WILLIAM B. ANDERSON PAPERS
Herbert Hoover Presidential Library
West Branch, Iowa
The William B. Anderson Papers document the activities of the president-emeritus of the Herbert Hoover Birthplace Foundation. In this capacity, Anderson was instrumental in organizing the restoration of the birthplace and the establishment of the surrounding park, as well as the birthday celebrations for Herbert Hoover that were held in West Branch. Anderson became a trusted friend of the former President, and played a role in the decision to establish Hoover’s Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch. The William B. Anderson Papers were donated to the Hoover Presidential Library in 1978.
Biographical notes
January 20, 1896 Born, rural West Branch, Iowa
1902‑1914 Attended West Branch schools
1915 Attended Cedar Rapids Business College
1916 Opened Hardware & Furniture Store
1917‑1919 World War I, Philippines
October 14, 1920 Married Dorothy Bailey
1921 Attended Hobenshuh‑Carpenter College of
Mortuary Science
1922 Added Funeral Home to Hardware & Furniture Store
1928 Attended Republican National Convention
1929 Member, Hoover Birthplace Committee
April 18, 1939 Vice‑President, Herbert Hoover Birthday Society
March, 1948 President, Herbert Hoover Birthday Society
1954‑1957 Vice Chairman, Herbert Hoover Foundation, Inc.
October 23, 1958 President, Herbert Hoover Birthplace Foundation
1964 President‑emeritus, Herbert Hoover Birthplace Foundation
October 5, 1974 Died
Note: Served as Mayor of West Branch for 6 years, dates unknown.
Served as Republican Cedar County Chairman for 8 years,
dates unknown.
The William B. Anderson Papers are arranged in two series: Correspondence Files and Subject Files. The Correspondence Files are in chronological order, and the Subject Files are in alphabetical order. Frank Nye used these papers in writing his book, Doors of Opportunity: The Life and Legacy of Herbert Hoover. Inclusive dates for the collection are 1874 to 1977, although the bulk of the collection dates from 1947-1965. The size of the collection is 6.7 linear feet.
Box and Folder Inventory
BOX CONTENTS
1
Correspondence Files
1925 ‑ 1939
1940 ‑ 1946
1947
1948
January ‑ June
July 1 ‑ l0, 1948
July 11 ‑ 15, 1948
July 16 ‑ 25, 1948
July 26 ‑ 29, 1948
July 30 ‑ 31, 1948
2
August 1 ‑ 5, 1948
August 6 ‑ 9, 1948
August 10, 1948
August 11 ‑ 31, 1948
September ‑ December 1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
January ‑ June 1953
July ‑ December 1953
3
January ‑ April 1954
May 1954
June l ‑ 10, 1954
June 11 ‑ 30, 1954
July 1 ‑l5, 1954
July 16 ‑ 23, 1954
July 24 ‑ 3l, 1954
August 1 ‑ 9, 1954
August 10, 1954
4
August 11 ‑ 31, 1954
September ‑ October 1954
November ‑ December 1954
1955
January ‑ April 1955
May ‑ September 1955
October 1955
November ‑ December 1955
1956
January ‑ April 1956
May ‑ August 1956
September ‑ December 1956
1957
5
January ‑ February 1957
March ‑ May l957
June 1957
July ‑ September 1957
October ‑ December 1957
1958
January ‑ February
March ‑ April 1958
May ‑ June 1958
July ‑ September 1958
October 1958
6
November 1958
December 1958
1959
January ‑ February 1959
March 1959
April ‑ May 1959
June ‑ July 1959
August ‑ September 1959
October ‑ November 15, 1959
November ‑ 16 ‑ December 1959
1960
January ‑ February 1960
7
March ‑ April 1960
May ‑ June 10, 1960
June 11 ‑ July 15, l960
July 16 ‑ September 1960
October ‑ November 15, 1960
November 16 ‑ December 1960
1961
January ‑ February 1961
March ‑ April 1961
May ‑ June 196l
8
July ‑ August 1961
September ‑ October 1961
November 1961
December 1961
1962
January ‑ April 1962
May 1962
June 1962
July l ‑ July 2, 1962
July 3 ‑ July 9, 1962
9
July 10 ‑ July 11, 1962
July 12 ‑ July 16, 1962
July 17 ‑ July 20, 1962
July 21 ‑ July 25, 1962
July 26 ‑ July 31, 1962
August l ‑ August 3, 1962
August 4 ‑ August 7, 1962
10
August 8 ‑ August 9, 1962
August 10 ‑ August 13, 1962
August 14 ‑ August 31, 1962
September ‑ October 15, 1962
October 16 ‑ December 1962
1963
1964
January ‑ September 1964
October ‑ December 1964
1965
January ‑ April 1965
11
May ‑ July 1965
August ‑ December 1965
1966
1967
1968 ‑ 1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
Undated
BOX CONTENTS
12
Addresses and Speeches
A ‑ Z, 1928 ‑ 1966
Anderson, William B., 1930 ‑ 1962
Anderson, William B., 1963 ‑ 1965
Anderson, William B., 1966 ‑ 1973
Anderson, William B., Undated and Fragments
Anderson, William B., Material for Speeches
Hoover, Herbert C., 1925 ‑ 1962
Anderson, William B.
Oral History, October 5, l966
Personal, 1928 ‑ 1974 and Undated
Blueprints and Drawings, 1937 ‑ 1953
13
Blueprints and Drawings, 1954 ‑ 1965
Clippings
1925 ‑ August 15, 1928
August 16 ‑ August 21, 1928
August 22 ‑ December, 1928
1929
1930 ‑ 1947
January ‑ August 9, 1948
August 10 ‑ December 1948
1949 ‑ 1953
14
January ‑ August 9, 1954
August 10, 1954
August 11 ‑ December 1954
1955 ‑ 1959
1960 ‑ 1961
1962 ‑ 1963
1964
15
1965 ‑ 1974
Deed and Abstracts of Title
1848 ‑ 1910
1911 ‑ 1966
Herbert Hoover Birthplace Foundation
1954 ‑ 1964
1965 ‑ 1972
Herbert Hoover Birthplace Society, 1939 ‑ 1960
Herbert Hoover Library Association, Inc., 1973
Memorabilia
Old Friends Cemetery, West Branch, Iowa
Photographs
Poems
Printed Material
1874 ‑ 1947
1948 ‑ 1956
16
1957 ‑ 1959
1960 ‑ 1962
1963 ‑ 1964
1965 ‑ 1970
1971 ‑ 1977
Undated
Citizens Foreign Aid Committee, 1963 ‑ 1965
Citizens Foreign Aid Committee, 1966 ‑ 1969
Greater Iowa Development Corporation, 1962‑65
Weather Observations, August 10, 1874