Walter D. Myers papers
Collection
Identifier: L115
Scope and Contents
This collection includes correspondence from Walter D. Myers and others in Indianapolis, Indiana and elsewhere; papers from Walter D. Myers' career; newspaper and magazine articles; political speeches; medals and various other memorabilia; and programs from conventions and other meetings ranging from 1906 to 1969 regarding political life, family matters and achievements; and work matters.
There is also an oversive folder containing Myers' certificate of appointment from 1940 and a newspaper clipping from 1948 (OB188).
There is also an oversive folder containing Myers' certificate of appointment from 1940 and a newspaper clipping from 1948 (OB188).
Dates
- 1906-1969, undated
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.
Biographical Note
Walter Dennis Myers was born on December 19, 1882, in Rye Township, Perry County, Pennsylvania, to George Ranson and Helen Henrietta Myers and had at least 8 siblings. He received an A.B. degree from Yale University in 1905 and an LL.B. from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana in 1907. Myers was admitted to the Indiana bar in 1907 and began practicing law in Indianapolis, Indiana. On June 3, 1913, Myers married Katharine Lyons (1891–1975), with whom he had 3 children: Walter, Jr. (1914-1967), Joseph Norwood (1915–2009), and Katharine "Kitty" (1916-2015).
Myers was a veteran of World War I and helped organize the American Legion, working for its headquarters to be located in Indianapolis. From 1913 to 1937, Myers served in a variety of public offices including attorney for the Safety, Public Health, Park and Sanitary Boards of Indiana; assistant Indianapolis city attorney; speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives (1931-1933); and special counsel to a U.S. Senate Committee (1936-1937). In 1940, he was appointed fourth asistant postmaster general by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and served until 1953.
Myers was very active in Democratic politics, serving a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1920, 1924, and 1928. When Roosevelt was up for the vice-presidential nomination, Myers delivered one of the nominating speeches at the Democratic National Convention. Myers ran for mayor of Indianapolis in 1925 as an anti-Ku Klux Klan candidate but was defeated by John L. Duvall. In 1928, he ran for the United States Senate but was again defeated. In addition to his career of public service, Walter Myers was also an author. He wrote a number of articles and law books including, The 'Guv': A Tale of Midwest Law and Politics. Myers died on August 4, 1973 and was buried in Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis.
Sources:
Items in the collection.
Ancestry.com. "Katharine Myers." Indiana, U.S., Birth Certificates, 1907-1940. Accessed October 21, 2021. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Katharine Myers Northman Dickson." U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current. Accessed October 21, 2021. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Walter Myers." 1910 United States Federal Census. Accessed October 21, 2021. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Walter Myers." 1930 United States Federal Census. Accessed October 21, 2021. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Walter Myers, Jr." Indiana, U.S., Birth Certificates, 1907-1940. Accessed October 21, 2021. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
"Myers, Walter." In Indiana Authors and Their Books, 1917-1966, p. 445. Crawfordsville, IN: Wabash College, 1974.
Findagrave.com. "Katharine Myers Dickson." Find A Grave Memorial. Accessed May 18, 2016. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/196210578/katharine-dickson.
Findagrave.com. "Walter D. Myers." Find A Grave Memorial. Accessed May 18, 2016. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/45976801/walter-myers.
Myers was a veteran of World War I and helped organize the American Legion, working for its headquarters to be located in Indianapolis. From 1913 to 1937, Myers served in a variety of public offices including attorney for the Safety, Public Health, Park and Sanitary Boards of Indiana; assistant Indianapolis city attorney; speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives (1931-1933); and special counsel to a U.S. Senate Committee (1936-1937). In 1940, he was appointed fourth asistant postmaster general by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and served until 1953.
Myers was very active in Democratic politics, serving a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1920, 1924, and 1928. When Roosevelt was up for the vice-presidential nomination, Myers delivered one of the nominating speeches at the Democratic National Convention. Myers ran for mayor of Indianapolis in 1925 as an anti-Ku Klux Klan candidate but was defeated by John L. Duvall. In 1928, he ran for the United States Senate but was again defeated. In addition to his career of public service, Walter Myers was also an author. He wrote a number of articles and law books including, The 'Guv': A Tale of Midwest Law and Politics. Myers died on August 4, 1973 and was buried in Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis.
Sources:
Items in the collection.
Ancestry.com. "Katharine Myers." Indiana, U.S., Birth Certificates, 1907-1940. Accessed October 21, 2021. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Katharine Myers Northman Dickson." U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current. Accessed October 21, 2021. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Walter Myers." 1910 United States Federal Census. Accessed October 21, 2021. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Walter Myers." 1930 United States Federal Census. Accessed October 21, 2021. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Walter Myers, Jr." Indiana, U.S., Birth Certificates, 1907-1940. Accessed October 21, 2021. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
"Myers, Walter." In Indiana Authors and Their Books, 1917-1966, p. 445. Crawfordsville, IN: Wabash College, 1974.
Findagrave.com. "Katharine Myers Dickson." Find A Grave Memorial. Accessed May 18, 2016. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/196210578/katharine-dickson.
Findagrave.com. "Walter D. Myers." Find A Grave Memorial. Accessed May 18, 2016. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/45976801/walter-myers.
Extent
0.35 Cubic Feet (1 manuscript box; 1 oversize folder)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
This collection is arranged by subject.
Custodial History
This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation from Walter Myers, Jr. on 1974/03/12 and Mrs. Dickson on 1975/03/31.
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed 2005/12/09 by Christina Baich. EAD finding aid created 22016/05/18 by Edythe Huffman. EAD finding aid revised 2021/09/09 by Lauren Patton; 2021/10/21 by Brittany Kropf.
- Buttons
- Certificates
- Clippings
- Correspondence
- Indiana -- Politics and government
- Indiana -- Politics and government -- 20th century
- Indianapolis (Ind.)
- Myers family
- Politicians
- Politicians -- Indiana
- Politics and government
- Postmasters -- Indiana
- Programs
- Souvenirs (Keepsakes)
- Speeches, addresses, etc.
- World War, 1914-1918
Creator
- Title
- Walter D. Myers papers
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository
Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
