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Indiana George Washington Bicentenary Commission collection

 Collection — Folder: S164
Identifier: S0164

Scope and Contents

This collection includes letters from Indiana politicians in United States Congress and members of the United States George Washington Bicentennial Commission in Washington, D.C. to members of the Indiana George Washington Bicentenary Commission ranging from December 7, 1931 to January 28, 1932 regarding speaking engagements and the difficulties obtaining materials on George Washington from the U.S. commission due to financial constraints.

Dates

  • 1931-1932

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.

Administrative History

President Calvin Coolidge established the United States George Washington Bicentennial Commission on December 2, 1924 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of George Washington's birth. Three U.S. president served as Chairman of the commission, while Senator Simeon D. Fess of Ohio served as vice chairman and Representative Sol Bloom of New York held the position of director. The vice president and speaker of the House of Representatives were also members of the commisssion. The commission organized events and facilitated the creation of written works and performances about George Washington, as well as compiling five volumes of literature about these activities and the history of Wasthington's life. Thousands upon thousands of bicentennial events and programs took place during the nine-month celebration, which began February 22, 1932.

Like other states, Indiana organized the Indiana George Washington Bicentenary Commission to oversee events and celebrations within the bounds of the state. Hugh McK. Landon was chairman of the Indiana commission, while Miller Hamilton served as executive secretary and George S. Cole as secretary of the organization. Chirstopher B. Coleman, director of the Indiana Historical Bureau and Historical Commission during the 1920s and 1930s, served as the Indianapolis member of the commission. Indiana had a total of 144,707 bicentennial programs, which included those held by music clubs, boy and girl scout troups, schools, women's organizations, agricultural organizations, churches, and fraternal, patriotic and civil organizations as well as those events planned by local, county and state government.

Sources:

Items in the collection.

U.S. George Washington Bicentennial Commission. History of the George Washington Bicentennial Celebration, vol. 5. Washington, D.C.: United States George Washington Bicentennial Commission, 1932), ii-xiii, 338-341, 489-491. Accessed August 4, 2015. http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/012466372.

Extent

0.01 Cubic Feet (1 folder)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

This collection is arranged chronologically.

Custodial History

This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation.

Accruals

No further additions are expected.

Processing Information

Collection processing completed 2015/08/04 by Brittany Kropf. EAD finding aid created 2015/08/04 by Brittany Kropf.
Title
Indiana George Washington Bicentenary Commission collection
Status
Completed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository

Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671