Scope and Content Note
The papers of Joseph Cowles Mehaffey (1889-1963) span the period 1925-1959, with the bulk of the material concentrated in the period 1944-1949. The papers consist of correspondence, printed matter, and miscellaneous material. Correspondence is largely personal in nature, containing a large number of congratulatory letters on promotions and appointments. It also contains information on life in the Canal Zone and the operation of the Panama Canal.
The printed matter consists of newspaper clippings, magazine articles, pamphlets on Panama and Central America, reports of the Panama Rail Road Company, and congressional documents relating to the Panama Canal. The newspaper clippings and magazine articles relate largely to the Panama Canal, but also contain some articles about Mehaffey.
Notes by Mehaffey in a miscellany file relate to the Panama Canal, Washington, D.C., engineering projects such as the Arlington Memorial Bridge and renovation of the White House, and personal and speech material.