Scope and Content Note
The papers of Chandler Parsons Anderson (1866-1936) cover the period 1894-1953, with the bulk of the material from 1896 to 1929. The collection is organized into Diary, General Correspondence, Office File, Subject File, Speeches and Writings, Miscellany, and Oversize series.
Except for some letters that Anderson sent to his wife during his stays in Europe, the papers contain little that reveal his family life. The focus is on his career in international law, official activities in the Department of State, relationships with key State Department officials, particularly Robert Lansing and Elihu Root, and thinking on important matters of world affairs.
For the years between 1914 and 1928 and for most of 1934, Anderson kept a detailed typescript diary of his thoughts and activities. The diary includes descriptions of public and official opinion in Great Britain in 1914-1915, character descriptions of associates and individuals, and summaries of conversations with Lansing, Root, Woodrow Wilson, Henry Cabot Lodge (1850-1924), Bernard M. Baruch, and others.
Most of the correspondence is located in the Office File. Among the significant correspondence in the General Correspondence series are copies of Anderson's letters in the letterpress books and the letters he sent to his wife while he was in Europe during 1914-1915 and 1918-1919.
The Office File contains records generated by Anderson as a government official and as a participant in various legal cases. The records contain information on subjects such as Anglo-American relations in North America, boundary problems between Central American countries, relations between the United States and Great Britain during 1914, the treatment of American economic interests by the Soviet Union in the 1920s, the Arms Limitation Conference of 1921-1922, and internal problems in Nicaragua during the 1920s.
The Subject File contains papers that Anderson collected as a result of his interests in various subjects. Some subjects relate to topical material in the Office File. Particularly significant are papers relating to the peace treaty with Germany and the League of Nations. Included are correspondence with senators, a paper showing Anderson's contribution to the treaty, and notes on a meeting with President Wilson.
The Speeches and Writings File contains drafts and printed copies of papers, articles, editorials, and book reviews written by Anderson. Most of the subjects in which he was involved are represented. He wrote an especially large number of articles on aspects of international law. Included in the Miscellany series are a biographical file, printed matter on international law, passports, invitations, autographs, and commissions.
Correspondents include William Jennings Bryan, Otis T. Cartwright, Charles Evans Hughes, David Starr Jordan, Philander C. Knox, Robert Lansing, Frank L. Polk, Elihu Root, James Brown Scott, and Charles Beecher Warren.