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James Watson Gerard Papers, 1750-1955

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Gerard, James Watson, 1867-1951
Title
James Watson Gerard Papers
Dates
1750-1955 (inclusive)
Quantity
273.5 linear feet, 7 oversize volumes, 13 oversize boxes, and 1 roll of microfilm
Collection Number
Mss 045
Summary
This collection contains personal and professional papers, photographic materials, and scrapbooks generated and/or collected by James W. Gerard. These materials present a substantial documentation of Gerard's activities as Ambassador to Germany leading up to World War I, American Democratic Party activist, New York City philanthropist, and international mining industry investor.
Repository
University of Montana, Mansfield Library, Archives and Special Collections
Archives and Special Collections
Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library
University of Montana
32 Campus Dr. #9936
59812-9936
Missoula, MT
Telephone: 406-243-2053
library.archives@umontana.edu
Access Restrictions

Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of Archives and Special Collections, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, and the University of Montana--Missoula.

Languages
English, German
Sponsor
Funding for preparing this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historic Publications and Records Commission. Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Historical Note

James Watson Gerard was born August 25, 1867 at Geneseo, New York. He received his AB and AM degrees from Columbia University in 1890 and 1891 respectively. In 1892 he received his LL. B. from New York Law School and was admitted to the New York bar. He entered practice with Bowers and Sands, a firm founded by his paternal grandfather, and became a partner in 1899.

He was interested in politics and in 1907 was elected an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York. He resigned before the end of his term to accept an appointment from President Woodrow Wilson as United States Ambassador to Germany in 1913. After World War I began his duties increased, and he was entrusted with the interests of Great Britain, Japan, Serbia, Romania, and San Marino. The German government asked him to leave in January 1917. He left the following month and retired from diplomatic service the following July.

Gerard returned to private law practice but retained his interest in Democratic politics. He played a leading role in the nomination of Franklin D. Roosevelt as the Democratic candidate for President in 1932 and served several terms as treasurer for the Democratic National Committee and as chairman of the Democratic Finance Committee.

He wrote three books: My Four Years in Germany (1917), Face to Face with Kaiserism (1918), and My First Eighty-Three Years in America (1951).

Gerard married Mary Daly, daughter of Marcus Daly, in 1901. During his lifetime he maintained an interest in the Montana properties and investments of the Daly family, and had a ranch of his own north of Hamilton, Montana. He died September 6, 1951, in New York City.

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Content Description

This collection contains personal and professional papers, photographic materials, and scrapbooks generated and/or collected by James W. Gerard. These materials present a substantial documentation of Gerard's activities as Ambassador to Germany leading up to World War I, American Democratic Party activist, New York City philanthropist, and international mining industry investor. The bulk of the collection is general correspondence generated and received by James W. Gerard over the course of his adult life, including sequences of correspondence with many of the most prominent figures in international diplomacy, Democratic Party politics, and American popular culture from the first half of the 20th century. Generally, collection materials document the spectrum of Gerard's professional efforts, community activities, and personal interests. Correspondence, legal documents, and financial records in this collection evidence the details of Gerard's involvement with international diplomacy and business, national politics and social movements, localized civic endeavors and property ownership (particularly in New York City), as well as insights into the historical patterns of these subjects.

Materials in this collection document Gerard's rise to prominence as a New York State Supreme Court Justice, two-time U.S. Senate candidate, Ambassador to Germany, candidate for New York Governor, and a life-long Democratic Party leader/activist. Records are particularly detailed regarding Gerard's tumultuous service as U.S. Ambassador to Germany. Correspondence, writings, and newspaper clippings reveal Gerard's public opposition to German industrial and military policies under Kaiser Wilhelm II; the events behind his expulsion from Germany; and his lead role in rallying American popular support for United States entry into World War I to oppose German forces. These materials also document Gerard's concurrent efforts to promote his potential for elected office in the U.S. while serving as Ambassador. Materials in this collection reveal that after 1920 Gerard ceased active pursuit of elected office but accepted a central role in U.S. Democratic Party politics as a public speaker, fundraiser, consultant, and mass media contributor. Articles, radio scripts, clippings, and correspondence evidence Gerard's continuing concern for and involvement with international development and justice issues ranging from European reconstruction to Armenian war victims, and European-American Anti-Semitism to strengthening humane treatment protocols for prisoners of war.

Collection documents also record Gerard's multiple local and national civic affiliations such as the New York Dispensary, Kiwanis Club, the New York State Economic Council, the American Red Cross, the American Cancer Society, and C.A.R.E. (Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe). In addition to displaying Gerard's commitment to public service, these materials chronicle patterns in American civic issues throughout the first 50 years of the 20th Century. This collection also contains extensive financial, legal, and biographical records from the Gerard and Daly families, including investment documents, estate files, personal correspondence, and historical clippings. The photograph series contains materials extracted from the full spectrum of document categories and provide evidence for research into prisoner of war conditions during World War I, international industrial mining practices, and leisure activities among upper-class Americans.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes. Copyright not transferred to the University of Montana; retained by the Gerard family.

Preferred Citation

[Name of document or photograph number], James Watson Gerard Papers , Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana-Missoula.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collection is divided into eleven series:

Series I: Biographical, 2 folders, 1853-1955

Series II: Correspondence, 208.0 linear feet and 1 partial reel of microfilm, 1893-1955

Series III: Writings, 8.75 linear feet, ca. 1906-1951

Series IV: Legal and Financial, 22.25 linear feet, 1846-1955

Series V: Reports, 0.5 linear feet, 1902-1950

Series VI: Clippings, 1.0 linear foot and 1 partial reel of microfilm, 1750-1952

Series VII: Ephemera, 17 linear feet, 1901-1955

Series VIII: Cinco Minas Mining Company, 13.0 linear feet and 7 oversize volumes, 1897-1942

Series IX: Papers of Others,0.5 linear feet, 1914-1945

Series X: Photographs, 2.5 linear feet, 1908-1950

Series XI: Scrapbooks, 13 oversize boxes, 1914-1951

Custodial History

The bulk of the Gerard papers were held by the Gerard family in New York City following James Gerard’s death. They were acquired directly by the University of Montana.

Acquisition Information

Gift of the Gerard family, 1971 and 1993.

Processing Note

The collection was originally processed as two separate collections, LC 45 and LC 181; photographs were separated to the photograph collection, and the scrapbooks were Scrapbook Collection 18. In 2003, the collection was reprocessed and substantially redescribed; the four parts that had been separated in earlier processing were reunited as one collection.

Throughout this collection materials have been separated from their original association. In many cases archival staff conducted this process for preservation purposes; however, the intention and timing of other separations are unclear. As an example, many original invitations are attached to James Gerard's response yet other invitations were separated and placed in different folders far removed from Gerard's response. The purpose for separation, when imposed, is unknown and it is unclear whether or not separation occurred before or after collection materials were donated to the Mansfield Library. During 2003 reprocessing the existing organization was maintained to avoid further structural imposition onto the James Gerard Papers.

Related Materials

The Columbia University Oral History Research Office holds the transcript of an oral history Gerard did in 1950.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Finding aid prepared by Jennifer Lodine-Chaffey, Jennifer Rose, Jennifer Rusk, and Jack Rowan
2003

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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