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George B. McClellan Papers
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Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
A graduate of Princeton (Class of 1886), McClellan was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1895-1903), mayor of New York (1903-1909), and professor of economic history at Princeton (1912-1931). A renowned scholar of Venice, he authored a number of historical books about Italy.
The collection consists of works, correspondence, documents, photographs, scrapbooks, and miscellaneous material of McClellan reflecting his varied career. There are also many of his letters to his mother, Ellen Marcy McClellan. Works include the autograph manuscript of The Oligarchy of Venice (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1904), as well as essays--many about Italy--poetry, speeches (1902-1921), and lecture notes and notebooks for his course on economic history (1912-1930). Documents include wills, memoranda of agreement, and diplomas of the McClellan family (1872-1935), bills to reorganize the army before the House of Representatives (1890-1900), awards to firemen, a veto of a bill to regulate and improve railroad terminals and approaches of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroads in New York City (1893-1917), and honorable discharges and appointments to the regular forces as well as to the Officers Reserve Corps of the U.S. Army (1886-1940). There are photographs and photograph albums, medals and souvenirs of McClellan's political career such as campaign rosettes, and printed material including bound copies of his Spencer Trask (1907) and Stafford Little Lectures (1909), both delivered at Princeton.
The collection also contains some papers of McClellan's father, General George Brinton McClellan (1826-1885), including speeches (1836-1878), correspondence (1861-1888), documents, and miscellaneous material. In addition, there are photographs and photograph albums of McClellan and his wife, army officers, Mathew B. Brady Civil War scenes, and Florence, Italy.
Organized into two series: Series 1: General George Brinton McClellan and Series 2: Mayor George B. McClellan
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Folder inventory prepared by Feng Zhu '2014 in 2012.
People
Organization
Subject
- Economic history -- Study and teaching -- New Jersey -- Princeton -- 20th century
- Mothers and sons -- New York (State) -- New York -- 19th century
- Municipal government -- New York (State) -- New York -- 20th century
- Politicians -- New York (State) -- New York -- 20th century
Place
- Publisher
- Manuscripts Division
- Finding Aid Date
- 2002
- Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research use.
- Use Restrictions
-
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Collection Inventory
Consists of the papers of General George Brinton McClellan, including writings, correspondence, photographs, and clippings.
This series is arranged into four subseries: Writings, Correspondence, Miscellaneous Clippings and Papers, and Photographs.
Physical Description9 boxes
Consists of the speeches of General George Brinton McClellan.
Not arranged according to any arrangement scheme.
Physical Description1 box
1 folder
Consists of the correspondence of General George Brinton McClellan, primarily to his mother and commanding officer and also includes correspondence from Grover Cleveland.
Arranged by correspondence.
Physical Description1 box
To commanding officers in Virginia, and to his mother.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
Including from Grover Cleveland
Physical Description1 folder
Consists of miscellaneous papers and memos.
Not arranged according to any arrangement scheme.
Physical Description1 box
2 folders
Consists of photographs and albums related to General George Brinton McClellan.
Arranged by genre of material.
Physical Description8 boxes
2 boxes
6 boxes
Consists of the papers of Mayor George B. McClellan, including writings, correspondence, documents, and printed matter.
This series is arranged into five subseries: Writings, Correspondence, Documents, Other printed material, and Miscellaneous.
Physical Description21 boxes
Consists of the writings of Mayor George B. McClellan, including poems, essays, speeches, lectures, and articles.
Not arranged according to any arrangement scheme.
Physical Description5 boxes
2 folders
Includes "Tourist Italy", "Italy as Victor", "The Italian General Election", and two other untitled essays.
Physical Description1 folder
Includes "The Mayor", "To Muriel, St. Valentine's Day 1906", "To Muriel", "To One Who Fumbled", 4 poems entitled "A Sonnet" and 8 untitled poems.
Physical Description1 folder
Including press release on McClellan's nomination for Mayor of New York City, mounted newspaper clippings of speech on Democrat unity.
Physical Description1 folder
Including speech to Graduates of Fordham University, Dedication of Water Tower at Brown's Station NY, speech to Annual Convention of the National Education Association, Spencer Trask Lecture at Princeton delivered on March 8 1907, Cleveland Memorial Meeting, speech concerning publication of Deutsch-Amerika. speech to W. W. Keen Surgical Society.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
Including article for The Youth's Companion
Physical Description1 folder
3 folders
2 folders
Includes bound copy of Spencer Trask lecture given at Princeton University, March 8 1907, entitled "The Impulse and the Law", and bound copy of Oration delivered at Mendelssohn Hall, NYC, February 29 1908, entitled "Augustus Saint Gaudens".
Physical Description1 folder
Includes 6 bound copies of Lectures delivered March 22 and March 29, 1909 entitled "Principles in Politics", and 5 bound copies of Lectures delivered December 9 and December 16, 1909 entitled "Present Day Legislation".
Physical Description2 folders
1 folder
1 folder
1 box
Consists of the correspondence of Mayor George B. McClellan.
Arranged by correspondent.
Physical Description2 boxes
1 box
1 folder
Includes correspondence from following correspondents: American Academy in Rome; the American Red Cross; American Relief Committee for German Children, Inc.; American Italian Union; Anawanda Club; Anderson, H. James, M.D; "American"; Atkins, Anne; Aztec Club of 1847; Berryman, Clifford K.; Berton, Mimi; Bewer, Dr. Everett E; Blashfield, Edwin Howland; Borie, C.L., Jr.; Brand, C.H.; Bringmann, George B; Buell, Raymond Leslie; Buffalo Specialty Co.; Century Club; Church Layman's Association; Cincinnati, Society of the; Conan, Joseph P.; Coolidge, President Calvin (written by his secretary Everett Sanders); Copeland, Royal S.; Copulli, G.; Coudert, F.R.; Daily Princetonian; Davis, John W.; Delano, Frederic A.; New Jersey Department of Justice; Dixon, Professor Frank Haigh; Eden Hotel, Rome; Ferraros, Orestes (Cuban ambassador to the US); Fischer, Louis; Fisher, George Harrison; Harper and Bros. Pub. Co.; [Hellosgan], George; Hibben, John Grier; Hillprecht, Herman V.; Historical Publications Society; Hollis, Grace Bruerton; Hylan, John F. Also includes some replies from McClellan.
Physical Description1 folder
Includes correspondence from following correspondents: Isherwood, Howard; Italian Ambassador; the Italy-America Society; the Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia; Jhne, Dr. von; Mrs. Johnson; the Henry B. Joy Historical Research; Kaltenborn, H.V; Kountze, A.; La Farge, Christopher Grant; Lafayette Camp No. 140; La Guardia, Firorello Henry; Langan, Agnes; Larned, J.S. Blair; Lewis, Wilmott; Library of Congress; Lindsay, Elizabeth; Lunn, George R.; Lyons, Rev. William. Also includes some replies from McClellan.
Physical Description1 folder
Includes correspondence from following correspondents: Mackay, Clarence H.; MacKay, R.A.; Macmahon, Arthur W.; Macmillan Publishing Co.; Duc de Madrid; Make Europe Pay War Debts Committee; Manjoney, Phillip, M.D.; Markens, Isaac; Maurice; McClellan, Ellen; McClellan, Thomas; McClure, Grace; McGehee, Charles C.; McReynolds, J.C.; Metropolitan Club; the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Merriman, Thaddeus; Miller, Jennie Wright; Mitchell, William D.; Monfried, Walter; Moore, Charles; Moses, George H.; Myers, William Starr; National Portrait Gallery; Nelson, Dr. Herbert C.; New York City Art Commission; New York "Evening Post"; New York Historical Society; Noyes, Frank B.; O'Brien, John P.; Olvany, George W. Also includes some replies from McClellan.
Physical Description1 folder
Includes correspondence from following correspondents: Padilla, Alejandro; Palmer, S.P.; Pan American Commercial Congress; Parks, Leighton; Payne, John Barton; Peeson, James B.; Pershing, John J.; Peter, Jeanne, and Peter, Marie; Pfaffer, Joseph Suitner; Phillips, Duncan; Phillips, Marjorie; Pichetto, Stephen S.; Por, Odon; Porter, FitzJohn; Prentice, Maria; Princeton University; Purdy, Lawson; Putnam, Herbert; Radder, Norman J.; Redding, Kiddle and Greely, Counselors at Law; Ridder, Bernard H.; Ridder, Victor F.; Ridgway, Robert; Robbins, Edmund X.; Roberts, Alton T.; Roberts, Owen J.; Robinson, Edward; Roosevelt, President Franklin D.; Royal Historical Society; Russo, Salvatore V.H.; St. James Hotel, D'Albany Hotel; Saint John's Church (Washington, D.C.); Samorini, Dr. Arnaldo A.; Sargent, Helen Louise; Sawyer, Joseph W.; Charles Scribner's Sons Publishing Co.; Office of Selectmen Assessors and Overseers of Poor; Shear, T. Leslie; Shepherd, Sarah Clifford; Slattery, Charles L; Smith, Alfred E.; Citizen's Committee for the Re-Election of Smith, Alfred E.; Smith, J. Waldo; Smithsonian Institute; Société Des Amis du Louvre; Speyer and Company; State Department; Stationers Association of New York, The; Stewart, John A.; Stokes, Anson Phelps; Straus, Oscar S.; Straus, Roger W.; Supreme Court of the United States. Also includes some replies from McClellan.
Physical Description1 folder
Includes correspondence from following correspondents: Thrasher, Roy; Thorne, Samuel; George Washington Memorial Parkway Fund, Inc.; Watson, Roy G.; Weech, Gladys B.; West, Andrew A.; Winlock, H.E. Also includes some replies from McClellan.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
Includes 23 letters.
Physical Description2 folders
Dated 1888 (11 letters); 1889 (27 letters); 1891 (30 letters); 1893 (3 letters); 1894 (7 letters); 1899; 1908 (2 letters); 1912.
Physical Description6 folders
1 folder
Consists of bills, receipts, family wills, and documents pertaining to the House of Representatives, New York City, and the military.
Arranged by genre of material.
Physical Description1 box
3 folders
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Consists of printed material, including books, articles, periodicals, memos, invitations, programs, engravings, and floorplans.
Not arranged according to any arrangement scheme.
Physical Description3 boxes
1 folder
Copy of book owned by George B. McClellan Jr.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
Includes various scrapbooks, programs, memoriams, dinner invitations, notes, blank stationery, calling cards, Reunions material, postcards and other souvenirs.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
Commemorative photo pamphlet
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
2 folders
1 folder
1 box
Consists of photographs, daguerreotypes, scrapbooks, and miscellaneous memorabilia.
Arranged by genre of material.
Physical Description10 boxes
2 boxes
1 box
2 boxes
Includes McClellan's Diploma from the Tammany Society of the Columbian Order, 1891, various medals, pins and buttons.
Physical Description5 boxes