Peter H. B. Frelinghuysen Papers, 1952-1975

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Collection Overview

Creator:

Frelinghuysen, Peter H. B.

Title:

Peter H. B. Frelinghuysen Papers

Repository:

Public Policy Papers

Permanent URL:

http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/4j03cz67r

Dates:

1952-1975

Size:

181 boxes and 6 items

Storage Note:

ReCAP (scarcpph): Box 1-181

Language:

English

Abstract: The Peter H.B. Frelinghuysen Papers include correspondence, speeches, copies of legislation, notes, appointment books, and audio/visual material documenting Frelinghuysen's career as the United States House representative of New Jersey's 5th district from 1952 to 1975. The papers focus on his general House activities as well as his service on the Committee of Education and Labor, Committee on Foreign Relations, and United Nations General Assembly.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

The Peter H.B. Frelinghuysen Papers document his career as the United States House representative of New Jersey's 5th district from 1952 to 1975. The papers focus on his House activities, his service on the Committee of Education and Labor and Committee on Foreign Relations, as well as to his tenure on the United Nations General Assembly. Documents include correspondence, speeches, copies of legislation sponsored by Frelinghuysen, notes, appointment books, and audio/visual material (including photographs, tape recorded interviews, and film from television interviews).

Please see series descriptions in contents list for additional information about individual series.

Collection Creator Biography:

Frelinghuysen, Peter H. B.

Peter Hood Ballantine Frelinghuysen was born in New York City on January 17, 1916. He attended St. Mark's School at Southboro, Massachusetts and entered Princeton University in 1934. While at Princeton he majored in history, was a member of Terrace Club, and graduated with High Honors in 1938. After receiving his law degree from Yale Law School in 1941, he served in the Office of Naval Intelligence. Upon leaving the Navy he worked with the law firm of Simpson, Thacher, and Bartlett in addition to directing the family banking and investment business. He served on the Hoover Commission in 1948 to study reorganization of the Executive Branch before being elected to Congress.

Frelinghuysen was elected to the House of Representatives in 1952 and represented New Jersey's 5th district until his retirement in 1975. He garnered the reputation as an "Eisenhower Republican" while advocating governmental reform and cooperation between the executive and legislative branches of government. Frelinghuysen also championed economic investment in Southeast Asia throughout the 1950s. Increasingly he voted to limit spending and tighten the budget. In 1964, he fought, to no avail, to include socially liberal planks in the Republican platform. Locally, he was interested in flood control, the consequences of rapid growth, and finding a site for a New Jersey jetport.

In 1965, House Minority Leader Gerald Ford nominated Frelinghuysen as his choice for minority whip, the second most powerful position in the Republican House leadership. He lost the confirmation vote in a secret ballot, however. His House committee assignments included tenures on the Committee on Education and Labor (1953-1964) and on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (1965-1974). He served on the United Nations General Assembly in 1965.

Frelinghuysen married Beatrice Procter in 1940. They had three sons, Peter, Rodney, and Frederick and two daughters, Beatrice and Adaline. Rodney currently represents New Jersey's 11th district in the House of Representatives.

Collection History

Acquisition:: Gift of Peter H. B. Frelinghuysen, January 21, 1975 .
Appraisal: Portions of constituent correspondence, invitations, published books, and material related to the Judiciary Committee and Watergate were separated in 1993. Duplicate copies of printed reports to Congress and newspaper clippings were separated during processing in 2008.
Processing Information: This collection was processed by Casey Babcock in January and February 2008. Finding aid written by Casey Babcock in February 2008.

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.

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