Back to TopDescriptive Summary
- Repository
-
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
- Creator
-
Daniels, Josephus, 1862-1948.
- Title
- Josephus Daniels Papers, 1863-1947
- Call Number
- 203
- Language of Materials
- Materials in
English
- Extent
-
- Items: About 2,700
- Linear Feet: 7.0
Abstract
Josephus Daniels was the owner and editor of the Raleigh News and Observer; secretary of the Navy in the administration of Woodrow Wilson, 1913-1921; and U.S. ambassador to Mexico in the administration
of Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1933-1941.
The collection includes correspondence, writings, diaries, and other materials. Most correspondence relates to Daniels's activities
as secretary of the Navy and ambassador to Mexico rather than to his personal life or to his work as owner and editor of the
Raleigh, N.C., News and Observer. Also included are letters to his mother; letters, 1887-1889; to his future wife, Adelaide Worth Bagley; a file of "important letters"--Wilson, Bryan, Watterson, Walter Hines Page, and others; and selected excerpts of letters, probably arranged by Daniels's
son, Jonathan Daniels. Writings include a typescript of the first three volumes of Daniels's autobiography, genealogies of
the Daniels and Seabrook families, and drafts of speeches, editorials, and books. The diary series contains a notebook about
military bases and supplies, 1917-1918; and diaries, 1913-1921, 1933, and 1940-1941. Other material includes a calendar Daniels
kept as ambassador to Mexico, January 1937-August 1939; clippings of articles about Daniels; and correspondence and writings
of Adelaide Worth Bagley Daniels. Some slight material relates to Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Back to TopAdministrative Information
- Restrictions to Access
- No restrictions.
- Acquisitions Information
- Received from various sources from February 1952 through June 1997. Additions received from J. Douglas Mattox of Raleigh,
N.C., in April 1997 (Acc. 97060), September 1999 (Acc. 98479), and February 2001 (Acc. 99146).
- Processing Information
- Processed by: Lisa Tolbert, Roslyn Holdzkom, Jackie Dean, October 1995
- Encoded by: Eben Lehman, April 2006
- Preferred Citation
- [Identification of item], in the Josephus Daniels Papers #203, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- Copyright Notice
- Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright
law.
Back to TopOnline Catalog Headings
These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.
- Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925.
- Daniels, Addie Worth Bagley, 1869-1943.
- Daniels, Jonathan, 1902-
- Daniels, Josephus, 1862-1948.
- Daniels family.
- Page, Walter Hines, 1855-1918.
- Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945.
- Seabrook family.
- Watterson, Henry, 1840-1921.
- Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924.
- United States. Navy Dept.--History--20th century.
- News and Observer (Newspaper : Raleigh, N.C.)
- Ambassadors--United States--History--20th century.
- Autobiographies--United States--History--20th century.
- Cabinet officers--United States--History--20th century.
- Diplomatic and consular service, American--History--20th century.
- Journalists--North Carolina--History.
- World War, 1914-1918--Naval operations.
- Mexico--Description and travel.
Back to TopRelated Collections
Josephus Daniels Papers, Library of Congress.
Charles C. Daniels Papers (#3630); Frank Arthur Daniels Papers (#4481); Jonathan Worth Daniels Papers (#3466) in the Southern
Historical Collection.
Back to TopBiographical Note
Newspaper editor, lawyer, Southern liberal, and politician who never ran for office, Josephus Daniels was born in Washington,
N.C., in 1862. He started his career as newspaper editor in 1880 at the Wilson Advance in Wilson, N.C. After attending the
University of North Carolina, Daniels passed the state bar examinations in 1885, but never actually practiced law. In 1891,
he assumed editorial control of the Raleigh News and Observer.
An ardent, life long Democrat, Daniels was appointed Democratic national committeeman from North Carolina in 1896 and held
that post until 1916. Woodrow Wilson appointed him secretary of the Navy in 1912. Daniels was one of four cabinet members
who served throughout Wilson's two terms. In 1921, Daniels returned to the Raleigh News and Observer. He supported Franklin
D. Roosevelt in the election of 1932. Roosevelt, who had served as assistant secretary of the Navy under Daniels from 1913
to 1921, always called his former boss "chief," and, in 1933, appointed him ambassador to Mexico. Daniels helped to implement Roosevelt's good neighbor policy for eight
years, resigning in 1941 to resume his editorial duties in Raleigh. He continued to write editorials for the News and Observer
almost until his death in 1948.
A devoted family man throughout his life, Daniels married Adelaide Worth Bagley (1869-1943) in 1888. They had six children.
Two daughters died in infancy. Four sons survived: Josephus (1894-1964), Worth Bagley (born 1899), Jonathan Worth (1902-1981),
and Frank Arthur (1904-1986). For more information see the Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, edited by William S. Powell.
See also Subseries 2.1.
Back to TopCollection Overview
The collection includes correspondence, writings, diaries, and other materials of Josephus Daniels, newspaper editor, secretary of the Navy and United States ambassador. Most correspondence relates to Daniels's activities as secretary of the Navy and ambassador to Mexico rather than to his personal life or to his work as owner and editor of the Raleigh, N.C., News and Observer. Also included are letters to his mother; letters, 1887-1889; to his future wife, Adelaide Worth Bagley; a file of "important letters"--Woodrow Wilson, William Jennings Bryan, Henry Watterson, Walter Hines Page, and others; and selected excerpts of letters, probably arranged by Daniels's son, Jonathan Daniels. Writings include a typescript of the first three volumes of Daniels's autobiography, genealogies of the Daniels and Seabrook
families, and drafts of speeches, editorials, and books. The diary series contains a notebook about military bases and supplies, 1917-1918; and diaries, 1913-1921, 1933, and 1940-1941. Other material includes a calendar Daniels kept as
ambassador to Mexico, January 1937-August 1939; clippings of articles about Daniels; and correspondence and writings of Adelaide Worth Bagley Daniels. Some slight material relates to Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Back to TopArrangement of Collection
1. Correspondence
1.1. General Correspondence
1.2. Selected Correspondence
2. Writings
2.1. Autobiographical Writings and Related Materials
2.2. Other Writings
3. Diaries and Diary Notes
4. Other Materials
Additions
Back to TopDetailed Description of the Collection
1. Correspondence.
Back to Top
1.1. General Corespondence, 1863-1947.
About 1,800 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Originals, photocopies, and typed transcriptions, some of which are related to Daniels's duties as secretary of the Navy during
the Woodrow Wilson administration and as ambassador to Mexico during the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration. There is little
personal correspondence and few letters pertain to Daniels's work as editor/owner of the Raleigh News and Observer.
Folder
1
1863, 1894-1914
Folder
2
1915
Folder
3-29
1916
Folder
30
1917-1919
Folder
31-36
1920
Folder
37-38
1921
Folder
39
1924-1929
Folder
40
1931-1939
Folder
41
1941-1947
Folder
42
Undated
Back to Top
1.2. Selected Correspondence, 1866-1905.
About 100 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Exclusively typed transcriptions of letters to and from Josephus Daniels, including complete letters and selected excerpts,
probably arranged by Jonathan Daniels. Included are files of Josephus Daniels's letters as a young man to his mother, letters
to Adelaide Worth Bagley (1887-1889), and "important letters Wilson, Bryan, Watterson, Walter Hines Page, and others."
Folder
43-49
Selected correspondence
Back to Top
2. Writings.
Autobiographical materials, speeches, editorials, and other writings of Josephus Daniels.
Back to Top
2.1. Autobiographical Writings and Related Materials.
About 200 items.
Typescript of Daniels's autobiography, which was eventually published in six volumes. This draft appears to cover the first
three volumes: Tar Heel Editor, Editor in Politics, and The Wilson Era. This subseries also contains various typescript drafts from the autobiography and related materials, such as genealogies
and notes on the chronology of Daniels's life.
Folder
50-68
Autobiography
Folder
69-74
Drafts and autobiographical materials
Folder
75
Genealogies of Daniels and Seabrook families
Folder
76
Notes on chronology, 1885 1902
Folder
77
Notes on chronology, 1903 1912
Back to Top
2.2. Other Writings.
About 100 items.
Chiefly typescripts with a few holograph drafts, this subseries contains speeches, editorials, drafts of The Book and of Life Begins at Seventy, and miscellaneous notes.
Folder
78-83
Back to Top
3. Diaries and Diary Notes, 1913-1941.
About 100 items.
Chiefly photocopies, this series does contain an original notebook about military bases and supplies, 1917 1918, and an original
diary, March May 1919. There are also typed transcriptions of original diaries and excerpts from diaries. The earliest diaries
document Daniels's activities as secretary of the Navy. His duties as ambassador to Mexico were recorded in the 1933 and 1940
1941 volumes. The diary notes are chiefly typed transcriptions of excerpts taken from original diaries, possibly compiled
by Jonathan Daniels. Some of the information in this series has been published in The Cabinet Diaries of Josephus Daniels, 1913 1921, edited by E. David Cronon.
Folder
84-90
Diary, 1913
Folder
91-93
Diary, 1915
Folder
94-104
Diary, 1917
Folder
105-116
Diary, 1918
Folder
117
Original notebook, 1917 1918
Folder
118-129
Diary, 1919
Folder
130-139
Diary, 1920
Folder
140-141
Diary, 1921
Folder
142-145
Diary, 1933
Folder
146-147
Diary, 1940
Folder
148-149
Diary notes, 1913 1917
Folder
150
Diary notes, 1918
Folder
151
Diary notes, 1919
Folder
152
Diary notes, 1920
Folder
153
Diary notes, 1921, 1923 1925, 1933
Folder
154
Scattered pages
Back to Top
4. Other Materials.
About 100 items.
A calendar kept by Josephus Daniels as ambassador to Mexico from January 1937 to August 1939, chiefly indicating meetings
and events attended; clippings of articles about Daniels; some correspondence and writings of Adelaide Bagley Daniels; Daniels's
diplomatic passport to Mexico; and typescript and holograph copies of wills composed by Daniels from 1935 to 1946.
Folder
155
Calendar, January 1937 August 1939
Folder
156
Clippings
Folder
157-158
Daniels, Adelaide Bagley
Folder
159
Democratic Party materials
Folder
160
Diplomatic passport
Folder
161-162
Navy materials
Folder
163
Wills
Folder
164
Writings by others
Folder
165
Miscellaneous
Back to Top
Additions.
Back to Top
Addition of April 1997 (Acc. 97060), 1912-1922.
About 300 items.
Correspondence and a few other items, most of which are related to Daniels's duties as secretary of the Navy during the Woodrow
Wilson administration and most of which are from people in North Carolina.
Folder
166
1912-1915
Folder
167-170
1916
Folder
171
1917-1919
Folder
172-173
1920
Folder
174
1921-1922
Folder
175
Undated
Back to Top
Addition of September 1999 (Acc. 98479), 1916-1921.
About 25 items.
Correspondence, 1916-1921; two financial items, December 1920 and January 1921, relating to circulation at the Raleigh News and Oberserver; and eight undated photographs of an unidentified ship and sailors. The letters chiefly relate to Daniels's duties as secretary
of the Navy during the Woodrow Wilson administration and to the News and Observer. Included are materials, April 1916, about
the payment of an account from Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Folder
176
Correspondence and financial materials
Image
P-203/1-8
Photographs
Back to Top
|
