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Senator J. Allen Frear, Jr. papers
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Held at: University of Delaware Library Special Collections [Contact Us]181 South College Avenue, Newark, DE 19717-5267
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Delaware Library Special Collections. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
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J. Allen Frear, Jr. (1903-1993) was a politician from Dover, Delaware (Kent County). A member of the Democratic Party, Frear served two terms as U.S. Senator from Delaware.
Joseph Allen Frear, Jr., was born on March 7, 1903, on Cypress Glen Farm near Rising Sun, Delaware. He was the youngest of three children born to Joseph Allen Frear and Clara Lowber Frear. Allen Frear attended Rising Sun Rural Elementary School and graduated from Caesar Rodney High School in June 1920. He attended Delaware College, which changed its name and status to the University of Delaware in the middle of his collegiate tenure. Frear was graduated from the University of Delaware in 1924 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Sciences. On February 11, 1933, Frear married Esther Viola Schauer of Hartford, Wisconsin, and settled in Dover. Their first child, Fred Frear, was born on April 19, 1934, and their second child, Clara Louise Frear, was born on November 15, 1942.
While residing in Dover, Frear owned and operated a retail store and pursued interests in banking and finance, serving on several regional committees. Frear was on the Board of Directors for the Federal Land Bank of Baltimore from 1938 to 1948, serving as chairman from 1946 to 1948. He also was a member of the boards of the Baltimore Trust Company (Camden, Maryland), the Farmers Bank of the State of Delaware, the Delaware Safety Council, the Delaware Blood Bank, and the University of Delaware. From 1947-1951, Frear served as president of the Board of Trustees of the Kent General Hospital in Dover. Additionally, Frear was a commissioner to Delaware State College from 1936 to 1941, the Old Age Welfare Board from 1937 to 1948, and Delaware State Hospital from 1946 to 1949.
J. Allen Frear, Jr., was commissioned as a captain in the Allied Military Government field, a Civil Service branch of the U.S. Army, in 1944. His military training was completed at Harvard University, after which he traveled to England for his overseas assignment. Frear entered Normandy, France, with the allied invasion forces on D-Day, and was afterwards promoted to the rank of Major. After the hostilities had come to an end in Europe in 1946, Frear was honorably discharged and returned to civilian life in Dover, Delaware.
Upon his return to Dover, Frear became an official member of the Officers' Reserve Corps, the American Legion, and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Frear, having been inducted into the Sigma Nu Fraternity and the Derelicts Society, an honorary society at the University of Delaware, maintained a strong sense of loyalty to fraternal orders throughout his life. He was a member of the Wilmington Rotary Club, the Delaware Grange, the Nur Temple, the Wilmington Order of Court Jesters, the Tall Cedars of Lebanon, the Wilmington Club, and the Order of Freemasons, in which he attained the distinguished rank of a 33 1/3 degree Mason.
Frear was also a lifelong member of the Peoples' Church, a Congregational Christian church in Dover, Delaware, and served as the President of the Church's board for several years. Additionally, Senator Frear participated in several Bible study and prayer groups.
In 1947, J. Allen Frear, Jr., applied for and was accepted to the University of Delaware's graduate program in economics. However, his 1948 senatorial election bid was successful and Frear pursued a new career in the political spectrum. Although Frear had no direct political experience other than his involvement with financial boards and state commissions, J. Allen Frear, Jr., defeated C. Douglass Buck, the incumbent Republican from Wilmington, in the U.S Senate race of 1948. Frear served as the junior Democratic Senator with Republican Senator John J. Williams (from Millsboro), and was re-elected to a second term in 1954. Frear served in Congress from January 3, 1949 until January 3, 1961.
Senator Frear's congressional work focused on issues directly affecting the state of Delaware. He was strongly endorsed by Delaware labor unions and farmers, and worked diligently throughout his career to further aid to farmers and blue collar workers. Senator Frear represented Delaware's major industries as well, and was instrumental in passing legislation which eased the burden on shareholding taxpayers who had invested in the Du Pont-General Motors merger before the onset of antitrust legislation in 1950. Additionally, in 1958 Frear was effective in preventing the Army from closing the Lenape Ordinance District Plant which was operated by Chrysler Corporation in Newark, saving hundreds of Delaware jobs. Throughout the 1950s, Frear sought federal contracts for the state and promoted development of the Air. Force Base in Dover. He was a strategic player in ending the Pennsylvania Railroad strike of September 1960, an issue of great concern to Delaware agricultural and industrial constituents whose shipping needs were affected by the strike.
Frear was dedicated to his individual constituents, assisting the citizens of Delaware with issues large and small. He hosted tours of the Capital and introduced young Delawareans to government; navigated the labyrinth of bureaucracy for veterans, civil servants, and immigrants; and secured federal disaster relief for hurricane victims.
Senator Frear's participation and organizational efforts were crucial to the success of several annual Delaware state events, such as the Pushmobile Derby, Dover Day, and the Delmarva Chicken Festival, an extremely important event in the Delaware-Maryland-Virginia poultry-producing region. He was also heavily involved with planning the New Castle Tercentenary and Independence Day celebrations.
Reflecting his pre-Congressional experience, Senator Frear's committee assignments concerned finance, banking, and fiscal responsibility. During his tenure in office, Senator Frear was third ranking member on the Senate Finance Committee, fourth ranking member on the Banking and Currency Committee, and served on the Senate Committee for the District of Columbia. During the 85th Congress (1957-1958), Senator Frear served as chairman of the Subcommittee on Federal Reserve and the Fiscal Affairs Committee. Other subcommittee participation included Banking, International Finance, Judiciary, Securities, and Production and Stabilization. Additionally, Senator Frear was appointed to the Joint Committee on Defense Production and the Joint Committee on Internal Revenue and Taxation.
Throughout his tenure in office, Senator Frear traveled extensively on congressional business, visiting Panama, Brazil, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, and many countries hosting summits and international parliamentary conferences in western Europe. Frear taped several speeches during his 1959 visit to Indonesia, which were later aired to his constituents on WDEL.
Senator Frear addressed the people of Delaware in weekly radio broadcasts called "The Week in Congress." In these brief addresses, Senator Frear communicated to his constituent audience synopses of the events, discussions, and decisions made during the previous week in Congress. He also used this forum to state positions on international affairs and foreign policy, such as the Korean War, General MacArthur's dismissal, and containment of Communism through a variety of measures.
Frear's two terms in office spanned the dynamic decade of the 1950s when Americans faced the Korean War, McCarthyism, desegregation, atomic energy, and the Cold War. He was defeated in his 1960 bid for re-election to the U.S. Senate by Delaware's member-at-large in the House, J. Caleb Boggs. Frear was appointed by his former Senate colleague, President John F. Kennedy, to the Securities and Exchange Commission in 1960 where he served until 1963. He then returned to Dover to pursue his interests in banking and finance.
Senator Frear was highly revered for his dedication to the state of Delaware and its citizens. He was a distinguished alumnus of the University of Delaware, serving its board and supporting its School of Agriculture. This archival collection of the Senator J. Allen Frear, Jr. papers reflects his profound and personal interest in the welfare of Delawareans during the 1950s. Constituent correspondence, legislation and reports found throughout the collection are testimony to Senator Frear's congressional accomplishments on behalf of the state and its citizens.
Biographical information derived from the collection.
- 1949 January 3-October 19 (81st Congress, 1st Session)
- 1950 January 3-1951 January 2 (81st Congress, 2nd Session)
- 1951 January 3-October 20 (82nd Congress, 1st Session)
- 1952 January-July 7 (82nd Congress, 2nd Session)
- 1953 January 3-August 3 (83rd Congress, 1st Session)
- 1954 January 6-December 2 (83rd Congress, 2nd Session)
- 1955 January 5-August 2 (84th Congress, 1st Session)
- 1956 January 3-July 27 (84th Congress, 2nd Session)
- 1957 January 3-August 30 (85th Congress, 1st Session)
- 1958 January 7-August 24 (85th Congress, 2nd Session)
- 1959 January 7-September 15 (86th Congress, 1st Session)
- 1960 January 6-September 1 (86th Congress, 2nd Session)
- 1949-1951: 81st Congress, Scott Lucas (Illinois), Democrat
- 1951-1953: 82nd and 83rd Congress, Ernest McFarland (Arizona), Democrat
- 1953: 83rd Congress, Robert Taft (Ohio), Republican
- 1953-1955: 83rd Congress, William Knowland (California), Republican
- 1955-1960: 84-86th Congress, Lyndon Johnson (Texas), Democrat
- 1949-1951: 81, 82nd Congress, Alben Barkley (Kentucky), Democrat
- 1952-1953: 82nd Congress, Kenneth Wherry (Nebraska), Republican
- 1953-1955: 83rd Congress, Lyndon Johnson (Texas), Democrat
- 1955-1959: 84, 85th Congress, William Knowland (California),Republican
- 1959-1960: 86th Congress, Hugh Scott (Pennsylvania), Republican
The Papers of Senator J. Allen Frear, Jr., are primarily those of his congressional career, when he represented Delaware in the U.S. Senate from 1949-1960, though the collection also includes personal material from pre- and post-Congressional periods. The collection spans 1917-1963, with bulk dates 1949-1961 and a lesser bulk of material dating from 1920-1924. The collection consists of correspondence, memoranda, reports, legislation, speeches, clippings, photographs, and audio-visual material. Personal material includes correspondence, class notes, travel brochures and post cards, and memorabilia.
The vast majority of the collection was compiled during Senator Frear's two terms in the U.S. Senate and reflects the full range of responsibilities of that office. As far as possible, the original order of the files has been retained to document the functions of the office. There are four sub-groups of materials in the collection: I. Delaware and Delawareans, II. Legislative files, III. Administrative and Personal office files, and IV. Personal.
The first sub-group, Delaware and Delawareans, consists of file series documenting Senator Frear's congressional activities performed in the interest of his state, or with and for Delawareans. These files document work on behalf of constituents, such as supporting Academy recommendations, nominating postal employees, securing federal aid for state disasters, or providing information for individuals needing government assistance. The series of files in this sub-group include correspondence related to all aspects of dealing with the federal government, with most access points to file contents by topic, or federal agency or department.
The sub-group of Delaware and Delawareans also documents the "politicking" nature of senatorial duties and the networks which support effective performance in the office. The work of Senator Frear's staff is evident throughout the files, as are his contacts with Senate colleagues, government offices, and federal departments. The Delaware organizations, constituent bodies, and businesses represented in these files include social, labor, religious, educational, state government, industry, and agriculture groups. A number of invitations, public relations activities, political party engagements, and campaign files also reflect the complicated schedule Senator Frear met in representing his constituents.
The second sub-group, Legislative files, includes series documenting the legislative and committee functions of Senator Frear's office. The sub-group consists of working drafts and final bills and resolutions, background research for legislation, correspondence with congressional colleagues, and correspondence from constituents supporting, denouncing, or otherwise expressing opinions on legislation. The sub-group also includes voting records for examination of Frear's position on any vote during his two terms, and a small series of files from his committee work. Official records of committees are transferred to the National Archives, but the small amount of material here does give some record of the financial, banking, and economic scope of Senator Frear's committee assignments.
The third sub-group, Administrative and Personal office files, includes resourceful visitor and telephone logs maintained by the Senator's staff which provide quick summaries of the Senator's activities and personal appointments. In addition, the sub-group includes Senate manuals and procedures which may aid understanding of how Congress works.
The fourth sub-group, Personal, includes speeches, sound recordings, and photographs related to Frear's congressional career. In addition, the sub-group includes earlier material spanning 1917-1927, primarily from Frear's student days at the University of Delaware; and post-congressional material, primarily reflecting social engagements but providing a small glimpse of his association with the Securities Exchange Commission. The post-congressional series also includes followup files for Frear's earlier support of S. 200, for the relief of Du Pont-GM stockholders.
Detailed scope and content descriptions precede contents lists for each series.
- Delaware State Files--Hercules Super Spring Company--Test of 1/4 ton truck spring, 1944.
- Personal Matters--Trips--Europe--Denmark--Summary of Consumers' Cooperatives in Denmark, 1949.
- Personal Matters--Trips--Europe--Netherlands--Information on Netherlands Armed Forces, 1949.
- Personal Matters--Trips--Europe--Norway--Information on Norwegian Political Situation, 1949.
- Personal Matters--Trips--Europe--Central and South America--Brazil--Visit to Sao Paolo of Senate Banking and Currency Committee, 1953.
- Personal Matters--Trips--Europe--Central and South America--Panama--Briefing on History and Future of Panama, 1953.
The original extent of the Frear papers was substantially reduced in processing, as is often the case with large 20th-century congressional collections. The original files included many items suitable for simple appraisal decisions: mailing envelopes, carbons of office correspondence, duplicates of speeches, and government publications.
Sampling techniques were also used throughout the collection because of the volume of repetitive and redundant constituent correspondence. For example, it was not unusual for Senator Frear to receive several hundred letters on a single legislative issue, all expressing basically the same point of view. In some cases, Senator Frear received mimeographed form letters or post-cards, all repeating the same message. In response, Senator Frear often sent "robos" or form letters. The researcher may assume that representative samples of correspondence were saved throughout files of legislative issue mail. In some cases, processor's explanatory notes have been recorded on acid-free paper and interfiled in the correspondence.
In this collection, appraisal decisions were made at the series level for two entire series. Case files (series E. under the first sub-group of Delaware and Delawareans) were deemed highly personal in nature and of little research value, so the series was completely discarded. A more thorough description of original file contents for this series is available in the finding aid, so the Case files series has retained an intellectual place within the series outline for the collection.
A second series, "the Blues" was also entirely discarded. These were routine carbon copies of all outgoing correspondence filed in alphabetical order by name of recipient.
There was significant sampling throughout the collection, so the lessened index value of "the Blues" and the large size of the file were factors in the decision to discard the series. "The Blues" are not described in further detail and are not reflected in the series outline for the collection. (They would have appeared in the Administrative and Personal Office files subgroup.)
The congressional papers of Senator J. Allen Frear, Jr. have been organized into four sub-groups, the first three of which are comprised of filing series originally maintained in the Senator's office. The office staff used records management guidelines provided by the Secretary or some other office in the Senate. These guidelines assigned file number sequences to federal departments, agencies, and topics:
- President (White House)
- 1A Bureau of the Budget
- 2 State Department
- 2A Passports and Visas
- 2B Displaced Persons
- 2C U.S. Information Agency
- 3 Treasury Department
There is no hierarchical or otherwise logical arrangement to this filing scheme.
The arrangement of series in this collection closely follows the original numbering scheme, but also breaks the sequence into functional series; i.e., original file sequence 1 through 45, 47, 48, 50, 51, 59, and 60 comprise Federal Department files. Original file sequence 46, Delaware State files, has been separated as an independent series. Likewise, Case files (sequence 54), General Appointments (sequence 55), Post Office Files (sequence 56), and Academy files (sequences 63-65) have been separated as independent series.
The original filing sequence numbers have been retained in the contents list for the Federal Department files or otherwise explained in other series notes. Other series were not numbered in the original office filing system, but presented clear categories of material such as telephone logs, voting records, or photographs which could also be arranged functionally.
- Boxes 1-75: Shelved in SPEC MSS record center cartons
- Removals: Shelved in SPEC MSS oversize boxes (20 inches)
- Removals: Shelved in SPEC MSS oversize boxes (24 inches)
- Removals: Shelved in SPEC Media Reels
The text of this web page can be reused and modified under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Access to streaming audio files in the Audio-visual series (IV.B.1) are available following the links in the Container List. These digitized files are accessible online through the University of Delaware Artstor Public Collections.
Access to the PDF transcripts of Senator Frear's "This Week in Congress" radio broadcasts (Subseries IV.B.1.a.) are available by following the links in the Container List. These digitized files are housed in the University of Delaware Institutional Repository.
Digital copies of materials in the Photographs series (IV.C.) are available online through the University of Delaware Artstor Public Collections.
Gift of Senator J. Allen Frear, Jr.
The creation of the electronic guide for this collection was made possible through generous funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, administered through the Council on Library and Information Resources' "Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives" Project.
Processed: 1990-1995. Supervising archivist L.R. Johnson Melvin; surveyed by Neva J. Specht; processed by Jennifer Paul, Lianne S. Cantelmi, Anita Wellner, and Dana Tarquini.
Finding aid entered into the Archivists' Toolkit by Garrett Boos. Additional encoding by Jaime Margalotti.
People
Organization
- United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Banking and Currency
- United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Finance
- United States. Congress. Senate
- University of Delaware
Subject
Place
- Delaware
- Delaware--Politics and government
- Delaware--Politics and government--1865-1950
- Delaware--Politics and government--1951-
- United States--Politics and government
Occupation
- Publisher
- University of Delaware Library Special Collections
- Finding Aid Author
- University of Delaware Library, Special Collections
- Finding Aid Date
- 2011 February 1
- Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open for research.
This collection contains audiovisual media that has been reformatted. Access to an unedited digitized version of the master reels (unsegmented recordings, no transcripts, etc.) is available by request. Please contact manuscripts staff for access. - Use Restrictions
-
Use of materials from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. Please contact Special Collections, University of Delaware Library, http://library.udel.edu/spec/askspec/
Collection Inventory
The Federal Department files contain correspondence, primarily from state constituents, with Senator Frear regarding requests for assistance in negotiating the bureaucratic channels of the federal government. Other correspondence communicates opinions on issues of the day. The series is arranged in a numerical filing system established by the Senator's office staff. These numbers, which have been retained to reflect the original office organization scheme, appear in the second column of the container list; for example, 12F corresponds to the files on commerce and 47 is the filing number for foreign policy.
The files are arranged by federal department, agency, or topic. Under each major heading, general files organized by year are followed by individual case or subject files. The contents of each file are arranged in reverse chronological order.
One of Frear's primary roles as Senator was to act as a liaison between his constituents and government agencies. The files in this series include multifarious inquiries from veterans, immigrants, railroad workers, and retirees. In addition to this sort of casework, Frear also received heavy amounts of constituent mail concerning issues of the day, such as the dismissal of General Douglas MacArthur, the use of the atomic bomb, the Atomic Energy Commission's denial of access to restricted data by J. Robert Oppenheimer, and the spread of communism. Some of the correspondence received, however, concerned issues specific to Delaware such as the poultry industry, the Dover Air Force Base, and the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal.
A number of files document national issues and concerns in the context of Delaware actions and events. The Delaware Civil Defense files reflect the nationwide preoccupation with preparedness for a nuclear attack in the 1950s. In addition to information on how to build bomb shelters and a copy of the state's civil defense plan, the files include a description of Delaware's conversion of a mortar bunker at Fort Delaware into the most modern civil defense control center of its time (1956). Senator Frear lauded such preparedness in the "Age of Peril" and urged responsible action from individuals, families, and community.
Delaware's involvement in the Korean War is documented at the personal level with releases of Delaware casualties, 1950-1954, issued to the Senator by the Office of Public Information at the Department of Defense. Arguing that Newark was a community heavily involved in defense industries as the home of the Chrysler Tank Arsenal and a Du Pont office doing war work, Senator Frear supported the University of Delaware's efforts to secure approval for steel for construction of the University Stadium from the National Production Authority in the early 1950s. When the national tank program was affected by a construction strike at the Chrysler Plant in 1953, Senator Frear joined his colleague Senator Williams in efforts to resolve the labor dispute with Allied Construction Industries of Delaware, Inc.
Frear also joined Williams in assisting constituents from Rehoboth, Bethany, and Fenwick who protested coastal firing into the Atlantic Ocean from the Antiaircraft Artillery Range at Bethany Beach in the early 1950s. The senators successfully represented the navigation, fishing, recreation, residential, real estate, and yacht basin interests of those constituents.
Senator Frear's files document a close involvement with developments for the New Castle Air Force Base and the Dover Air Force Base. Activity around the New Castle Air Force Base was phased out in the mid-1950s in response to residential concerns. But Dover experienced rapid growth and Frear worked hard to promote state contracts in construction and housing projects in that area.
Files with significant information on Delaware projects are found under U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. With its vast network of rivers, inlets, and canals, Delaware supports local, national, and international navigation and shipping, ports and harbors, fishing, and recreation. The Delaware River and the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal are major waterways. The Philadelphia District of the Army Corps of Engineers issued project maps and surveys, dredging reports, histories, costs of projects and amounts of allocated government funds, tide reports, erosion studies, and improvement plans. Construction bulletins from 1951-1960 include contractors and amount of contracts awarded.
Some projects were undertaken in response to disastrous collisions or groundings, such as the 1959 repair of the Reedy Point Bridge after damage sustained by the Swedish freighter Svensksund, or navigation improvements after the fatal collision of the USNS Mission San Francisco with the Liberian freighter SS Elna II in the Delaware River in 1957. The files also include state and national reports related to water resources development.
The Department files demonstrate the importance of the Senator's staff in making the office run efficiently. Senator Frear relied heavily on his administrative assistant, Robert Kelly, who handled most of the intermittent correspondence between Frear's office and government departments and agencies. Kelly also acknowledged the initial letters of many constituents when Senator Frear was not available to respond. Lacey Wilson served as Frear's legislative assistant, keeping the Senator informed on legislative issues and attending town meetings in Delaware as Senator Frear's representative.
In Senator Frear's office, the normal procedure for handling constituent requests was to acknowledge receipt of the letter, explain that the Senator would investigate the issue or request, contact the appropriate department or agency, and contact the constituent with more information. In many cases, after responding to the constituent, more information would be needed or the constituent would be asked to contact directly the various departments. Senator Frear and his staff seemed to be successful most of the time in satisfying constituents' requests for assistance.
This series of files was reduced by nearly half of its original extent by elimination of repetitive correspondence and confidential casework. Requests for assistance with civil service employment, requests for maps and flags, and railroad retiree cases were discarded. In more involved cases, intermittent correspondence, which only documented the slow bureaucracy of government, was also removed.
Arranged by federal department or agency and topics. File contents are in reverse chronological order.
The Delaware State files contain correspondence from Delaware constituents to Senator Frear, primarily regarding small business operations, zoning laws, recommendations for appointments to various offices and commissions, and issues personal in nature. Some inquiries from constituents concern the sale of government-owned property to private citizens for business purposes. Also included is a considerable amount of Delaware travel and tourism information; several requests for federal and state funding for specialized schools; reports concerning agriculture and poultry-producing industries in Delaware; natural disasters affecting Delaware land, citizens, and farms; and large company profiles.
The Delaware State files reflect Senator Frear's connection with his constituents and demonstrate his desire to aide them in all situations, from major catastrophes to extremely localized issues. In this respect, Senator Frear's responses ranged from securing statewide disaster relief for agricultural areas which were devastated by Hurricane Hazel in October of 1954, to advocating that the City Commissioner of Delaware City extend garbage disposal services to citizens living beyond the pre-established zones. There is also a considerable amount of correspondence from constituents voicing opinions pertaining to Delaware state laws, such as the 1959 controversy over the whipping post, or public flogging as a form of legal punishment, and complaints about outdated and unfair state voting laws. Senator Frear also assisted his constituents with genealogical research by contacting the Library of Congress. He also worked towards settling disputes between Delaware citizens, especially as they pertained to questions of property ownership. Additionally, there is considerable amount of written exchange between Senator Frear and Governor Caleb Boggs regarding the changing social, economic, and physical situations which defined Delaware in the 1950s.
The state files also offer profiles of some of the major businesses operating in Delaware during Senator Frear's two terms in office. Among the largest corporations were Du Pont, the Atlas Powder Company, and the Chrysler Corporation. There is a reference file containing information on the Du Pont-General Motors antitrust litigation, of which a detailed account can be located in Senator Frear's legislative files. Information pertaining to the Atlas Powder Company revolves around a chemically produced emulsifier, "MYRJ 45," which the company attempted to market as a substitution for milk in baked products, and particularly bread, in 1949. Other information on the Atlas Powder Company is related to its production of chemicals as food additives throughout the 1950s, and debates about the safety of their products to human consumers is noted through reports of congressional hearings on the products. Information on the organizational structure of the Atlas Powder Company and its product line is represented in the form of promotional literature, press releases, and annual reports.
All files on the Chrysler Corporation are in reference to the Newark, Delaware, Lenape Ordinance District Plant, which began producing tanks and recovery vehicles for the Army in 1948. Much of the information on the Chrysler Corporation pertains to the 1958 Army consideration to move the Newark plant operations to Detroit, a consideration which placed in jeopardy the jobs of several hundred Delaware employees. Among the correspondence between Senator Frear and the plant employees are a series of signed petitions, letters, and telegrams asking for his intervention in the matter, and letters of thanks and support after Senator Frear managed to secure the defense contracts for the Newark plant.
Many of the requests for state and federal funding came from specialized schools and private institutions. The onset of the Korean War created a large national demand for the establishment of vocational, or technical training schools, and Delaware state was no exception to this trend. The demand for specialty schools which catered to the blind, the deaf, and mentally retarded children was an extremely popular constituent topic throughout the 1950s, and a considerable amount of state and federal funding was allotted to these causes. Private institutions in Delaware, such as the Beebe Hospital, Camp Barnes, and the Kruse School, a rehabilitation program for delinquent African American girls, were also aided with state and federal funding.
Throughout Senator Frear's terms in office, there was much concern over the state of agricultural and poultry production in Delaware. In the Delaware State file titled "Agricultural Matters," there are many conditional reports and addresses to Congress which suggest that agricultural and poultry production in Delaware was declining in the 1950s. Present in these reports are gross and net annual farm income tabulations for Delaware state; graphs, tables, and statistical data referring to the delicate condition of the farming industry; and a report on the crop devastation which occurred as a result of the drought of the summer of 1957.
In addition to the drought of 1957, Delaware faced a series of natural disasters throughout Senator Frear's tenure in office, all of which are chronicled in the Delaware State files. Among the natural disasters was a depletion of the oyster crop in the Delaware Bay, Indian River, and Rehoboth Bay areas, which was declared a disaster region by Governor Caleb Boggs on May 26, 1959--a cause for which Senator Frear acquired federal relief funds. Additionally, Senator Frear sought disaster relief aid for Delaware citizens, particularly farmers, after the consecutive hurricanes of October 1954 and August 1955, named "Hazel" and "Diane," respectively. Included in the "Hurricane Damage to Delaware (Government Loans)" file are natural disaster procedures from the National Weather Bureau, information concerning the naming of hurricanes, and information relating to Public Law 38, which dispenses emergency assistance to those affected by the disasters. There is also written and photographic documentation of the March 1959 wreckage of the S.S. African Queen, which collided with another ship off of the coast of Ocean City, Maryland, and threatened the Delaware coastline with oil contamination.
Files are arranged in alphabetical order. The contents of each folder are in reverse chronological order.
The Political files contain correspondence from Delaware constituents to Senator Frear, official letters from Frear's colleagues in the Senate, and personal letters from prominent political and religious leaders during the 1950s. The Political files also thoroughly document accounts of Senator Frear's participation in annual Delaware events. The remainder of the Political files are composed of excerpts taken from various texts used for speeches, letters from DuPont family members, information relating to the University of Delaware, annual reports from Delaware industries with a particular emphasis on farming and dairy companies, blank forms and guidelines for Fulbright Scholarships, information on the Pennsylvania Railroad strike of 1960, and several newspaper clippings and advertisements pertaining to the communist, or "red scare" of the late 1940s and early 1950s.
The majority of the constituent correspondence focuses upon events which are international in scope, ranging from a fear of the spread of communism, to involvement in the Korean War, to potential involvement in the Indo-China War. These constituent letters simultaneously express staunch anti-communist sentiment and avid American patriotism. There was a propensity among Senator Frear's constituents to use the terms communism and Zionism interchangeably, and newspaper clippings in the files reflect an apparently common 1950s belief that many Zionists were Marxists.
Other constituent letters concern Senator Frear's congressional voting record, responses to his speeches and weekly radio addresses, letters of support, and a few complaints from constituents who were dissatisfied with Senator Frear's professional performance. Frear's staff created a file for the letters of one Wilmington resident who faithfully wrote to Senator Frear from January 1950 to October 1951, disagreeing with Frear's every action and opinion.
The vast majority of correspondence between Frear and his Senate colleagues was in the form of invitations, responses, professional courtesies, and letters of thanks for favors rendered. As a politician promoting the interests of Delaware, Frear extended invitations for many Delaware state events to all of his fellow senators, such as Dover Day, the Delmarva Chicken Festival, the New Castle Tercentenary, and the Pushmobile Derby. Although most replies were polite rejections, not a single Senator failed to respond to any of the invitations.
Frear also corresponded with political leaders such as Harry S Truman, Dwight E. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson, and J. Edgar Hoover throughout his tenure in office. Included in the Political files is a series of telegrams and responses between Senator Frear and Dwight Eisenhower regarding the September 1960 Pennsylvania Railroad strike, an issue in which Frear was deeply entrenched. J. Edgar Hoover was a regular participant in celebrations for the annual Delaware Pushmobile Derby winner, providing personal tours of the Federal Bureau of Investigation headquarters to all of the winners.
Senator Frear was also in communication with the Reverend Billy Graham during the religious leader's early international crusades to end communism. In a letter dated March 23, 1954, Billy Graham wrote to Frear regarding his progress in converting communists in London, England. In a letter dated January 13, 1956, Reverend Graham wrote to Senator Frear immediately before he embarked on a missionary tour of India and the Far East. Frear also received a considerable amount of mail from Delaware congregational leaders, such as the Wilmington Council of Churches, who were concerned with halting the spread of communism in America and who protested against the granting of radio and television broadcast privileges to suspected communists.
Senator Frear contributed significantly to the organizational efforts of annual and special events taking place in Delaware. The Political files contain documents detailing the organization of "Dover Day" from 1949 to 1957, and depict Frear's administrative and ceremonial functions in the event. Frear played a similar role in planning the Delmarva Chicken Festival, a major promotional event in the poultry-producing region of the Delaware-Maryland-Virginia peninsula.
He also participated in the yearly Fourth-of-July celebration in Delaware, otherwise known as "Operation Firecracker," sponsored by the Wilmington Optimists Club. The celebration of the New Castle Tercentenary in 1951 is an example of a special event in which Frear participated on an administrative level. Frear also hosted events for any Delaware finalists in the Cherry Blossom Festival or Miss America Pageant. As reference material for the speeches Senator Frear made at such events, he collected a considerable amount of historical information on Delaware, as well as local histories of Delaware towns.
Senator Frear served on the Board of Directors for the Blood Bank of Delaware, was a board member of the American Red Cross, and campaigned on behalf of the American Cancer Society. He was also active in several Delaware religious organizations. Frear was one of nine Senators in the 85th Congress who was a practicing Congregational Christian.
The Political files also record Senator Frear's efforts to end the Pennsylvania Railroad strike of September 1960. At the time, the Pennsylvania Railroad was the only operating train line in Delaware. Most letters received by Frear from railroad workers claimed that the Transport Workers Union, the faction responsible for the strike, was not making reasonable demands of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Many of the letter writers were employed by the Pennsylvania Railroad and feared losing their jobs and, consequently, their ability to provide for families. Senator Frear worked diligently towards negotiating an end to the strike, which came in the middle of September 1960. Thereafter, Frear received praise from constituents and colleagues alike regarding his active role in the settlement of the strike.
Files are arranged in alphabetical order. The contents of each folder are arranged in reverse chronological order.
The Political Campaign files contain constituent and congressional correspondence, transcripts of debates between candidates, statistical reports pertaining to voting demographics, and detailed campaign expenditure reports for several candidates participating in state and national elections from 1954 to 1960. The Political Campaign files house a significant amount of candidate-specific campaign material, such as buttons, flyers, bumper stickers, and advertisements. Additionally, the Political Campaign files contain personal information relating to specific candidates, and descriptions of political jobs.
The constituent correspondence in the Political Campaign files covers a wide array of topics including endorsements, the perceived factionalization of the Democratic party, petitions soliciting support for candidates such as 1956 presidential hopeful Adlai Stevenson, and letters of opposition. After his 1954 senatorial victory, Senator Frear received letters of congratulations and continuing support from constituents, friends living in states other than Delaware, and some international congratulatory mail. Frear was strongly endorsed by several labor organizations such as the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees and the Railway Laborers' Political League, as is documented by their positive correspondence preceding the 1954 election.
The Political Campaign files also include post-election congratulations or condolences between Frear and his congressional colleagues. Correspondence from the election of 1958 was notable in that Frear's office developed a form letter expressing condolence to the many Democrats usurped from office that year.
General concern for the state of the national Democratic party was the topic of much constituent concern. In March 1957, Frear received a letter protesting the proposed elimination of the option to vote a straight party ticket in Delaware elections, as it had the potential to split the ticket and erode the strength of the party. Concerned members of the Democratic Women's Regional Conference wrote to Senator Frear in response to statements made by Paul Butler, then chairman of the Democratic National Committee, regarding his controversial views on certain women's and civil right issues. In April 1960, several constituents advised against Senator Frear's support of presidential candidate John F. Kennedy, warning that Kennedy's Catholicism would create a voting barrier among Sussex County Democratic residents. Additionally, in 1960, some constituents advocated the forming of a new faction of the Democratic party in response to what was perceived as a growing socialist left within the national party.
Senator Frear received speech kits, party platforms, and personal correspondence from the Democratic National Committee. A speech kit sent to Frear in March 1956 was intended to prepare him for the National Democratic Convention of the same year. It contained several articles including "GOP Corruption," "The Truth About Republican Prosperity," and "The Difference Between the Republican and Democratic Parties." Personal correspondence from the National Democratic Committee Chairman, Paul Butler, to Senator Frear revolved around the organization of events such as Party Night, regional and local committee dinners, and registration drives. Also included in the Democratic National Committee file are transcripts of panel discussions from Celebrity Parade, letters from April 1960 concerning the nominations of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, and changes in the Democratic Party structure.
The Political Campaign files contain several statistical reports which offer a broad view of the changing nature of the Democratic Party during the mid-1950s. The Spring 1957 issue of The Public Opinion Quarterly published an article titled "Election Polling and Research," by Lou Harris which indicated that opinion research served as the backbone of all studies in social change. The Public Opinion Quarterly was accompanied by demographics of African-American voters in New Castle County, with emphasis placed on district and party loyalty. Also included were statistical reports concerning party lines in Sussex County which underwent extreme political shifts in the 1950s. Additionally, Frear kept several expenditure reports of congressional candidates in the 1958 elections which indicate their overall campaign expenses and sources of campaign funds. Such reports exist for John J. Williams, Elbert N. Carvel, Harry G. Haskell, Jr., and Harris B. McDowell, Jr.
Senator Frear also maintained files related to elections in which he was a senatorial candidate, including a variety of his opponents' literature. Senator Frear's opponent in the election of 1954 was Justice James Tunnell, Jr., son of former U.S. Senator from Delaware, James Tunnell, Sr. Because Tunnell, Jr. was a circuit court judge in the state of Delaware, he was ineligible to run for office. However, he did state that he would not resist a draft, and the impromptu "Draft Tunnell Club" formed and began to distribute anti-Frear literature.
Also contained in the Political Campaign files is information on the availability and placement of political jobs. Everything from requests for appointment to the position of Judge of Common Pleas in New Castle County, to the placement of charwomen and custodians in the Senate office building is represented. Correspondence to Senator Frear includes requests for Senate page positions, police force openings, and suggestions for appointment to the Delaware General Assembly.
The Political Campaign files are arranged alphabetically by topic with file contents in reverse chronological order.
Consisting of personal correspondence, office records, reports and related information, the Personal Matters series reflects Senator Frear's wide range of personal interests and professional obligations, as well as documenting the administration of his offices in Washington, Dover, and Wilmington.
A substantial portion of the files is comprised of courtesy letters. These include responses to requests for autographs and photographs; acknowledgement of birthday and Christmas greetings; expressions of condolence, gratitude, or congratulations; and exchanges of personal messages with fellow Senators. Records of the Senator's contributions to charities and political organizations, records of gifts received and sent by Frear, receipts and statements for office accounts, and records of business transactions with the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Joseph Duke are also documented in these files.
Senator Frear's professional affiliations with many organizations and institutions are also represented through minutes of meetings, correspondence, and official institutional reports found in this series. Frear served on boards of the Delaware Safety Council, Delaware State Hospital, Farmers Bank of the State of Delaware, Kent General Hospital, Columbia Institute for the Deaf (by Senate appointment), People's Congregational Church (Dover), and the University of Delaware. Frear was also a member of Delaware's Old Age Welfare Commission and the Commission on Reorganization of State Government.
Correspondence is also present chronicling his active and extensive participation in his university fraternity, Sigma Nu; the American Legion; the Senate Breakfast Club; the Masons (as a Grand Master); the Inter-Parliamentary Union; the University of Delaware Committee on Agriculture; and the U.S. Naval Academy (appointed to the Board of Visitors by the Senate).
Frear's involvement in Delaware politics and committees is evident throughout the files for Willard Boyce, Lacey Wilson, Elbert N. Carvel, and Harris B. McDowell. Boyce, who was a close friend of Frear and active in Delaware politics, wrote the Senator about the behind-the-scenes drama in Delaware politics, particularly in the state's Democratic party. Legislative Assistant Lacey C. Wilson's memoranda briefed Frear and his staff on political developments in Delaware, as well as called their attention to pending legislation in the Senate or important office visits.
Documentation of Senator Frear's trips, during which he represented the U.S. Senate, comprises the most substantial group of materials in this file (4 linear ft.). Beginning in 1949 and continuing through 1959, Senator Frear, as a member of various Senate missions, participated in at least nineteen trips in the United States and abroad. Because the Senator and his wife were avid travelers, Frear frequently combined his Senate business trips with excursions to surrounding nations. He always reimbursed the government for any expenses unrelated to the business portion of his journeys, as meticulous records and receipts found in the files corroborate.
The records of his trips include itineraries, tickets, receipts, travel guides and maps, correspondence, copies of reports and speeches prepared by Frear, clippings and press releases reporting the conferences, daily diaries and notes kept by the Senator during his travels, photographs of Frear and other members of the Senate entourages, and several pieces of realia, such as carved sticks received during the 1959 tour of South America. These travel records are rich in information about these countries during the 1950s. A small number of "restricted" documents have been removed from the collection and await declassification. The contents list for the series indicates the folders from which material has been removed.
Several of Senator Frear's trips were made as a member of various Banking and Currency subcommittees to examine the progress of the Marshall Plan (Europe, 1949), to investigate operations of the Export-Import Bank and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (Central and South America, 1953), to participate in conferences related to the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank (Istanbul, 1955), and to attend meetings of the Savings and Loan Association (Stuttgart, 1957) and a conference on U.S. Monetary Policy at the American Assembly (New York, 1958).
Other trips were made as a member of the U.S. delegation to annual meetings of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, an international organization aimed at promoting contact between members of national parliaments and advancing democracy, peace, and cooperation. Frear participated in such meetings in Bangkok, Thailand (1956), London (1957), Rio de Janeiro (1958), and Warsaw (1959). He also attended conferences of other parliamentary groups, such as the British-American Parliamentary Group (London, 1955) and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference (Australia, 1959).
On several occasions Frear accepted invitations from the Navy to observe naval maneuvers, such as ones conducted in the Caribbean (1949), near Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (1956), and in San Juan, Puerto Rico (1959). In addition to correspondence, itineraries, and photographs, the files for these trips include interesting manuals which describe the various naval vessels, their history, and etiquette observed aboard these ships. At the invitation of the Pentagon, Frear also observed atomic detonations in Las Vegas, Nevada (1949) and visited Delaware Reserve units at Fort Knox, Kentucky (1957).
In 1956, Frear represented the U.S. Senate at the unveiling of a statue of Commodore Barry which was presented by the United States to Ireland, and in 1959 he headed the Senate delegation which visited President Sukarno's Indonesia.
Other highlights in this series include a small collection of carbon copies of letters written by the Senator to his wife Esther and his son Fred (1949-1956); a medallion and license plate attachment commemorating the 29th Division of the U.S. Army (one of Frear's army units during World War II); amusing photographs of Frear's induction into Delaware's American Legion "Forty and Eight Society;" and advance page proofs of a Look article on Richard Nixon's finances (1953). There is also material regarding the "Frear Bill" (S. 2408) which related to the Securities and Exchange Commission (see Kinsman) and surveys completed by the Delaware Farm Bureau gathering opinions on government price controls and the civil rights bill.
This series provides a range of information about Senator Frear's activities during his years in the U.S. Senate, revealing some of his leisure activities; documenting his commitments to state institutions; supplementing information on his Senate duties, particularly with regard to international representation of the Senate; recording the business of his offices; and demonstrating the ways in which he observed the courtesies of his office.
The files consist of four subseries: the first is a topical file arranged alphabetically, the second includes material related to Frear's activities as a Mason, the third subseries consists of a chronological file related to trips taken by Senator Frear under the auspices of the U.S. Senate, and the fourth consists of invitations.
The Invitation files contain invitations to Senator Frear from colleagues, clubs, constituents, ambassadors, and friends, and his responses to each invitation. The invitations span the congressional career of Senator Frear, with his social calendar at its fullest during election years. The Invitation Files also contain notes of thanks which Frear sent to his international colleagues during the NATO Conference of 1960, in which Senator and Mrs. Frear participated.
Senator Frear was a member of several fraternal organizations, such as the Delaware chapter of the Sigma Nu Fraternity and the Nur Temple of Wilmington, which performed annual Scottish Initiation Rites. Senator Frear also received invitations from several other fraternal orders, such as The Grand Encampment of the Knights Templar, the Grange, and the Rotary Club of Wilmington, Delaware.
Senator Frear received several invitations to events hosted by charitable organizations with which he was affiliated. He was a board member of both the Red Cross of Delaware and the Blood Bank of Delaware, and participated in events on behalf of both organizations throughout his career. He also received annual invitations from the Salvation Army, the Boy Scouts of America, Girls Nation, and the Children's Cerebral Palsy Fund.
Senator Frear received hundreds of invitations from embassies hosting annual dinners for their respective political leaders and ambassadors. Frear was regularly invited to partake in the "Celebration of the anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution," which was hosted by the embassy for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and he was also invited to the yearly celebration of the founding of communist China. These communist celebrations always went unattended by Senator Frear and the vast majority of his colleagues. Other embassies extending annual invitations included Brazil, Costa Rica, Israel, Mexico, Japan, Korea, and Germany. Frear was also invited to, and usually attended, embassy birthday celebrations in honor of Queen Elizabeth II of England.
Throughout his tenure in office, Senator Frear received yearly invitations to the commencement ceremonies of Delaware State College, Wesley College, and his alma mater, the University of Delaware. He was also invited to graduations at Delaware nursing academies, vocational schools, and special education schools.
Senator Frear received many invitations to semi-annual business meetings. Because Frear heavily focused his attentions on farm-related issues, he was invited to many business meetings hosted by organizations such as the Delaware Farm Bureau, the Guernsey Breeder's Association, the Farmer's Bank of the State of Delaware, and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.
Religious organizations based in Delaware, such as the Wilmington Council of Churches and the First Congregational Church of Dover, of which Senator Frear was a member, invited Frear to several events per year. Most of these events were fund-raisers or prayer meetings. On a less frequent basis, Frear was invited to participate in conferences hosted by B'nai B'rith and the Anti-Defamation League of Delaware, which usually engaged speakers or supported round-table discussions on the topic of anti-semitism.
Additionally, Senator Frear was invited to several hundred congressional and senate luncheons, as well as various political dinners which engaged prominent speakers on world events. During the latter years of Frear's senate career, many of the these dinners focused on Moral Re-Armament, which was a public relations campaign designed to weaken the communist hold over developing nations through a series of ideological attacks, combined with financial support from democratic nations.
Senator Frear received invitations from every branch of the Armed Services for a variety of events and galas. Everything from commencement services for cadets, to marching band competitions, to christening ceremonies for new battleships and airplanes, is represented in the Invitation Files. In 1952, Frear attended the grand opening of the Chrysler Tank Plant, located in Newark, Delaware, at which Mrs. George Patton had the honor of christening the first tank produced at the Newark facility. Additionally, Frear was the recipient of several hundred invitations over his senatorial career from veterans' organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and Survivors of World War I.
On a more social note, Senator Frear was invited to innumerable weddings, birthday parties, christenings, anniversaries, and cocktail parties. Senator Frear's Invitation files also contain several advertisements for dramatic and comical presentations, movie premieres, broadway shows, and musicals.
There are two distinguishing breaks in the filing organization of the Invitation files worthy of mention. In 1953, Senator Frear employed a new social secretary. From this point onward, a monthly list was kept which detailed every single invitation Senator Frear received. The lists detail acceptances and regrets, and recount the manner of response for invitations. "Regretted by phone" and "accepted conditionally" are examples of standard responses.
In 1959, Senator Frear's secretary began using a new, singular form in addition to the monthly listings of invitations. These forms were for the Senator's use, and functioned as a daily reminder. The forms outlined the type of affair taking place, whether he was expected to make a speech, and whether he needed to bring a gift for the occasion.
Files are arranged by year. Contents of each folder are in chronological order, and all schedule lists are in reverse chronological order.
The original Invitation files extended 10.5 linear feet. Because of the repetitive and generally non-informative nature of the material, only a relatively small sample of .75 linear feet was retained. The Invitation files included detailed monthly summaries of invitations received, accepted, and declined. These summaries have been retained along with a sample of invitations.
Physical Description.75 linear feet
The correspondence in the Case files recorded constituent requests for personal assistance or information on a wide range of subjects, and Senator Frear's responses to each inquiry. The constituent requests frequently related to specific federal or Delaware government agencies, although some requests did not involve governmental interaction. In all cases, the reports that were generated were distinctly personal and, consequently, confidential in nature. It was because of the confidential nature of the Case files that the material in this series was not retained.
The original arrangement of the case files reflected an emphasis on individuals rather than topics, although two major categories of requests were evident throughout the series: employment searches and intercessions for military personnel.
Between 60 and 70 percent of the cases in the files originated with Delaware constituents who sought Senator Frear's assistance in dealing with various branches of the armed services. The files contained pleas for hardship deferments, "compassionate discharges," emergency leaves, and financial allotments for dependents. The Case files contained requests for information regarding the welfare of particular servicemen, and assistance in seeking promotions, commissions, or appointments to military academies. Also included in the Case files were requests for reassignment of duties to match a person's education and training, and pleas for intercessions for soldiers facing court martials or other disciplinary actions.
Many of the cases developed as a result of family hardships created by the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950. Because the United States did not employ a universal draft at the beginning of the Korean conflict, military personnel in the inactive Reserves were called to active duty. Frequently, Reservists served several years in Korea, causing their families to suffer emotional and financial hardships. Much of the correspondence from Reservists revealed frustration with the arbitrary system of extending terms of service and the need for a universal draft. Many of these families sought Senator Frear's assistance in obtaining an early release or deferment for their military family member.
Although Senator Frear made it clear that he had no jurisdiction in military cases, he and his staff attempted to follow each case to its conclusion, providing information about filing requests for "compassionate" or hardship discharges, writing to various branches of the military on behalf of constituents, and relating the results of their inquiries to the families. In some cases, the assistance which Frear and his staff provided proved favorable, but the military routinely rejected most requests for discharge or transfer.
Similar to the military-related inquiries were the veterans' claims received by Frear's office. Veterans or their families sought assistance with employment (based on veteran status), medical benefits, or reviews of their classification of military discharge.
Assistance with employment was the second category of requests which dominated the Case files. Constituents requested assistance in obtaining civil service or patronage positions, civilian jobs or contracts at Dover Air Force Base, and recommendations from Senator Frear for job applications. Frear also received letters from constituents seeking political appointments to Delaware seats and positions on the Democratic National Committee, as well as requests seeking assistance in protesting firings or releases from employment, or unemployment benefits. In response, Senator Frear's staff referred persons to the appropriate federal agencies for job applications, provided job recommendations when appropriate, explained the Senate patronage system, interpreted civil service requirements, and arranged appointments for prospective candidates with federal agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Intelligence and the State Department. This series also included information on the employment pool from which Frear's office staff was selected.
Although military and employment inquiries dominated the Case files, constituents also sought the Senator's assistance with obtaining Social Security benefits or admission to the University of Delaware, guidance on legal issues or intercessions with local parole boards, help in locating estranged family members, seeking welfare assistance or housing, obtaining passports or driver's licenses, and interpreting U.S. tax laws.
Senator Frear and his staff made every effort to respond to each constituent's request, and the responses always expressed interest in the constituent's concerns. Whenever possible, Senator Frear offered to expedite matters if they fell within the realm of his jurisdiction. The constituent responses reflected their genuine appreciation for Frear's personal approach to their inquiries.
Because of the extremely personal nature of the constituent case files, the material in this series has not been retained. The series was originally arranged alphabetically by name of constituent. 10 linear feet discarded.
The General Department Appointment files contain constituent correspondence related to Senator Frear's choices of nominees to appointed positions, a Resolution from the Agua Caliente Band of Mission Indians, and petitions from various Delaware state church groups protesting the presidential appointment of an Ambassador to the Vatican. Additionally, there are vitae and resumes for potential candidates, as well as information concerning statements and actions of senators Frear and Williams.
Constituent correspondence both supports and opposes Senator Frear's nominees for appointed positions. In 1950, a considerable amount of opposition was generated in response to the possible appointment of Mrs. Anna Rosenberg as Assistant to the Secretary of Defense. The majority of objections revolved around the fact that she was suspected of being a communist sympathizer, as she had allegedly aided in the organization of a union meeting. She was also accused of supporting a policy of "reorientation," which would help returning veterans readjust to civilian life. This policy was considered by some to reflect un-American values. A similar situation prompted a wave of constituent response in May 1959, when Senator Frear voted for a nominee to the Secretary of Commerce cabinet position, Mr. Lewis Strauss. Background articles defending Strauss's nomination indicate the source of controversy was routed in anti-semitic sentiment.
On January 1, 1956, Senator Frear received a letter of protest from the Women's Society of Christian Service, regarding the appointment of Wesley A. D'Ewart to the position of Assistant Secretary of the Interior in charge of Indian Affairs. The letter was accompanied by several others with similar content, claiming that the appointee had a track record of open hostility toward Native Americans, particularly when dealing with issues of Native Americans rights. This letter was attached to Resolution Number 289, set forth by the Agua Caliente Band of Mission Indians, which directly opposed D'Ewart's appointment.
In February 1955, strong opposition was raised concerning the appointment of Judge John Marshall Harlan to the U.S. Supreme Court for his alleged membership in the Atlantic Union, and his opposition to the Bricker Amendment. Judge Harlan's opposition claimed that his intent was to do away with the Constitution and install in its place a "World Government." Again in December of 1956, Senator Frear received several letters protesting the appointment of U.S. Supreme Court Judge William Joseph Brennan on the grounds that he was Roman Catholic, and some constituents believed that his oath to the Papacy would override any other decisions he might make.
There are also several letters from constituents supporting and opposing nominees for various positions with the Internal Revenue Service, the Internal Claims Commission, and the U.S. Court of Patents and Customs. The book dated January 5, 1955, (see "Miscellaneous Appointments: 1957-1960") contains a complete listing of nominations which were submitted by the President of the United States to the Senate. Frear's correspondence to constituents also outlines some of the criteria and qualifications which factor into the nomination process. In response to a letter questioning his rejection of one candidate, Frear explained that the nominee did not "satisfy him completely" when asked to discuss the issue of "Red China's admission to the United Nations."
Perhaps the appointment which generated the most response was President Truman's decision to appoint an Ambassador to the Vatican in 1951. Church groups from every denomination presented petitions urging Senator Frear to refrain from supporting this appointment, as it conflicted with the fundamental separation of church and state in the U.S. Constitution. Additionally, many of the religious organizations believed an Ambassador to the Vatican would give political recognition to only one church body, advertently granting religious preference. The Vatican Appointment files contain various religious publications which report on this issue, such as the January 1952 issues of The Lutheran Witness, and Presbyterian Life. There are also several open letters of protest to the President, and responses from Senator Frear which state his intentions to uphold the separation of church and state.
The Collector of Internal Revenue files house information which relates directly to Delaware's U.S. senators. In the January 1952 issue of Reader's Digest, the Wilmington Collector of Internal Revenue, Ernest Killen, remarked negatively on Senator Williams's tax policies. Before Reader's Digest and The Wilmington Sunday Star had an opportunity to publish the article, Senator Williams contacted Killen by telegram, asking him to explain his problem to the Senator directly, instead of taking it to the press. Senator Williams forwarded information regarding his communication with Killen to Senator Frear.
In 1957, Senator Frear was the recipient of many favorable telegrams and letters from residents of Washington, D.C. Senator Frear had made a statement concerning the appointment of the District's Juvenile Court judges, suggesting that candidates should have actual experience with juveniles in order to be considered for positions within the Juvenile Court system.
Files are arranged in alphabetical order. The contents of each file are arranged in reverse chronological order.
The Post Office files contain constituent correspondence concerning Delaware post office mergers and closings, changes in mailing routes, and recommendations and denunciations of specific candidates applying for federal postal jobs in Delaware. A number of letters relate to matters of internal strife and alleged misconduct at certain Delaware post offices. There are also several recommendations from Senator Frear to the President regarding potential appointees to Delaware postmasterships. Additionally, the Post Office files contain original announcements for job vacancies, examination information related to each job, sample tests, and census questionnaires. The Post Office Files provide significant insight into local politics in Delaware during the 1950s, as many of the internal and external disputes were politically motivated.
Many of the small Delaware state post offices were threatened with closure throughout Senator Frear's tenure in office. Post offices in Arden, Claymont, Harbeson, Magnolia, and Shelbyville were among those which were reevaluated and slated for mergers with larger, neighboring post offices. Each rural post office was evaluated on the basis of frequency of use, number of residents serviced, and number of businesses in the area. At the same time, rural routes were being consolidated, and some constituents were being forced to travel several miles in order to retrieve their mail.
Both the suggestions of mergers and rural route consolidations were met with tremendous constituent opposition, which manifested itself in the form of letters and petitions to senators Frear and Williams. In addition to the inconvenience imposed upon residents by these changes, the consolidation of postal routes and offices eliminated jobs at every level of labor, from mail carriers to postmasters, as was the case in Harbeson in March 1955. Senator Frear sympathetically stated to one Arden resident that he believed the post offices provided a "sense of community" which consolidation would inevitably alter. The changes in the postal system in the 1950s serve as a useful measure of Delaware demographics of the time, as migration and settlement patterns are recorded therein.
The Post Office files also provide insight into Delaware local politics. Appointments for post office vacancies were extremely competitive, and federal law mandated preference to veterans for all positions under the Veterans Preference Act. An additional five to ten points, dependent upon the extent and circumstance of the candidate's military service, was added to the final score of the mandatory postal job examinations, usually placing veterans in the lead for consideration. In February 1950, the postmaster of Bridgeville was terminated because he failed to abide by the hiring laws set forth by the Veterans Preference Act when hiring a substitute clerk. The position of postmaster, which is determined by appointment of the President of the United States, was usually filled by a veteran or the widow of a former postmaster. The Post Office files contain only one instance of community discord with the hiring of a veteran for the position of postmaster. In March 1949, Senator Frear's recommendation for the postmaster position in Cheswald was disputed by constituents on the racially discriminating grounds that the candidate was a "Moor" (a person of mixed black and Indian heritage in Delaware).
Files on the Middletown Post Office provide an example of personal employee disputes which became community issues. In 1952, an unidentified source, who was believed to be a colleague at odds with the accused, wrote an anonymous letter to the postmaster regarding the job performance of a rural mail carrier. The mail carrier was accused of consuming intoxicants while on duty, and as a result, neglecting to deliver mail to certain residents. The initial letters of explanation and complaint to Senator Frear are followed by a series of character references on behalf of the mail carrier. This particular situation was not uncommon, as similar events transpired at the Milton Post Office in 1952, and resulted in a community divided by loyalties and opinions.
The Seaford Post Office file depicts the post office employees in a state of conflict with factions of the larger community. In this heavily disputed case in July 1954, Congressman Herbert Warburton called for an investigation of the Seaford Post Office and its postmaster, Joe Cox. The Delmarva Leader published an article which accused Warburton of attempting to terminate the postmaster and his staff and replace them with Republican party members. Warburton's investigation resulted in the dismissal of Postmaster Cox, who responded to the fifteen official charges filed against him in the November 1, 1954 issue of The Delmarva Leader . The constituent correspondence which resulted from this controversy was overwhelmingly in support of Cox, and prompted Senator Frear to respond with a personal inquiry to Congressman Warburton.
There are several cases of misconduct throughout the Post Office Department Files, each case accompanied by forms, affidavits, and ledgers which served to define proper federal process. Charges ranged from simple cases of oversight to thievery and dereliction. In May 1951, one postmaster was charged with failure to perform the duties of his job. Also in May 1951, the postmistress of Shelbyville was accused of twenty counts of misconduct and basic perfunctory inadequacies. In February 1952, another postmistress admitted to converting $171.46 of COD funds to cash and coveting the money from the Millville Post Office.
The Wilmington Post Office files are the largest grouping in this series, containing six individual files. The first file contains general correspondence, October and June (1954) issues of Local 152 National Federation of Post Office Clerks newsletter, and an October 20, 1954 letter to the President of Local 152, stating that the Wilmington Post Office was "unsanitary" and posed a health hazard to workers and patrons.
The Post Office Department files are arranged alphabetically by the name of the town or postal office. The contents of each folder are in reverse chronological order.