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Richard Hooker papers

 Collection
Call Number: MS 697

Scope and Contents

The Richard Hooker Papers consist of slightly less than a hundred letters exchanged with various men of greater and lesser importance in twentieth-century American politics. The major historical interest of this correspondence is that it documents Hooker's relationship with several presidents as adviser and friend. Among the subjects are these: Harding's position on the League of Nations (Winthrop Murray Crane, 19 July 1920), Hoover's candidacy for the presidency (Hooker to Hoover, 24 July 1928), Wilson's aspirations for the U.S. Navy (Hooker to Wilson, 5 February 1916), the political activities of Frank B. Brandegee (Hooker to Taft, 21 October 1919), the Electoral College (George W. Norris, 6 June 1944; Hooker and Mark Sullivan, 14 June-12 July 1944), second-class postal rates (Hooker and Wilson, 1 May-1 June 1918, undated), and the Cambridge subway bill (Calvin Coolidge, 16 December 1919 and 31 December 1924).

Dates

  • 1907-1964

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

The materials are open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright status for collection materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Originally given by Richard Hooker with the Samuel Bowles Papers as the Bowles-Hooker Collection, in 1963-1964; separated into the Hooker Papers and the Bowles Papers in 1979.

Arrangement

the papers are arrnged alphabetically by correspondent.

Extent

0.25 Linear Feet (1 box)

Language of Materials

English

Catalog Record

A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog

Persistent URL

https://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/mssa.ms.0697

Additional Description

Overview

Correspondence with political figures, particularly documenting Hooker's role as adviser and friend to several presidents.

Biographical / Historical

Richard Hooker, journalist, was born in Augusta, Georgia, on 20 February 1878, the son of Thomas and Sarah Augustus (Bowles) Hooker. He received his B.A. from Yale in 1899, after which he spent a year studying in Europe. Soon after his return he joined the staff of the Springfield Republican, the newspaper founded by his great-grandfather, Samuel Bowles I, in 1824. He was Washington correspondent from 1904 to 1911, literary editor from 1911 to 1915, and editor-in-chief from 1915 to 1922. He resigned from the editorship because of poor health in 1922 and became president of the Republican Company, which position he retained until 1932. He directed the Associated Press between 1927 and 1934.

During his newspaper career, Hooker was associated with several United States presidents. Taft offered to make him White House press secretary, and Wilson chose him for assistant secretary of the treasury, but he declined both appointments.

Hooker married Winifred Eells Newberry on 31 December 1910. They had four children: Richard, Sarah Paige, Mary Newberry, and Arthur Bowles. Richard Hooker died on 25 November 1967.

Subjects

Related Names

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Guide to the Richard Hooker Papers
Status
Under Revision
Author
compiled by Staff of Manuscripts and Archives
Date
February 1979
Description rules
Finding Aid Created In Accordance With Manuscripts And Archives Processing Manual
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Manuscripts and Archives Repository

http://www.library.yale.edu/mssa/
Contact:
Yale University Library
P.O. Box 208240
New Haven CT 06520-8240 US
(203) 432-1735
(203) 432-7441 (Fax)

Location

Sterling Memorial Library
Room 147
120 High Street
New Haven, CT 06511

Opening Hours

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