Herbert Hoover Presidential Library
West Branch, Iowa
The papers of political analyst Rogers C. Dunn (1902-1985) document the career of the publisher of the influential Dunn Survey, with a special emphasis on the years from 1935 to 1945. Dunn’s son donated this collection to the Hoover Presidential Library in 1990.
Rogers Cleveland Dunn was born on September 14, 1902 in Scarsdale, New York.
Dunn spent the bulk of his career as a political analyst and writer, though as a young man he was employed by the Department of Commerce during the tenure of Secretary Herbert Hoover. Dunn left government service to work on Wall Street, a career that ended with the onset of the Great Depression.
In the early 1930s Dunn, a lifelong Republican, initiated the Dunn Survey, a publication which researched the relationship between government and public opinion by tracking editorials from thousands of newspapers across the nation. Dunn also incorporated the influence of the “relief vote” into the survey. He sometimes argued that if one person was employed by the Federal government (and usually by the WPA), he would vote Democratic at the polls and bring three other Democrat voters with him. Dunn used this statistical data to predict the outcome of Congressional and presidential elections. He intended the Survey to be an illustration of the mechanics of the political scene for businessmen and politicians, and a way for Republicans to address the reasons for Democratic political successes.
In 1936 Dunn was hired by the Republican National Committee to head a project of studying editorials from newspapers across the nation, but he held this position only for two months, after which the Committee terminated the contract due to budget concerns.
Dunn’s significance as a political analyst was at its peak from the late 1930s through the 1960s, during which time his opinions were published in over 120 newspapers. Over his lifetime, Dunn corresponded regularly with the chairmen of national companies as well as with members of Congress about political trends and events, and he often solicited their support in the form of subscriptions to his Survey. He gained the respect of business and political figures alike for his political analyses, and was duly acknowledged for his successes in national newspapers. In particular, Dunn received acclamation for his prediction that President Truman would defeat challenger Thomas Dewey in the 1948 Presidential election.
In his retirement years, one of the more significant aspects of Dunn’s personal life was his conversion and commitment to Christianity. Rogers Dunn died in Laurel, Maryland on April 22, 1985.
The Rogers C. Dunn Papers span four boxes (approximately 1.6 linear feet) and contain two series: Professional and Personal. The documents range in date from 1902 to 1990, but the bulk of the material dates from 1935-1945.
The Professional Series contains correspondence from the years 1935 to 1981, and is arranged alphabetically by correspondent. These documents primarily concern the political scene during the Roosevelt years, Dunn’s unsuccessful efforts to secure funding for a proposed national radio program, the problems and ideological failures of the Republican Party, election forecasting, and the Dunn Survey. Included in this series is Dunn’s correspondence with Herbert Hoover. His connection with Hoover is documented from 1928 through 1962, but the correspondence kept in this collection is not substantial. There are approximately 17 letters from Hoover that are essentially notes in praise of the Survey and Dunn’s advice to the Republican Party.
At the end of the Professional series is a subseries titled “Printed Matter.” These folders contain newspaper and periodical clippings related to the Dunn Survey, as well as actual copies of Dunn’s publications.
The Personal Series spans from 1902 to 1990, and fills one document box. It includes personal correspondence with Dunn’s son Peter, mostly concerning Dunn’s religious faith, as well as various personal documents, photographs, and news clippings.
It is important to note that the Dunn Papers do not include any of the statistical data used by Dunn to compile the Survey and his election forecasts. The documents describe the way in which the Dunn Survey was received by the political and business community, but Dunn was very private about the actual compilation of the figures.
Box and Folder Inventory
Correspondence
A-C, 1935-1969
Congress, 1949-1955
Da-Dit, 1935-1958
Ditter, J. William, 1939-1943
Do-Dum, 1937-1945
Dunn, Gano, 1936-1945
Dunn, Harris A., 1939-1944
Dunn, Mrs. Rogers C., 1936-1940
Dunn-Dz, 1936-1945
E, 1936-1958
F, 1936-1964
Gamble, Ralph A., 1934-1944, undated
Gar-Gz, 1935-1964
Ha-Hol, 1935-1963
Hoover, Herbert, 1928-1962
How-Hz, 1938-1964
I, 1936-1971
J, 1938-1958
Correspondence
K, 1936-1960
L, 1935-1978
Landon, Alfred M., 1941-1945
Luce, Clare Boothe, 1942-1976
MacM, Mc – Marsi, 1935-1964
Mart – Mi, 1935-1945
Mo-Mz, 1935-1945
N, 1936-1981
O, 1937-1944
Pa-Pe, 1935-1968
Pf-Pz, 1936-1964
R, 1935-1958
Republican National Committee, 1936
Correspondence
Sa-So, 1935-1964
Saxon, Dr. O. Glen, 1936-1942
Sharples, Phil, 1935-1945
Sp-Sz, 1936-1978
T, 1936 -1972
Unidentified Correspondence, 1935-1971
U, V, 1939-1944
Wa-Wo, 1935-1958
Weir, Ernest T., 1939-1945
Wilkie, Wendell, 1940-1943
Wright, Mrs. Hamilton (Toody), 1940-1941
Wright, Mrs. Hamilton (Toody), 1942-March 1945
Wright, Mrs. Hamilton (Toody), April 1945-September 1945, undated
Wy-Z, 1940-1944
Printed Matter
1936-1949
Box 4 Professional
Printed Matter
1950-1956
1957-1960
1961-1973
1974-1978
1979-1989
Undated
Personal
Correspondence
Dunn,
Peter (1967-1990)
Sons of the Revolution (1923-1949)
Birth Certificate/Will (1902-1967)
Obituary/Death Notices (1985)
Scrapbook (1914)