Archives West Finding Aid
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Edward Philip McKean-Smith collection of presidential autographs , 1783-1981
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- McKean-Smith, Edward Philip
- Title
- Edward Philip McKean-Smith collection of presidential autographs
- Dates
- 1783-1981 (inclusive)
- Quantity
- 0.25 linear feet, (1 container) : 1 half manuscript box
- Collection Number
- CA M193
- Summary
- A collection of presidential autographs originally donated in 1956 by Edward Philip McKean-Smith, a local business man from Coos Bay, Oregon. The collection consists of signatures from every president from George Washington to Ronald Reagan.
- Repository
-
University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
UO Libraries--SCUA
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene OR
97403-1299
Telephone: 5413463068
spcarref@uoregon.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open to the public.
Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room.
- Additional Reference Guides
-
See the Current Collection Guide for detailed description and requesting options.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
The collection was originally donated by Edward Philip McKean-Smith, a local business man from Coos Bay, Oregon. Collecting presidential signatures was a hobby of McKean-Smith, and he had accumulated a small collection that consisted of letters from President George Washington to Harry S. Truman. He donated his collection to Special Collections and University Archives in 1956, and made subsequent donations as he collected more signatures. Other signatures were removed from their original collections in UO's Special Collections and processed into the McKean-Smith's collection, such as the papers of Wayne L. Morse and William T. Faricy.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
A collection of letters, certificates, affidavits, and autographs from every president from George Washington to Ronald Reagan. Letters from George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison include links to National Archive transcripts. Items of notable interest include a signed affidavit from Abraham Lincoln during his time as a lawyer, a letter from Theodore Roosevelt about his poor opinion of Woodrow Wilson, and a letter from Lyndon B. Johnson to Wayne Morse after Johnson's heart attack in 1955.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Finding aid prepared by University of Oregon Libraries, Archivists' Toolkit Project Team. Revised by Paige Kosa, 2020.
c2010
