Scope and Content Note
The papers of William Edgar Borah (1865-1940) span the period 1905-1940, with the bulk of the material from 1912-1940. The collection constitutes the record of his career in the Senate, which began in 1907 and ended with his death in 1940, at the midpoint of his sixth consecutive term. The papers cover virtually every aspect of Borah's political life and include extensive files on antitrust legislation, constitutional interpretation, and foreign policy. There is little in the collection about his youth or his career as an attorney in Idaho, and most of his Senate office files for the years from 1907 to 1912 were destroyed when his office was moved from the basement of the Capitol to the Senate office building. A collection of Borah papers at the Idaho State Historical Society treats his law practice and political activities from 1890 to 1907, and a collection of scrapbooks at the University of Idaho Library covers the period 1904-1940. A microfilm copy of the scrapbooks is held by the Library of Congress.
The General Office File , the largest series, is organized by subject and correspondent within twelve-month increments. Files on politics, Russia, disarmament, and agriculture reveal the range of Borah's interests, although files that appear to be commonplace, such as invitations and requests for speeches, often contain significant correspondence on substantive issues. Significant topical categories include files titled "documents," containing correspondence with constituents concerning government publications; "newspapers," referring to articles in newspapers and periodicals on Borah; and "manuscripts," relating to papers sent to Borah by authors seeking assistance in publishing their work.
The World Court, the League of Nations, military activities in Latin America, routine army matters, legislation, politics, the Red Scare, universal military training, and Russia are topics that dominate the General Office File from the World War I era to the Depression. Among the principal themes in the papers from the 1920s are Borah's attempts to secure American recognition of the Soviet Union, his support of measures that would outlaw war, and his reactions to domestic political and economical unrest. Material relating to Franklin D. Roosevelt, the New Deal, and the National Recovery Administration take up an increasingly larger portion of the files during the 1930s, as do subjects such as China's war with Japan, the Lausanne Settlement, and neutrality legislation.
Correspondents upon whom Borah relied for advice on state and local political issues include Evan Evans, James H. Gipson, Frank Robert Gooding, John W. Hart, James H. Hawley, Ray McKaig, and Irvin E. Rockwell. Files on topics such as politics, antilynching, Russia, the Justice Department, treaties, and the World Court include correspondence with Jane Addams, Edwin Borchard, Henry M. Dawes, Leonidas Carstarphen Dyer, Hamilton Fish, Samuel Gompers, Norman Hapgood, Will H. Hays, John Haynes Holmes, James Weldon Johnson, Frank B. Kellogg, Frank Knox, Henry Cabot Lodge, Amos Pinchot, Gifford Pinchot, Raymond Robins, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Thomas Joseph Walsh, William Allen White, and Woodrow Wilson.
The Subject File contains material on a wide variety of topics, although most of it relates to Borah's specific legislative and political interests. Included are important files pertaining to treaties, appointments, Department of State budgets, and the major problems of American foreign policy in the era between the two world wars. The Subject File complements the Public Opinion File , which contains letters from the public on matters such as neutrality legislation, the World Court, the embargo of Spain, and New Deal reform efforts.
The Speeches, Statements, and Articles File is perhaps the most comprehensive series for exploring Borah's positions on public issues, for his attitudes are documented more thoroughly in his speeches and public statements than in his characteristically terse correspondence. Borah regarded public speaking and debate as a critical ingredient of public life. His speeches, press releases, and public statements were prepared with meticulous care, and many of the research materials that formed the basis of his speeches are organized in subject files within this series.
Borah's activities in behalf of Idaho constituents are documented throughout the collection, but four series representing major aspects of constituent casework are particularly salient for understanding this feature of his career. The Pension File and Veterans Claims File deal exclusively with the problem of individual constituents; the Patronage File and Land Utilization File contain materials relating to broad social and political matters as well as assistance to individuals. The Land Utilization File ranges from applications for homesteads to research materials for legislation pertaining to the public domain. Many of the constituent requests in these files were merely routed to the appropriate executive agency for attention, but Borah occasionally noted his recommendations and policy judgements when transmitting a request.
The Borah for President Committee series illustrates the steps taken by a small coterie of loyal admirers to obtain the 1936 Republican presidential nomination for Borah. Much of the correspondence consists of exchanges between Carl G. Bachmann, chairman of the committee, and various contributors to the campaign. Rounding out the collection is a small group of correspondence and other papers of Grace Hileman , Borah's secretary. The correspondence, largely personal in nature, touches on matters of interest to Borah.