Sterling Morton papers

  • Creator Names Morton, Sterling, 1885-1961.
  • Title Sterling Morton papers [manuscript], 1891-1961, bulk 1930-1950.
  • Physical description
    • 22 linear ft. (54 boxes)
    • 1 oversize folder.
  • Collection summary
    • Correspondence, speeches, articles, travel journals, passports, scrapbooks, and other papers of Sterling Morton, a Chicago industrialist and resident of Lake Forest (Ill.), and Santa Barbara (Calif.), chiefly relating to Morton's businesses, philanthropies, family, and his conservative views on U.S. economic, domestic, and foreign policy and support for candidates in various elections throughout the United States, publications, and groups, particularly the America First Committee and Robert A. Taft's 1952 candidacy for U.S. President.
    • Includes ca. 400 letters (1945-61) between Morton and Alfred M. Landon on politics and on oil prospecting in Barber County, Kansas. Other correspondents on politics and economics include William F. Buckley, Jr., Ralph E. Church, Lawrence Dennis of the periodical The Appeal to Reason, Everett M. Dirksen, James L. Donnelly of Illinois Manufacturers' Association, Merwin K. Hart of National Economic Council, Inc., Herbert Hoover, Clarence E. Manion, Robert R. McCormick, Archibald Roosevelt, James H. Smith, Adlai E. Stevenson (ca. 1950s), R. Douglas Stuart, Robert A. Taft, Ben E. Tate, Charles Wesley Vursell, Robert Welch of John Birch Society, and Robert E. Wood.
    • Papers also reflect Morton's business activities as an officer of the Morkrum Company (while it became Morkrum-Kleinschmidt Corporation, Teletype Corporation, and Western Electric Company), Morton Salt Company, Equitable Life Assurance Society, Elgin National Watch Company, and Louisiana Fur Company (involving the sale of Louisiana oil lands); family matters; voyages around the world (1950s), to South America (1912), and to Europe (1921); Lake Michigan cruises on his boat Shadow (1927); and his extensive philanthropy for many institutions.
    • Includes correspondence with administrators of the Art Institute of Chicago, Associated Colleges of Illinois, Chicago Historical Society, Illinois Institute of Technology, James C. King Home for Old Men (Evanston, Ill.), Lawrenceville School, Morton Arboretum, Nebraska State Historical Society, Northwestern University Medical School, Princeton University, St. Luke's Hospital (Chicago), University of Chicago, and other educational, health care, and cultural institutions about Morton's philanthropic activities, including the celebration of Arbor Day, a holiday founded by his grandfather J. Sterling Morton.
  • Acquisition information Most of the collection was a gift of Mr. Morton's daughter, Suzette Morton Zurcher Davidson (Mrs. Eugene A. Davidson) in 1968 and later (M1968.0767; M1971.0053). A portion of the collection was a gift of Sterling Morton (M1960.0231) and the Sterling Morton Estate (M1962.0378). A few items related to Alfred Landon were donated in 1950 (M1950.0008). One folder of materials was donated by the Chicago Community Trust.
  • Location of Other Archival Materials Note Related materials at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, include photographs donated with this collection; the Sterling Morton correspondence with his daughter Suzette; the Morton family papers; and the Sterling Morton family photograph collection (1980.0136).
  • Finding Aids Note Descriptive inventory available for most of the collection. Includes a list of speeches and articles and an index to selected correspondents.
  • Names
    • Morton, Sterling, 1885-1961 Archives.
    • Morton family.
    • Shadow (Ship)
    • Buckley, William F. (William Frank), 1925-2008.
    • Church, Ralph E. (Ralph Edwin), 1883-1950.
    • Dennis, Lawrence, 1893-1977.
    • Dirksen, Everett McKinley
    • Donnelly, James L. (James Leonard), d. 1972.
    • Eskew, Garnett. Fifth element: salt.
    • Hart, Merwin Kimball, 1881-1962.
    • Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964.
    • Landon, Alfred M. (Alfred Mossman), 1887-1987. Box 40.
    • McCarthy, Joseph, 1908-1957.
    • McCormick, Robert Rutherford, 1880-1955.
    • Manion, Clarence, 1896-1979.
    • Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962.
    • Smith, James H.
    • Stevenson, Adlai E. (Adlai Ewing), 1900-1965.
    • Stuart, R. Douglas (Robert Douglas), 1886-1975.
    • Taft, Robert A. (Robert Alphonso), 1889-1953.
    • Tate, Ben E.
    • Vursell, Charles Wesley, 1881.
    • Welch, Robert 1899-1985.
    • Wood, Robert E., (Robert Elkington), 1879-1969.
    • America First Committee.
    • Art Institute of Chicago.
    • Associated Colleges of Illinois.
    • Chicago Historical Society.
    • Elgin National Watch Co.
    • Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States.
    • Illinois Institute of Technology.
    • Illinois Manufacturers' Association.
    • James C. King Home for Old Men.
    • John Birch Society.
    • Lawrenceville School.
    • Morkrum Company (Chicago, Ill.)
    • Morton Arboretum.
    • Morton Salt Company.
    • National Economic Council (U.S.)
    • Nebraska State Historical Society.
    • Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.). Medical School.
    • Princeton University.
    • Republican National Committee (U.S.). Industrial Division. 1936.
    • St. Luke's Hospital (Chicago, Ill.)
    • University of Chicago.
    • Western Electric Company.
  • Uniform Title Appeal to reason (Northfield, Mass.)
  • Subjects
    • Arbor Day.
    • Conservatism Societies, etc.
    • Conservatism United States.
    • Economics United States.
    • Elections United States.
    • Families Illinois Chicago 19th century.
    • Families Illinois Chicago 20th century.
    • Family corporations Illinois Chicago.
    • Industrial policy United States.
    • Industrialists Illinois Chicago 19th century.
    • Industrialists Illinois Chicago 20th century.
    • Industries Illinois Chicago.
    • Korean War, 1950-1953.
    • Legislators United States.
    • Manufactures Illinois.
    • Neutrality United States.
    • Oil fields Louisiana. See p.6.
    • Oil well drilling Kansas Barber County. Landon.
    • Philanthropists Illinois Chicago 19th century.
    • Philanthropists Illinois Chicago 20th century.
    • Political parties United States.
    • Presidents United States Election 1936.
    • Salt industry and trade United States.
    • Telecommunication equipment industry Illinois.
    • Teletype United States.
    • Voyages and travels.
    • World War, 1939-1945 United States.
    • Yachting Illinois Chicago.
  • Geographic coverage
    • Illinois Politics and government 1865-1950.
    • Illinois Politics and government 1951-
    • Lake Forest (Ill.) Social life and customs 20th century.
    • United States Economic conditions.
    • United States Foreign relations 20th century.
    • United States Politics and government 20th century.
  • Genre
    • Articles. aat
    • Correspondence. aat
    • Journals (Notebooks) chs
    • Logbooks.
    • Passports. aat
    • Scrapbooks. aat
    • Speeches. aat
  • Geographic name United States Illinois Cook County Chicago.