E. Frederic Morrow Papers

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  • Collection ID ARCHIVES 200011
  • Creator Names Morrow, E. Frederic (Everett Frederic), approximately 1906-1994.
  • Title Papers 1861-1996.
  • Physical description 25 linear feet.
  • Collection arrangement Materials are arranged into seven series, Biography and Family Records, White House Materials, Bank of America Records, Audiovisual Materials, Photographs, and Memorabilia.
  • Access and usage restrictions Available for research in the Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature, Carter G. Woodson Regional Library, Chicago Public Library.
  • Collection summary Best known as a member of President Eisenhower's White House staff, E. Frederic Morrow worked for the Urban League, the NAACP and CBS radio before joining Eisenhower's campaign in 1952. He served on the White House staff from 1955 through 1960 and wrote a memoir, Black Man in the White House. His papers include manuscripts, correspondence, photographs and memorabilia.
  • Biographical or Historical Note E. Frederic Morrow (1909-1994) was born in Hackensack, New Jersey where he attended public schools and later earned a B.A. at Bowdoin College in 1930. In 1935 Morrow joined the National Urban League as Business Manager of Opportunity magazine. Morrow became a field secretary for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1937. He travelled across the nation to foster membership growth and fund-raising. Morrow joined the U.S. Army in 1942 and was honorably discharged as a major in 1946. He earned his LLB and Juris Doctor Degrees at Rutgers University Law School in 1948. In 1950 Morrow joined the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) as a writer in its public affairs division. A longtime Republican, Morrow joined General Dwight D. Eisenhower's presidential campaign as an advisor and administrative assistant in 1952. In July 1953 he became an Advisor on Business Affairs in the Department of Commerce. Although Morrow resisted special responsibility for African American affairs, preferring to be recognized as a member of the general staff, he was assigned these duties in April 1958 Morrow was not officially sworn in as a member of the presidential staff until January 1959, and Eisenhower was unusually absent from the ceremony in order to avoid press attention to the delay. On September 14, 1957, Morrow married Catherine Louise Gordon. Upon leaving the White House, Morrow became Vice-President of the African-American Institute in New York. He also joined the Nixon presidential campaign during the fall of 1960. In 1964 Morrow was made an officer of Bank of America and later promoted to Senior Vice President, retiring in 1975. Morrow authored three books: Black Man in the White-House (1963), Way Down South Up North (1973), and Forty Years a Guinea Pig (1980).
  • Finding Aids Note Finding aid available in the Harsh Research Collection, Carter G. Woodson Regional Library, Chicago Public Library and on the library's web site.
  • Acquisition information Papers donated by Gordon Howell-Spaulding, nephew of E. Frederic Morrow, in October 2000.
  • Names
    • Morrow, E. Frederic (Everett Frederic), approximately 1906-1994 Archives.
    • Eisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David), 1890-1969 Sources.
    • Nixon, Richard M. (Richard Milhous), 1913-1994 Sources.
    • National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Sources.
    • White House (Washington, D.C.) Archives.
  • Subjects
    • African Americans Politics and government.
    • African American soldiers History.
    • African American authors.
    • World War, 1939-1945 Participation, African American.
    • Presidents United States Staff.
    • African Americans Illinois Chicago.
    • African Americans New Jersey Hackensack.
  • Finding aid URL http://www.chipublib.org/fa-e-frederic-morrow-papers/