928.
Poletti joined the New York law firm Davis, Polk, Wardwell,
Gardiner, & Reed, which was headed by 1924 Presidential Candidate John W. Davis.
He worked as an attorney until 1930, when he took a position as legal assistant to the
St. Lawrence Power Development Commission. He took an interest in political affairs and
worked in the 1928 presidential campaign of Al Smith, and then served as a counsel to
the Democratic National Committee in 1932.
Governor Herbert H. Lehman named Poletti as his counsel in
1933, where he soon became the governor's trusted aid. Poletti headed the 1935
Conference on Crime and advised on issues of crime and welfare. In 1937, Lehman
appointed Poletti justice of the New York State Supreme Court, and he was elected in the
fall for a full fourteen-year term. At 33, he was one of the youngest to hold the
position. A year later, however, Poletti resigned, taking a $12,000 loss in salary to
run alongside Lehman as lieutenant governor. Poletti held the position from 1939 to
1942.
After Lehman's retirement in 1942, Poletti served as the 46th
governor of the State of New York for 29 days until the newly elected Thomas E. Dewey
took office. Although his term was very brief--the shortest of any New York governor--he
was praised for his work; on his final day of office, he presented a program calling for
a "Beveridge Commission" to handle social security planning after World War II.
Several days after Dewey took office, Poletti became an
assistant to War Secretary Henry L. Stimpson, and received a commission as a lieutenant
colonel. He worked for the Allied Military Government (AMG) for the rest of the war,
serving as allied military governor of, successively, Sicily, Naples, Rome, Milan, and
Lombardy, from 1943 to 1945. He was selected both for his understanding of politics and
law and his Italian ancestry, which the Army hoped would help him relate to the Italian
population.
After returning to the U.S., Poletti became a trustee of the
Power Authority of the State of New York (1955-1960). The New York Power Authority's
plant in Astoria, Queens, was named after him.
In 1960, Poletti became Vice President for International
Relations at the 1964 New York World's Fair. He was responsible for overseeing the
fair's international exhibits.
Over the course of his career, Poletti was awarded many
honors, including the Legion of Merit (U.S.A.); Officer of Order of British Empire;
Knight Grand Cross of Order of Crown of Italy; Commander of Papal Order of St. Gregory
the Great; First Order of the Star of Jordan; Grand Officer of Order of St. Agatha (San
Marino); and the Gold Medal of the City of Rome. He was also made an Honorary Citizen of
Naples, Rome, and Milan.
Poletti died in 2002 at the age of 99.
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