Contents and Arrangement
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Subseries 1A: Alphabetical Correspondence, 1917-1949

57 boxes
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Collection Overview

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

The Alphabetical Correspondence subseries is composed of correspondence between Forrestal and military commanders, congressmen and other United States government officials, and industry executives. Other correspondents included journalists, lawyers, and the general public. Many of the correspondents wrote to Forrestal on behalf of sons, friends, or constituents who desired Forrestal's aid in obtaining a position in the Navy or to serve Forrestal in some other manner. Other letters include requests for Forrestal to speak, letters of support or congratulations for his efforts as secretary, Christmas and birthday greetings, and the arrangement of meetings. In Forrestal's correspondence with journalists, he reacted to their stories or suggested potential story topics. In his correspondence with military commanders, he typically discussed individual military personnel, offered congratulations on victories, and reacted (sometimes critically) to statements they made to the press. With congressmen, Forrestal generally discussed allocations to the Navy or his testimony before committees. With the general public, typical letters contain their comments or publications they thought might be of interest to Forrestal or encouragement about his progress, with Forrestal's responses, as well as their invitations to him to speak before their groups, which he generally declined.

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by correspondent.

Collection History

Appraisal

Duplicate materials have been separated from this collection.

Sponsorship:

These papers were processed with the generous support of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Adriane Hanson with the assistance of Clelia Douyon, Grace Haaland, Brandon Joseph, and Jamie LaMontagne in 2009. Finding aid written by Adriane Hanson in March 2009.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Phonograph recordings of speeches and television appearances by Forrestal are located in Boxes 180 and 181.

Credit this material:

Subseries 1A: Alphabetical Correspondence; James V. Forrestal Papers, MC051, Public Policy Papers, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Location:
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library
65 Olden Street
Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
(609) 258-6345
Storage Note:
  • ReCAP (rcpph): Box 1-57

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Existence and Location of Copies

FOR DIGITIZED CONTENT: The papers, with the exception of Series 6: Oversized Materials, have been digitized and may be viewed or downloaded through this finding aid. To view materials, navigate to a specific folder, rather than an entire series or subseries.

Related Materials

The Mudd Manuscript Library holds a number of collections related to World War II which may be accessed by selecting the subject "World War II" on the Princeton University Library Finding Aids Subject Browse Page. Collections of particular relevance to the James V. Forrestal Papers are the papers of Harold Gardiner Bowen, special assistant while Forrestal was Secretary of the Navy, and Ferdinand Eberstadt, an advisor to Forrestal throughout his military career.

Related collections at other institutions include the records of the Office of the Secretary of the Navy, the Department of the Navy, and the Secretary of Defense at the National Archives and a collection of Forrestal papers at the Naval Historical Center in Washington, D.C.

The Forrestal Diaries, edited by Walter Millis, was published in serial form in the New York Herald Tribune and in book form by Viking Press in 1951.

Bibliography

The following sources were consulted during the preparation of the biographical note: "Forrestal, James Vincent" by Jeffery M. Dorwart, American National Biography Online. www.anb.org (accessed January 14, 2009). "Forrestal, James V." biography from Current Biography, H.W. Wilson Company, 1948. "Forrestal Killed in 13-Story Leap; U.S. Mourning Set" by Walter H. Waggoner, The New York Times, May 23, 1949. "James V. Forrestal," U.S. Department of Defense biography. http://www.defenselink.mil (accessed January 14, 2009).

Names:
United States. Department of Defense
United States. Navy
Forrestal, James (1892-1949)