Montana Historical SocietyPhotograph Archives
Lot 004
Wheeler, Burton K. (Burton Kendall), 1882-1975
Burton Kendall Wheeler photograph collection
1909-1958
1 box
116 photographic prints
2 safety film negatives
Burton Kendall Wheeler (1882-1975) was a
United States Senator from Montana from 1923 until 1946. This collection
includes photographs of Wheeler, his wife and children, but primarily it
contains photographs taken of Wheeler's political and senatorial activities and
views of Wheeler with other senators and people connected with his career as a
United States Senator.
English
Burton Kendall Wheeler was born February 27, 1882, at Hudson,
Massachusetts. He graduated from the Hudson High School in 1900 and worked in
the Boston area. Wheeler attended the University of Michigan and received his
law degree from there in 1905.
In October 1905, Wheeler settled in Butte, Montana, and began work as
a clerk for an established lawyer. The following year, he started his own
practice. Wheeler married Lulu M. White, the daughter of John and Elizabeth
White, in Albany, Illinois, on September 7, 1907. They had six children: John
Leonard (b. 1909), Elizabeth Hale (b. 1912), Edward Kendall (b. 1915), Frances
L. (1919-1957), Richard (b. 1920), and Marion Montana (b. 1925).
In 1910 Wheeler was elected to serve in the Montana House of
Representatives as a Democrat from Silver Bow County. While in the legislature,
he supported the candidacy of Thomas J. Walsh for United States Senator. For
this support, Walsh arranged to have Wheeler appointed U.S. District Attorney
for Montana in 1913. He served in this capacity throughout World War I and was
the subject of much controversy for his actions in protecting the right of
dissent. He resigned in 1918 to avert a possible Walsh defeat.
In 1920 Wheeler was defeated by Joseph M. Dixon in a bitter campaign
for governor, but two years later, he was elected United States Senator. He
held this senate seat until his defeat in the primary election of 1946. In 1924
Wheeler ran as the vice-presidential candidate on the Progressive Party ticket
with Robert LaFollette.
During his senate career, Wheeler was a constant foe of the
"interests" and was chiefly responsible for the exposure and investigation of
graft in the Department of Justice (1924-1925). He was an early supporter of
Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal and served as chairman of the powerful
Senate Interstate Commerce Committee. However, in 1937, Wheeler broke with the
administration over Roosevelt's unsuccessful bid to "pack" the Supreme Court.
His opposition to Roosevelt was again of major importance when Wheeler became a
member of the America First Committee and supported non-involvement in the
European war, which began in 1939. Because Wheeler had widespread support in
the Democratic Party, he was considered a major contender for the presidential
nomination in 1940, until Roosevelt announced for a third term. He was strongly
considered as a running mate with Roosevelt that year, but refused to accept
the nomination. Wheeler again supported non-involvement in 1945-1946, when he
opposed the United Nations and loans to our allies after the war. After his
defeat for reelection to the United States Senate by Leif Erickson in the 1946
primary, Wheeler retired to private law practice in partnership with his son
Edward in Washington, D.C. Burton K. Wheeler died in 1975, at the age of
93.
The collection contains photographs of Burton K. Wheeler (1882-1975),
his wife and children, and photographs taken during Wheeler's political career,
mainly when he served as a United States Senator from Montana from 1923 until
1946. Of particular interest are photographs taken in 1928 when Wheeler was a
member of a senate committee investigating a coal miners' strike in
Pennsylvania. The collection also includes photographs of Wheeler's involvement
in numerous other political and senatorial activities and views of Wheeler with
his senate colleagues, miners' union leaders, and other people with whom he was
involved during his career as a United States Senator.
Many of the photographs in this collection are attributed to specific
photographers or photographic studios and lists of these photographers and/or
studios follow. However, numerous photographs are not attributed and are not
listed.
Photographs in the collection that are identified as the work of the
following photographers:
Acme Newspictures, Inc., N.Y., Chicago (13 photographs)
Allied News Photo (1 photograph)
Army Air Force Photo, Washington, D.C. (1 photograph)
Ernest Bihler (2 photographs)
Peter Brandt (1 photograph)
N. Cresswell, Kansas City, Missouri (2 photographs)
G. Felici, Rome (1 photograph)
Harris and Ewing, Washington, D.C. (4 photographs)
Cal Hartsook (2 photographs)
John Henderson (1 photograph)
International News Photos, Washington, D.C. (1 photograph)
Henry Miller, News Picture Service, Washington, D.C. (2
photographs)
Nomlas (3 photographs)
Philadelphia Record (1 photograph)
Publishers' Photo Service, N.Y. (1 photograph)
Reni Newsphoto Service (2 photographs)
Rideout Photos (1 photograph)
Schutz, Washington, D.C. (1 photograph)
Signal Corps, U.S. Army (1 photograph)
Southall Locke (2 photographs)
United Press International, N.Y. (1 photograph)
University of Michigan Photographic Services (1 photograph)
Charles Vierheller, Albany, N.Y. (1 photograph)
Wide World Photos (1 photograph)
F. Clyde Wilkinson (1 photograph)
The photographs are arranged by subject and organized into five
subject-based series: Series I. Burton K. Wheeler, Series II. Burton K. Wheeler
Family, Series III. Horses, Series IV. Men, and Series V. U.S. Senators.
Collection is open for research.
The Montana Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the
Photograph Archives collections and makes available reproductions for research,
publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the
Photograph Archives before any reproduction use. The Society does not
necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in its collections. In some
cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the
copyright owners.
Burton Kendall Wheeler photograph collection. Lot 004. [Box and folder
number.] Montana Historical Society Photograph Archives, Helena, Montana.
Acquisition information available upon request.
The photographs were transferred from the Archives, MC 34, in two
separate transfers, accessions PAc 78-38 and PAc 84-26. These two accessions
were combined to form this collection.
The collection was re-processed by Rebecca Kohl in 1995.
Two stereographs (one stereo of Burton K. Wheeler with his wife, Lulu,
and a dog, and another of Wheeler alone with a dog) by an unidentified
photographer were transferred to the stereograph collection. Two photographs of
Wheeler credited to the Library of Congress and one photograph of a painting of
Thomas Walsh were transferred to the Photograph Archives' Reference file.
See the Burton K. Wheeler papers, MC 34, for related manuscript
materials. Biographical information was taken from MC 34 biography.
This collection is indexed under the following headings. Researchers
desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search under
these terms.
Wheeler, Burton K. (Burton Kendall), 1882-1975.
Wheeler, Lulu White, 1883-1962.
United States. Congress. Senate.
United States--Politics and government.
Photographs.
Montana
Photographs
Political Campaigns
Detailed Description of the
Collection
Series I
Burton K. Wheeler
1 / 1
Burton K. Wheeler (includes view
of Wheeler seated at a desk with a telephone in his Butte law office when he
was the U.S. District Attorney, 1913-1918, and a portrait, undated)
1913-1918, undated
M—1
Burton K. Wheeler (seated near a
broadcasting microphone)
undated
M—2
Burton K. Wheeler
(portrait)
undated
M—3
Burton K. Wheeler
(portrait)
undated
M—4
Burton K. Wheeler standing in
front of a train and shaking hands with an unidentified man
1924
1 / 2
Burton K. Wheeler campaigning
for: Governor of Montana, 1920 (includes campaign speech from flag-decorated
wagon); for Vice President with Robert LaFollette, 1924 (includes views of
campaign emblem, and of A. B. Melzner, newspaper men Rodney Bean and Lowell
Mellett, B. K. and Mrs. Wheeler, Mr. Coffin, the Reverend Martin, F. Wallace
Doying and the black Pullman crew in front of a railroad car); for President,
1940 (includes views with his daughter Marion and at meeting of the National
Press Club with a group of potential presidential candidates including Paul V.
McNutt, Senator Arthur H. Vandenburg, Jesse Jones, Thomas E. Dewey, Robert
Jackson, Bruce Barton, Norman Thomas and Senator Bennett Champ
Clark)
1920, 1924, 1940
1 / 3
Burton K. Wheeler in Greece
(includes Athens and Eleusis)
1931
1 / 4
Burton K. Wheeler (includes view
taken standing near railroad train in New Mexico; studio portraits; and
portraits taken in office settings)
undated
1 / 5
Coal miners' strike investigation
(includes members of investigating committee: Senators Frank R. Gooding, Jesse
H. Metcalf, William B. Pine, Robert F. Wagner, and Burton K. Wheeler)
Pennsylvania
1928
1 / 6
Coal miners' strike
investigation (includes members of investigating committee: Senators Frank R.
Gooding, Jesse H. Metcalf, William B. Pine, Robert F. Wagner, and Burton K.
Wheeler; and Raef McDougal, black strike breaker) Coverdale,
Pennsylvania
1928
1 / 7
Burton K. Wheeler in radio
broadcast with Juan B. Sacasa, President of Nicaragua, 1926; with Jimmy Walker
and two other men at Jefferson Day Dinner, New York, 1930; radio broadcast with
officers of the Potomac Grange No. 1, including Mrs. Chester H. Gray, Miss
Jessie Ferguson, R. H. Elsworth, E. E., Reynolds, Chester H. Gray and Merrill
Sickles, undated; and with Senator Edwin Johnson, 1940
1926, 1930, 1940, undated
1 / 8
Burton K. Wheeler in mine union
activities with John L. Lewis (includes Lewis's daughter, 1940; and St. Louis
townsite meeting Dr. F. Townsend, undated)
1940, undated
1 / 9
News photographs of Burton K.
Wheeler's activities as a senator: Interstate Commerce Committee, 1938;
Wheeler's 58th birthday luncheon with Vice President John N. Garner Senators
George W. Norris, James E. Murray, Henry F. Ashurst and Harry F. Byrd, 1940;
talking with reporter Bill Hutchenson at the Democratic National Convention in
Chicago; leaving Resolutions Committee meeting with Senator Patrick McCarran,
1940; and at a luncheon at the American Newspaper Publishers' Association
convention, 1940
1938, 1940
1 / 10
News photographs of Burton K.
Wheeler's senate activities including the Senate Conscription debate, 1940; the
Lend-Lease Bill, 1941; the Pace Bill, 1943; and Wheeler celebrating his 64th
birthday, 1946 (includes Alben W. Barkley, Walter F. George, Prentiss Brown,
Ellison D. Smith, Warren G. Magnuson, Carl A. Hatch, and Joseph C.
O'Mahoney)
1940, 1941, 1943, 1946
1 / 11
Burton K. Wheeler with other
senators (includes Elmer Thomas, 1940; Robert A. Taft, undated; James
Wardsworth, William Langer, Arthur H. Vandenburg, Edwin Johnson, Clinton
Anderson, Carl A. Hatch, Joseph C. O'Mahoney, Robert M. LaFollette, Jr., Hugh
A. Butler, Wayne Morse, and Warren G. Magnuson, 1945)
1940, 1945, undated
1 / 12
Burton K. Wheeler with group,
including Blackfeet Indians and Evind D. Scoyen at the Glacier Park Hotel, East
Glacier, Montana, undated; with members of the military, the Interstate
Commerce Commission, and Federal Communications Commission, Washington National
Airport, 1945 (includes Frank H. Collins, J. J. Smetana, Edward Fancher, Frank
E. Stoner Edmund B. Craney, pilot Joseph E. Kimm, Senators Homer E. Capehart,
Ernest W. McFarland, Albert W. Hawkes, Paul Porter, J. R. Redman and Henry
Williams); with Ambassador Myron C. Taylor and other senators (including Homer
E. Capehart, Homer Ferguson, Albert W. Hawkes, Ernest W. McFarland) at the
Vatican after an audience with Pope Pius XII, 1945; with Edgar Morris and
Morton Downey at Chatter Box luncheon, 1946; with Edward Wheeler at Ray Baker's
wedding, 1949
1945, 1946, 1949, undated
1 / 13
Burton K. Wheeler with Edmund
Craney, Edward Wheeler and others at Federal Communications Bar Association
dinner, 1950; with Senators Ralph Owen Brewster, Gerald P. Nye, Harry Pullman
Cain, James Howard McGrath, and Scott Wike Lucas on a television panel, 1953;
with Bill Thatcher, President, and Lloyd Michels, Medicine Lake, Montana,
Vice-President of Farmers' Union Coop, undated; with Walter and John Tuohy,
1958
1950, 1953, 1958, undated
1 / 14
Burton K. Wheeler with Charles
Lindbergh at America First Rally, 1941; with unidentified men, undated
1941, undated
1 / 15
Butte dinner (includes Burton K.
and Lulu Wheeler, Sam Ford, Mary Ford, John Claxton, and others seated at
tables decorated with miniature U.S. flags)
undated
1 / 16
Burton K. Wheeler with University
of Michigan classmates
1904, 1955
1 / 17
Burton K. Wheeler fishing with
Roy Hart in Panama, 1929; with George Bairey (?) and unidentified man, circa 1954
1929, circa 1954
1 / 18
Burton K. Wheeler in Hollywood
(with Richard Green, actor Gary Cooper, Will Hays, Merle Oberon, Joe Skenk,
Edward and Marion Wheeler)
1938
Series II
Burton K. Wheeler
Family
1 / 19
Lulu White Wheeler (Mrs. Burton
K.) and John, 1909; Burton K. and Mrs. Wheeler with five of their children
Elizabeth (12 years old), John Leonard (14 years), Edward Kendall (9 years),
Frances L. (5 years), and Richard (4 years), 1924; Burton K., Betty (Mrs.
Richard Wheeler) and Ann Wheeler at Ann's wedding, undated; Burton K. and
Elizabeth Wheeler with unidentified man, undated
1909, 1924, undated
M—5
Lulu White Wheeler (portrait)
undated
Series III
Horses
1 / 20
"Senator Wheeler" race horse and Oscar Fredericks
1939
Series IV
Men
M—6
"Election eve conference" (group view of four men, including Chip Robert, Jim Farley, and Charles Michaelson)
1936 November 2
1 / 21
Jim Kilday
1949
Series V
U.S. Senators
1 / 22
Senators: George W. Norris and
R.C.W. Tobey at a banquet; Harry B. Hawes of Missouri and another man pointing
western style hand guns at each other in jest
undated