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Ivy Baker Priest papers, 1889-1975

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Priest, Ivy Baker, 1905-1975
Title
Ivy Baker Priest papers
Dates
1889-1975 (inclusive)
Quantity
22 linear feet, (56 boxes)
Collection Number
MS 0163
Summary
The Ivy Baker Priest papers (1889-1975) document the career of this U. S. Treasurer and California State Treasurer and are concerned primarily with national and California political issues. A Utah native, Priest (1905-1975) was active in Republican party activities, was an unsuccessful Utah congressional candidate in 1934 and 1950, and served on Utah's Women's Legislative Council.
Repository
University of Utah Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library
University of Utah
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, UT
84112-0860

Telephone: 8015818863
special@library.utah.edu
Access Restrictions

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Some original items have been removed and placed in Reserve. Access must be given by the Manuscripts Curator and by appointment. An archivist must remain with the items if being used. Photocopies are available in the collection for research use.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

Ivy Maude Baker was born to a Utah mining family in Kimberly on September 7, 1905. From Kimberly the family moved to Coalville, Utah and finally, in 1911, to Bingham Canyon and the copper mines. Mrs. Clara Fernley Baker, an English emigrant, was active in local political affairs. It was through her mother that the young Ivy became interested in politics.

Educated in the Utah public school system, Ivy went to grammar school in Bingham, and graduated from Jordan High School in 1924. She had no further formal schooling although she later took some extension courses through the University of Utah. After her appointment as U. S. Treasurer Ivy received honorary doctorate degrees from Elmira College in New York, Rider College in New Jersey and Bryant College in Rhode Island.

After her marriage to Harry Howard Hicks on July 31, 1924, she went to North Carolina, his native state. Separated after four years, Ivy returned to Utah where she later learned Harry had been killed in an airplane crash.

With the onset of the depression and her father's mine-related illness, Ivy helped support the family. Working as a telephone operator she was gradually advanced to a supervisor. Later she worked for Auerbachs as a model and a merchandiser. It was during these depression years she also taught citizenship night-school classes for emigrants.

At the urging of her mother, a force to be reckoned with in the local Republican party, Ivy became actively involved in politics. She ran for a seat in the Utah State House of Representatives in 1934. The campaign was unsuccessful, however, she was elected to be the co-chairman of the Young Republican Organization for eleven western states for a two-year term.

Roy Fletcher Priest and Ivy Baker were married for twenty-four years, from December 1935 until his death in 1959. Shortly after their marriage they settled in Bountiful, Utah, where Ivy continued her activities on behalf of the Republican party. Moving through the grass-roots establishment while raising their three children, Ivy was finally elected as Utah Representative to the Republican National Committee. She served in this capacity from 1944 to 1953.

In 1950 Ivy ran for a seat in the U. S. House of Representatives against incumbent Reva Beck Bosone. The campaign never disintegrated into the predicted "cat-fight," nor was the spectre of communism raised. As the only national campaign between two women, the election received wide-spread publicity. Ivy Baker Priest was defeated but had gained national attention. As an Eisenhower supporter early in the campaign, Ivy was appointed to by the Assistant Chairman of the 1952 Eisenhower Committee in charge of the Women's Division. Following the successful campaign President Eisenhower nominated Priest for the position of U. S. Treasurer. Her appointment was confirmed and she took office on January 28, 1953. During her eight years as Treasurer, Ivy spent much of her time on speaking tours to promote Savings Bond sales or discuss finances and the Treasury.

With the election of John F. Kennedy in 1960, Ivy resigned her position and returned to private life. Both daughters were living in California at that time, and Ivy returned to the West to take up residence in California. On June 20, 1961 Ivy married Sidney William Stevens, a prominant realtor.

Defeating incumbent Democratic State Treasurer, Bert Battes, in 1966 Ivy became the first woman elected to a California high constitutional office. She was re-elected to a second term by a 1.2 million vote margin in 1970.

The death of her son Roy in a boating accident in May of 1971 and the loss of her husband, Sidney, less than a year later combined with the discovery that she was suffering from cancer caused Ivy to retire without seeking a third term as State Treasurer in 1974.

At her death in June of 1975 she was remembered not only for her political activities, but also her lifetime of public service. She was involved in the National Safety Council and the National Society for Crippled Children and Adults as well as local California chapters of these groups. Ivy belonged to the Business and Professional Women's Club, the Women's Advertising Club of Washington, Beta Sigma Phi, and Delta Zeta. As a member of the Soroptomist Club she once received the national association's Women's Achievement Award. The Women's National Press Club also presented her with an Achievement Award. She also received the nomination of the Women's Newspaper Editors and Publishers Association for one of America's twenty most outstanding women.

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Content Description

The Ivy Baker Priest papers (1889-1975) are concerned with national or California issues because Priest spent most of her public career outside her native Utah. Some of the personal materials, her Utah campaigns, and a few newsclippings are all that can be directly related to Utah.

Divided into five major parts, the overall collection is arranged chronologically. The first part contains the personal materials including an autobiography and family related items. Second and largest, is the section from her years as U. S. Treasurer (1953-1961). The third portion is a compilation of her speeches, both complete and fragments. Political materials, including a few items from her Utah campaigns, the campaigns for California State Treasurer and items dealing with the Republican party, comprise the fourth major division. The final portion of the collection consists of newspaper clippings, certificates and scrapbooks.

Ivy Baker Priest's autobiography, Green Grows Ivy, is filed with the personal materials. Included are drafts, notes, correspondence and a finished, autographed volume. The correspondence contains letters about publication and promotion of the book, as well as congratulatory messages and requests for autographed copies. The anecdotes, notes and drafts are the work of either Ivy, or Alfred Toombs, the ghostwriter.

Biographical sketches, birth certificates, passports, religious materials, correspondence about a 1956 trip to Greece, items related to Mrs. Priest's illness and death, and engraved invitations are a few examples of the type of miscellanea which make up the personal section. Financial records include information about the leasing of the Indiana farm left to Ivy at the death of her husband, Roy; stocks; bonds; and a wide variety of bills. Medical insurance claims are also filed here.

The family portion of the personal section includes correspondence to and from Ivy, especially a large number of letters to her son Roy, filed alphabetically. Other items such as daughter Patricia's college finances and Roy's involvement with the Riverside Symphony Orchestra are also arranged alphabetically. Missionary journals dated 1901 to 1903 kept by Ivy's father Orange Decatur Baker, are filed with letters from his family dated between 1889 and 1902.

One-third of the collection concerns the years 1953 to 1961 when Ivy Baker Priest was U. S. Treasurer. Correspondence from this period is divided into two parts. The first, filed alphabetically, is semipersonal correspondence not directly related to her position as Treasurer. Included are letters from individuals prominent in business or politics, like Conrad Hilton, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and personal friends. The second part of the correspondence is related to general Treasury Department business. The alphabetical section includes letters from clubs and individuals concerned with a variety of topics. Letters such as requests, recommendations or thank-you letters are organized chronologically within each category.

While she was Treasurer, Priest was involved with organizations like the National Council and a number of groups dealing with crippled children. Correspondence, news releases, business bulletins, lists and other items concerning these groups are filed alphabetically by subject.

Speeches by the Secretary of the Treasury, the Under Secretary, Assistant Secretaries and other department members have been filed alphabetically in the section dealing with the Department of the Treasury. Ivy Baker Priest's nomination and confirmation, official correspondence, information about routine business and the savings bond program are also included in this section.

Articles written by and about Ivy Priest while Treasurer are filed alphabetically by name of publication. A partial list of those articles is included. Correspondence about her radio and television appearances has been organized chronologically.

As Treasurer one of Priest's duties was promotion of Savings Bonds. She was also often asked to be a guest speaker for many types of functions. Correspondence arranging these programs has been filed chronologically. Included in the file are schedules from 1953 to 1960, a record of honorariums from 1954 to 1960, and chronological and alphabetical indexes. A note has been made of those engagements where a speech is included in the collection.

Speeches with known dates have been filed chronologically, all others are arranged alphabetically by subject. Speeches too incomplete to determine a subject have been filed together. An alphabetical and chronological index is included with the dated speeches. Indication has been made as to which speeches have related correspondence in the Speaking Engagements files.

Handwritten drafts by speech writer Edmund Gesiak have been filed together alphabetically by speech title. The last portion of the speech file contains background material like speeches by others, pamphlets, quips, and quotes. These are arranged in folders according to type of item.

Ivy Baker Priest's election campaigns and materials about the Republican party comprise the political division of the collection. The Utah years are represented by a calling-card from the 1934 campaign for Utah House of Representatives, her 1939 attempt to get a minimum wage law for women and children as a member of the Women's Legislative Council, and campaign materials from the 1950 race against Reva Beck Bosone for United States House of Representatives.

Under the heading of California State Treasurer, there are two parts, the campaign and the non-campaign materials. The 1966 and 1970 campaigns are filed separately but with the same general order. All correspondence has been arranged alphabetically. Brochures, literature, press releases, endorsements, name lists, general correspondence, and similar material has been filed first. The section on campaign financing includes reports from the public relations firm and the certified public accountant as well as contribution letters. Following the messages of congratulations are materials such as polls and tabulated election results. Invitations, programs and guest lists for the inauguration following each successful campaign are filed last. Due to Mrs. Priest's decision to retire the 1974 campaign consists of correspondence and invitations to fund-raising testimonial dinners held in 1973. There is also correspondence in which the refunded monies are re-donated to Ivy personally.

The one box of non-campaign materials includes chronological correspondence, recommendations, treasury office business, information about dinners given for Ronald Reagan, speaking invitations, reports from the treasurer, correspondence with California Republican groups and information about Ivy Baker Priest's retirement. There are also other miscellaneous items from the period 1966 to 1975 filed here.

The final portion of the political division concerns Republican groups and individuals. These are filed with groups first in roughly chronological order. They include two Utah groups, a number of national organizations and information on the national conventions. Arranged alphabetically, the individual folders contain speeches and some correspondence. A final section has miscellaneous material related to the Republican party, such as information on the Lincoln celebrations through the years 1953 to 1959.

Three boxes and fourteen scrapbooks are filled with newspaper clippings about Ivy Baker Priest, dated from 1940 to 1975. They are arranged chronologically by year. Undated clippings and those about family members are in a separate box filed alphabetically.

The seventy-one certificates date from 1920 to 1974. Included are her diplomas from school, honorary memberships, certificates of appreciation, and California certificates of election. These are filed chronologically with the most recent on top. Included with the certificates is a chronological listing.

Click here to view digitized materials from the collection or visit ArchivesSpace for an container level list of digitized materials.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library's Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.

Preferred Citation

Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.

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Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

Gifts of daughters Nancy P. Valenzuela and Patricia P. Jensen, 1979.

Processing Note

Processed by Marlene Lewis in 1979.

Click here to read a statement on harmful language in library records.

Separated Materials

See also the Ivy Baker Priest photograph collection (P0163) in the Multimedia Division of Special Collections.

Related Materials

Forms part of the Aileen H. Clyde 20th Century Women's Legacy Archives.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Children with disabilities--Care--United States
  • Political Campaigns--California--1966--Archives
  • Savings bonds--United States--20th century
  • Women political candidates--Utah--20th century--Archives
  • Women politicians--California--20th century--Archives

Personal Names

  • Eisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David), 1890-1969--Correspondence
  • Eisenhower, Mamie Doud, 1896-1979--Correspondence
  • Nixon, Richard M. (Richard Milhous), 1913-1994--Correspondence
  • Priest, Ivy Baker, 1905-1975--Archives
  • Priest, Ivy Baker, 1905-1975--Correspondence
  • Priest, Ivy Baker, 1905-1975--Family--Archives

Corporate Names

  • California. Office of the State Treasurer--Officials and employees--Archives
  • National Society for Crippled Children and Adults--Records and correspondence
  • United States. Department of the Treasury
  • United States. Office of the Treasurer--Officials and employees--Archives

Form or Genre Terms

  • Autobiographies
  • Biographies
  • Business correspondence
  • Campaign speeches
  • Certificates
  • Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
  • Financial records
  • Manuscripts
  • Personal correspondence
  • Photocopies
  • Press releases
  • Scrapbooks
  • Speeches

Finding aid prepared by Marlene Lewis.
1979 (last modified: 2019)

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