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Charles Linza McNary papers, 1874-1988

Overview of the Collection

Creator
McNary, Charles Linza, 1874-1944
Title
Charles Linza McNary papers
Dates
1874-1988 (inclusive)
1874-1944 (bulk)
Quantity
5 cubic feet, (3 document cases, 6 flat boxes, 2 reels microfilm)
Collection Number
Mss 2749
Summary
Documents, correspondence, scrapbooks, and ephemera relating to the public service and personal life of U.S. Senator Charles Linza McNary of Oregon.
Repository
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English
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Biographical Note

Charles Linza McNary (1874-1944) served on the Oregon Supreme Court from 1913-1915, and as a U.S. senator from Oregon (1917-1944). He was the Senate Minority Leader from 1933-1944. In 1940, he ran for U.S. president, and later that year became the Republican vice presidential candidate, although he was unsuccessful. During his political career, McNary assisted in passing legislation that facilitated construction of the Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River, and served on the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry.

McNary was married twice, first to Jessie Breyman (1876-1918) until her death. He remarried, to Cornelia W. Morton (died 1966). In 1935, they adopted a daughter, Charlotte.

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Content Description

This collection of papers of and relating to Charles L. McNary consists of professional documents, correspondence, and ephemera; family materials, primarily correspondence; and scrapbooks. Evidence of McNary's work as a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, in addition to his support for construction of the Bonneville Dam, can be found among the scrapbooks and professional documents, which include reports from the Federal Farm Board and the Farmers National Grain Corporation. Microfilm in the collection consists of copies of the scrapbooks from 1918-1944.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

Charles Linza McNary papers, Mss 2749, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Restrictions on Use

The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into three series:

  • Series 1: Professional papers
  • Series 2: Family papers
  • Series 3: Scrapbooks

Acquisition Information

Gifts of Charlotte M. Limerick in December 1986 (Lib. Acc. 18013), April 1988 (Lib. Acc. 18742), and April 2009 (Lib. Acc. 26747).

Processing Note

Collection includes material previously designated Mss 2749-1. Covers from many of the reports in Series 1 were excessively soiled, and were removed and discarded during processing. Covers of two of the scrapbooks in Series 3 were removed and discarded during initial processing due to mold.

Collection guide was revised in August 2023 to correct errors and conform to current standard.

Related Materials

Other materials of or relating to the McNary family at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library include: Charles Linza McNary papers, Mss 2749; Charles L. McNary letter to J. Tracy Barton, Mss 1500; Charles McNary speech accepting vice presidential nomination, SR 1182, which is available online in OHS Digital Collections; and a vertical file, Genealogy - McNary family.

Related Materials

Additional papers of Charles Linza McNary are held at the University of Oregon Library Special Collections, Ax 049, Eugene, Oregon, and at the Library of Congress, 0625X, Washington, D.C.

Separated Materials

Photographs were separated to Org. Lot 819, a collection of photographs of Charles L. McNary and his family, at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

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Detailed Description of the Collection