Nathan Lewis Miller Papers, 1902-1958

Summary

Creator:

Miller, Nathan L., 1868-1953.

Abstract:

Papers of the New York Governor (1921 to 1922), attorney, General Counsel of U.S. Steel Corporation. Collection contains correspondence, both incoming and outgoing (1902-1958); legal briefs; writings (1922-1953); and memorabilia including family photographs and scrapbooks of political cartoons and clippings (1921-1922). Correspondents include Roger Blough, Calvin Coolidge, Richard Coughlin, Charles Crandall, Frederick Crane, Thomas E. Dewey, John Foster Dulles, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Benjamin Fairless, James A. Farley, Livingstone Farrand, James W. Fawcett, Haley Fiske, Edgar Allen Forbes, George A. Glynn, Will H. Hays, Christian Herter, Richmond Hobson, Herbert Hoover, Charles Evans Hughes, Cordell Hull, Alfred Landon, Herbert Lehman, Irving Lehman, Clayton Lusk, Albert Mann, J.P. Morgan, Irving Olds, Joseph Proskauer, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, Flem Sampson, Alfred E. Smith, Edward R. Stettinius, Henry Stoddard, William H. Taft, Myron Taylor, Arthur Vandenberg, Paul Vernon, Enders Voorhees, Carl Vrooman, William Wadhams, Wilbur Wakeman, John Weeks, Everett Wheeler, Horace White, and Wendell Willkie.

Extent:

15 linear ft.

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Nathan Lewis Miller Papers,

Background

Scope and content:

The Nathan Lewis Miller Papers comprise correspondence, legal briefs, memorabilia, and writings of the lawyer and New York State Governor (1921-1922). Spanning the years 1902 to 1958, the collection reflects Miller's public life as New York State Comptroller, State Supreme Court Justice, and Governor as well as his private law practice and his service as General Counsel for United States Steel Corporation.

The correspondence (Box 1) is arranged chronologically with a selected index of correspondents at the end of the inventory, and is in both volume and substance most heavily concentrated in the 1920s. An activist in both state and national Republican Party politics, Miller included among his correspondents Calvin Coolidge, Thomas Dewey, John Foster Dulles, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Herbert Hoover, Charles Evans Hughes, Cordell Hull, Alfred M. Landon, Herbert Lehman, Franklin Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Robert F. Wagner and Wendell Willkie. In addition to the political correspondence are a number of letters involving Miller's trusteeship of Cornell University and several others which concern financial matters.

Boxes 2-4 of the collection contain printed legal briefs for four of Miller's cases, memorabilia, including photographs and a scrapbook of obituaries, and writings. The writings include two drafts and the printed version of Miller's theory about the authorship of Shakespeare's plays, a printed copy of his autobiographical Recollections (1953), and three volumes of speeches, mostly in mimeographed form, from the 1922 gubernatorial campaign.

In addition, there are 6 oversized packages of memorabilia, including two commissions, two photograph albums, one photograph, and five scrapbooks, dated 1921-1922. One of the scrapbooks contains mainly newspaper cartoons and photographs of Miller, while the others are mostly newspaper clippings.

Biographical / historical:

Nathan Lewis Miller (1868-1953) was an American conservative politician and attorney. He was New York State Comptroller from 1901 to 1903 and sat on the New York State Supreme Court from 1903-1915. He served as Governor of New York (1921-1922) and as General Counsel of U.S. Steel Corporation (1925- ).

Acquisition information:

Gift of the Miller Family and U.S. Steel Corp. , 1965 and 1969.

Arrangement:

Correspondence is arranged chronologically. Other material is arranged alphabetically by type or title.

Indexed terms

Subjects:

New York State
Politics, government and public administration
Governors -- New York (State)
Attorneys.
Governors.
Clippings (information artifacts)
Correspondence.
Photographs.
Scrapbooks.

Names:

Republican Party (N.Y.)
Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- )
United States Steel Corporation.
Blough, Roger M. (Roger Miles), 1904-1985.
Coolidge, Calvin, 1872-1933.
Coughlin, Richard.
Crandall, Charles H. (Charles Henry), 1858-1923.
Crane, Frederick E. (Frederick Evan), 1869-1947.
Dewey, Thomas E. (Thomas Edmund), 1902-1971.
Dulles, John Foster, 1888-1959.
Eisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David), 1890-1969.
Fairless, Benjamin F. (Benjamin Franklin), 1890-
Farley, James A. (James Aloysius), 1888-1976.
Farrand, Livingston, 1867-1939.
Fawcett, James Waldo, 1893-1968.
Fiske, Haley, 1852-1929.
Forbes, Edgar Allen, 1872-
Glynn, George A.
Hays, Will H. (Will Harrison), 1879-1954.
Herter, Christian Archibald, 1895-1966.
Hobson, Richmond Pearson, 1870-1937.
Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964.
Hughes, Charles Evans, 1862-1948.
Hull, Cordell, 1871-1955.
Lamont, Thomas W. (Thomas William), 1870-1948.
Landon, Alfred M. (Alfred Mossman), 1887-1987.
Lehman, Herbert H. (Herbert Henry), 1878-1963.
Lehman, Irving, 1876-1945.
Lusk, Clayton R. (Clayton Riley), b. 1872.
Mann, Albert Russell, 1880-1947.
Miller, Nathan L., 1868-1953.
Morgan, J. P. (John Pierpont), 1867-1943.
Olds, Irving Sands, 1887-
Proskauer, Joseph M. (Joseph Meyer), 1877-1971.
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945.
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1887-1944.
Sampson, Flem D.
Smith, Alfred Emanuel, 1873-1944.
Stettinius, Edward R., Jr. (Edward Reilly), 1900-1949.
Stoddard, Henry L. (Henry Luther), 1861-1947.
Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930.
Taylor, Myron Charles, 1874-1959.
Vandenberg, Arthur H. (Arthur Hendrick), 1884-1951.
Vernon, Paul E. (Paul Egbert), b. 1869.
Voorhees, Enders M. (Enders McClumpha), b. 1891.
Vrooman, Carl Schurz, 1872-1966.
Wadhams, William H. (William Henderson), 1873-1952.
Wakeman, Wilbur F.
Weeks, John W. (John Wingate), 1860-1926.
Wheeler, Everett Pepperrell, 1840-1925.
White, Horace, 1834-1916.
Willkie, Wendell L. (Wendell Lewis), 1892-1944.

Places:

New York (State) -- Politics and government, 1865-1950.

Indexes:

Selected Index to Correspondence

Anderson, William H.	20 Oct. 1922
Barrett, Henry R.	17 Sept. 192522 Sept. 1925
Bartlett, Willard	4 May 1922
Blough, Roger Miles	23 Dec. 194325 Dec. 1943
Breed, William Constable	17 Sept. 192522 Sept. 1925
Brown, Franklin R.	11 June 1954
Chamberlain, Arthur	1 Oct. 195122 Jan. 1952
Clark, John Proctor	16 Sept. 192019 Oct. 192115 July 192226 July 1922
Collin, Frederick	1 Oct. 1925
Coolidge, Calvin	7 Dec. 19238 Dec. 192313 June 192416 June 19245 Nov. 19247 Nov. 1924
Coughlin, Richard	20 Aug. 1921
Crandall, Charles Henry	28 Mar. 19212 Apr. 1921
Crane, Frederick E.	29 Mar. 19211 Apr. 1921
Cromwell, Seymour L.	1 Nov. 19228 Nov. 1922
Crouse, H. B.	12 Apr. 192113 Apr. 1921
Cullinan, Patrick W.	17 Sept. 192522 Sept. 1925
Davis, Rowland L.	28 Oct. 192929 Oct. 1929
Davison, George W.	Sept. 192522 Sept. 1925
Delatour, Hunter L.	3 Jan. 1955
Dewey, Thomas Edmund	11 Dec. 193925 Oct. 194426 Oct. 19446 Nov. 19477 Nov. 194728 May 194825 June 19481 July 1948
Dulles, John Foster	15 Nov. 19495 Dec. 1949
Eisenhower, Dwight David	18 Oct. 194931 Oct. 1949
Fairless, Benjamin F.	7 Nov. 194427 Dec. 194429 Dec. 1944
Farley, James Aloysius	5 Feb. 1947
Farrand, Livingston	17 Oct. 1922
Fawcett, James Waldo	29 Jan. 1921
Finley, John Huston	20 Aug. 192125 Aug. 1921
Fiske, Haley	17 Sept. 192522 Sept. 1925
Forbes, Edgar Allen	19 Apr. 192122 Apr. 1921
Glynn, George A.	12 Jan. 192213 Jan. 1922
Hatch, Edward Wingate	15 Apr. 191521 Apr. 191529 Apr. 19153 June 1915
Hay, Mary Garrett	12 Jan. 192113 Jan. 192116 Mar. 1921
Hays, Will Harrison	Sept. 192522 Sept. 1925
Heath, Julian (Mrs.)	see National Housewives League, Inc.
Herter, Christian	19 Dec. 1922
Hiscock, Frank H.	17 Sept. 192522 Sept. 192517 Apr. 1946
Hobson, Richmond Pearson	16 Nov. 1921
Hogg, William B.	4 Feb. 192114 Feb. 1921
Hoover, Herbert	26 Dec. 192226 Oct. 192713 Jan. 192816 Jan. 19287 Nov. 193812 Nov. 193829 Dec. 19506 May 1958
Hughes, Charles Evans	16 Apr. 192419 Apr. 192421 Apr. 192422 Apr. 19245 Nov. 19247 Nov. 19244 Feb. 19306 Feb. 1930
Hull, Cordell	undated
Knapp, Kemper K.	16 Sept. 192522 Sept. 1925
Kresel, Isidor Jacob	17 Sept. 192522 Sept. 1925
Lamont, Thomas William	18 Mar. 1943 (2 items)
Landon, Alfred Mossman	10 Mar. 19368 May 193612 May 193626 May 1936
Lehman, Herbert Henry	30 Jan. 193412 Feb. 19342 Jan. 1936
Lehman, Irving	22 Jan. 193523 Jan. 1935
Lusk, Clayton Riley	15 June 19215 June 1941
McKee, Joseph V.	26 Oct. 193228 Oct. 1932
McLaughlin, Chester Bentine	17 Sept. 192522 Sept. 1925
Mann, Albert Russell	28 Oct. 1921
Meyer, Eugene	19 Sept. 192522 Sept. 1925
Morgan, John Pierpont	12 Sept. 1927
Murray, John Gregory	17 Dec. 193827 Dec. 1938
National Housewives League, Inc.	10 Jan. 192112 Jan. 192116 Mar. 1921
Nixon, S. F.	21 Jan. 1902
Olcott, Jacob Van Vechten	29 Dec. 1921
Olds, Irving Sands	24 Dec. 194030 Dec. 194023 Dec. 194228 Dec. 194223 Dec. 194327 Dec. 19431 Nov. 1944
Proskauer, Joseph Meyer	6 Apr. 19475 Dec. 1947
Prosser, Seward	19 Oct. 192520 Oct. 1925
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano	7 July 1938 (enclosure to Stettinius letter)27 May 19413 June 1941
Roosevelt, Theodore	8 Oct. 192316 Oct. 1923
Sampson, Flem D.	11 Apr. 192915 Apr. 1929
Schmuck, Peter	23 June 194124 June 194122 Dec. 1941 (2 items)
Smith, Alfred Emanuel	25 Feb. 192827 Feb. 192829 Dec. 19434 Jan. 1944
Stettinius, Edward Reilly	8 July 1938
Stewart, John Appleton	27 Sept. 1921
Stoddard, Henry Luther	3 Aug. 19222 Nov. 19254 Nov. 1925
Taft, William Howard	19 May 192222 May 1922
Taylor, Myron Charles	12 Jan. 193814 Jan. 19387 Apr. 193811 Apr. 193812 Apr. 193823 Dec. 194224 Dec. 1942undated
Trainor, Val	10 Oct. 192213 Oct. 192216 Oct. 192219 Oct. 192226 Oct. 1922
Vandenberg, Arthur Hendrick	30 Dec. 19205 Jan. 1921
Vanderbilt, Cornelius	23 Sept. 1922
Vanderlip, Narcissa Cox	5 July 1921 (2 items)8 July 1921
Vernon, Paul Egbert	9 Dec. 1920
Voorhees, Enders McClumpha	23 Dec. 193827 Dec. 193821 Dec. 194223 Dec. 194220 Dec. 194323 Dec. 194319 Dec. 1944
Vrooman, Carl Schurz	14 May 192118 May 1921
Vrooman, John Wright	12 Nov. 192114 Nov. 1921
Wadhams, William Henderson	11 Jan. 1922
Wagner, Robert F.	19 Apr. 193212 July 1932
Wakeman, Wilbur F.	5 Sept. 192212 Sept. 1922
Ward, Hamilton	27 Apr. 19223 May 1922
Wardwell, Florence	22 July 19212 Aug. 19219 Jan. 192210 Jan. 192212 Jan. 192213 Jan. 192226 Jan. 192231 Jan. 1922
Weeks, John Wingate	9 Mar. 192114 Mar. 1921
Wendell, Ten Eyck	14 Oct. 192218 Oct. 1922
Wheeler, Everett Pepperrell	19 Oct. 1920
White, Horace	5 Jan. 192210 Jan. 192216 Sept. 192522 Sept. 1925
Whitman, Russell R.	23 Sept. 192225 Sept. 1922
Willcox, Julius Abner	4 Feb. 192116 Feb. 1921
Willkie, Wendell Lewis	12 July 194013 July 194024 July 194026 July 194022 Sept. 1941Sept. 1941 (2 items)

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Terms of access:

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Preferred citation:

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Nathan Lewis Miller Papers,

Location of this collection:

Syracuse University

Special Collections Research Center

Syracuse University Libraries

Bird Library, Room 600

Syracuse, NY 13244, United States

Link to repository site

Contact:

315.443.2697

scrc@syr.edu