PHILIPPI HARDING BUTLER PAPERS
(1898-1976)
Scope and Content Note
The Philippi Harding Butler Papers consist of correspondence, clippings,
bibliographies, indexes, instructions, inventories, lists, memoranda, messages, notes
and telegrams generated as a result of her association with Herbert and Lou Henry
Hoover. They are arranged alphabetically by name and subject.
Mrs. Butler's first contact with the Hoovers' came in 1918 when she was a
senior at Stanford University. In her free time she did typing and stenograhic work for
Dare Stark McMullin, who then was Lou Henry Hoover's secretary. When Philippi
completed her graduate work at Stanford in 1920, Mrs. Hoover asked her to stay on
their staff as her secretary, moving East with them in 1921 when Mr. Hoover became
Secretary of Commerce. She lived with them in their house at 2300 S St. in Washington,
D.C. She left Mrs. Hoover's employ in 1924 to be married to an army lieutenant,
Frederic Butler, and moved to China. Returning to California in 1926, she continued to
do errands and assignments for Mrs. Hoover whenever needed.
In 1931 Mrs. Butler returned to Washington, D.C. and re-entered Mrs. Hoover's
employ as a White House secretary. A large portion of this correspondence was pleas
for assistance. Mrs. Hoover was very concerned about these and Mrs. Butler, who had
been placed in charge of answering them, would make the contacts for confidential
inquiries about the extent of need and the availability of help. She also assisted President
Hoover's stenographers at his study in the White House. In March of 1933 Mrs.
Butler supervised the packing and moving of all of the Hoovers' possessions out of
the White House to their Washington, D.C. and California homes, family members
and to storage.
Just before leaving the White House, Mrs. Hoover pencilled a note to Mrs.
Butler: "By the way if anything should happen to me I want you to take complete
charge of my maze of papers and documents....and this is a legal document!" And so,
upon Mrs. Hoover's death in 1944, Herbert Hoover gave Mrs. Butler that assignment.
She worked off and on sorting, reviewing and making inventories of the Lou Henry
Hoover Papers at the Hoover Institution in Stanford University until they were shipped
to West Branch in 1969.
Folder List
Box Contents
1
American Relief Administration, 1923,1957
Automobiles, 1942
Bachrach Photography Studio, 1929,1969
Becker's Leather Goods, 1931-32
Bekins Van and Storage Company, 1961-62
Beyer, Barnet J., 1931
Book Lists, 1933,1962,1966
Boone, Joel T., 1963-69
Bowman, Gertrude, 1961
Boxer Rebellion, Bibliography
Boys' Clubs of America, 1961
Bradley, Hugh W., 1946,1958
Butler, Billy, ca. 1934
Campbell, Mildred Hall, 1933-74
Carson, Marcile L., 1962
Chamberlain, John, 1959
Clark, Birge & Melissa, 1969-73
Commission on Relief to Belgium, n/d
Converse, Maude, 1929
Dempsey, Elizabeth, 1961-64
Dwyer, Sue, 1959
Embassy Jewelers, 1958
Everest, Folsom, 1974
Fan Guild of Boston, 1960
Fitzgerald, B. "Skinnay", 1974
Fletcher, Gertrude, n/d
Forty-two Years in the White House by Ike Hoover
George A. Simonds & Co., 1931
Grandi, Dino, Visit, 1931
Green, Helen, 1936
Hackett, C. Nelson, 1920,1976
Harding, Philippi H., Personal File, n/d
Henle, Ray, 1966-70
Henriques, Aleda, 1933
Henry Croft, n/d
Herbert Hoover
Birthplace Foundation, 1962, 1971,n/d
Foundation, Newberg, Oregon, 1955
Junior High School, San Francisco, Calif., 1956
Oral History Program
See Also: Henle, Ray
Interview with
Butler, Fred B.
Butler, Philippi H.
Presidential Library
L'Allier, Roland, 1962
Langone, William, 1959-63
Lassner, Franz, 1965-66
Miller, Dwight, 1966-73
Thalken, Thomas T., 1962, 1969-76
Wood, Robert, 1971-74
2
Printed Material, 1962-74
Herbert Hoover Presidential Library Association
Correspondence, 1971-76
News, 1972-74
Printed Material, 1971-74
Hereford, Rockwell, 1970-73
Holland-Amerika Line, n/d
Hoover
Allan, 1924-74
Andrew, 1962
Genealogy, n/d
Herbert
Archives, 1924, n/d
Articles and Speeches, 1919-64
Calling Cards and Wax Seals, n/d
Christmas Cards, 1913-64
3
Correspondence, 1918-64
Diplomas & Honorary Degrees, 1924
Gifts, 1959
Latin America Trip, 1928-29
Photos & Portraits, 1928
Herbert, Jr., 1933-69
Household
See Also: Hoover Institution, LHH Room
Possessions, 1920-43
Secretaries, Attaches & Aides, 1959
Shipments, 1920-33
Institution
See Also:
1. Hoover, Lou Henry, Archives
2. Hoover, Household Possessions
Correspondence, 1945-77
Lou Henry Hoover Room Inventories
1942-49
1956-58
1959
1960-68, n/d
Printed Material, 1941-69, n/d
Lou Henry
Correspondence
Ca. 1898-1933
1934-44, n/d
Archives
See Also: Hoover Institution, LHH Rm.
Card Catalogues
Cross References
4
File Charts, n/d
Inventories
Ca. 1924
Ca. 1944
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1964-66
n/d
Miscellaneous Prints, n/d
Processing Procedures & Notes, 1924-67, n/d
Bibliography
Biographical Outline, 1898-1941
Cash Accounting, 1932-33
Clubs and Organizations
Correspondence, 1921-25
Cross References
List, 1920-44
Diplomas & Honorary Degrees, 1923-33
Form Letters
Notes by Lou Henry Hoover, 1931-32
Sample Copies
Secretary's File, 1931-32
Invitations Declined, 1925-29
"John Milne, Seismologist", article, 1912
People Entertained at Stanford Univ., 1942
Photographs & Portraits
Property Stored in Registrar's Safe, Stanford University,
1919
Requests for Assistance, 1921-31
Secretary's Instructions, 1925
Speeches, 1913-32
Wooster, Ohio, ca. 1931
Hotel Gotham, 1917
Huneke, Lydia Murray, 1974
5
Ingle-Nook Studios, 1929-31
Julius Garfinckel & Co., 1931-32
Large, Jean Henry (Mrs. Guthrie), 1941-71
Lipman, Ruth Fesler, 1961-74
London County Westminster Bank, n/d
McGuire, Mary M., n/d
McLean, Hulda Hoover, 1965-74
McMullin, Dare Stark, 1925-34
MacNeil, Neil, 1957
Magee, Ralph W., 1933
Mann, Russell & Barbie, 1974
Mason, Frank, 1970
Miller, Bernice "Bunny"
1953-60
1961-72
Missal Disposition, 1956-57
Mitchell, Ruth Comfort, 1928
Monihan, William J., 1965
Monterey County (California) Recorder, 1966
Mullendore, W.C., 1965
Murdock, Kenneth, 1965
National Savings & Trust Co., 1924-26
Pan American Airways System American Clipper, 1931
Peninsula Living, 1963
Prints, Portraits, Photos and Etchings
See Also:
1. Hoover, Lou Henry Archives
2. Hoover, Lou H. Photos & Portraits
3. Hoover, H., Photos & Portraits
4. Hoover Institution, LHH Room
Correspondence and Receipts
A - B, General, 1929-33
C - D, General, 1929-32
Claghorn, J.C., 1931-34
Crandall, Berton, 1929
I - H, 1929-32
J - M, 1929-33
O, General, 1926-32
Public Buildings & Parks of the National Capitol, 1931
R, General, 1929-32
V, General, 1929-31
Young, J.W., 1932
W, General, 1929-33
Hoover Collection, card catalog
6
Lists
Etchings Collection
Prints Collection
Capitol
Colleges
White House
Portraits and Photographs Collection
Hoover, Lou Henry
Miscellaneous
Prindle, Kirk H. Mrs., 1974
Pryor, Helen B., 1961-69
Rapidan Camp, ca. 1930-65
Republican National Convention, 1956
Richey, Larry, 1933
Rickard, Edgar, 1933-34
Robinson, Henry M., 1933
Roosevelt, Eleanor (Mrs. Franklin D.), 1933
San Francisco Foundation, n/d
Saturday Evening Post, 1959
Security Storage Company, 1933
Shenandoah Natural History Association, 1969-76
Smaus, Jewel, 1960-67
Smith, H. Alexander, 1949
Spargo, John, 1936
S.S. President Hoover, 1930-57
Stanford University, 1928-64, n/d
Stimson, Henry L., 1931
Taft, William Howard, n/d
U.S. Army Reserve, 1974
U.S. Government Printing Office, 1932
West Branch Heritage Foundation, 1965
White, Helen, 1959-73
White House
Bookplates, Cards & Programs, 1930-33
Calling Cards Left at, Lists, 1929-30
Etchings and Lithographs, n/d
File Numbers, 1930
Guest Lists
Dinners, 1929-33
Diplomatic Teas
1929
1931
Luncheons, 1929-32
Parties, 1931-n/d
7
Receptions, 1930-32, n/d
People Entertained, 1929-33
Sources
Chamber of Commerce, 1926-30
Education, 1929-30, n/d
Government, 1929-31, n/d
Newspapers, 1929-32
Religious Organizations & Churches
Republicans, 1924-32,n/d
Various Other Categories, 1929-31,n/d
White, W.L., 1960
"Who's Who & Why In The White House" by Irwin H.
(Ike) Hoover, 1934
The World's Work, April, 1922
YWCA, Lou Henry Hoover Memorial, 1961-62
Clippings
1923-31
1940-63
1964, n/d