FRANK E. MASON PAPERS
Scope and Content Note
Frank E. Mason's life spanned several interesting careers which are only partially
documented in the papers he donated to three manuscript repositories. The State
Historical Society of Wisconsin received papers concerning his broadcasting career as
an NBC executive (1931-45) and his services as a special assistant for public relations
to Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox during World War II. Papers concerning his earlier
career as a newspaper executive (1920-31) with the International News Service
and his dispatches on the occupation policies of the Allied military government in
1945-47 were presented to the Hoover Institution in 1955.
The Hoover Presidential Library has also received materials related to all of
these activities--as reflected in correspondence, telephone logs and Mason's diaries.
The Library was also the recipient of Mason's files concerning his service as a regi-
mental intelligence officer and intelligence school instructor in World War I. Mason felt
that the war was a pivotal period in his life for it led to important assignments for
General Pershing after the Armistice, brought him to the attention of William
Randolph Hearst and ultimately led to a successful career as a newspaper and
broadcasting executive.
Mason's long friendship with Herbert Hoover, and the services he performed for
the "Chief" as a public relations advisor and literary executor, are the principal focus of
the papers Mason donated to the Hoover Presidential Library. Diaries and corres-
pondence with Hoover and Mason's wife Ellen (1945-47) provide interesting observations
concerning early Allied occupation policies.
While he was in Europe Mason also acted as a collector of manuscripts, records
and rare books for the Hoover Institution. His main coup was the discovery and
preservation of a large portion of the diaries of Joseph Goebbels. This led to a
prolonged fight with the Office of Alien Property which sought to block its publication
by Mason and his associates.
Mason's dispatches, coupled with his contacts and experience in both public
relations and in dealing with the military, no doubt influenced Hoover's decision to
select Mason as one of his principal assistants during Hoover's 1946 survey of the
world food supply situation. (The other aide was former ambassador Hugh Gibson.)
Mason's diary and chatty "Dear Julius" letters to Hoover's friend Julius Klein contain a
wealth of information concerning the politics of relief during the postwar period.
After the famine survey trip the Hoover-Mason relationship gradually matured
as Mason became one of Hoover's most-trusted advisors. In the late 1940's Mason
enlisted the assistance of Neil MacNeil, assistant managing editor of the New York
Times, in breaking the apparent press boycott on reporting news about Hoover. Once
the Times printed a Hoover story or statement, the others could no longer ignore it.
When Hoover began looking for a publisher for his Memoirs it was only natural to turn
to Mason whose talents as an agent and advisor eventually led to his becoming, along
with MacNeil, one of Hoover's literary executors. After the creation of the Hoover
Presidential Library, Mason's advice was frequently solicited in connection with the
development of the Library and its programs.
Inclusive dates: 1917-79 with bulk falling between 1918-75.
Volume: 16 linear feet, Portions restricted.
[* indicates materials received from Carol Mason Kirk]
Subject File
Box Contents
1
*A Misc. 1973
*Addresses, Christmas List 1962-80
*Air Force Unification 1943 & undated
*Atomic Energy
Austin, Paul 1973
*Author's Fund 1978
*Autographs
See: Mason guest book in box 27
*B Misc. 1943-72
Beard on Foreign Policy 1971-72
*Berlin 1919-26
Best, Gary Dean 1971
*Biographies undated
*Blumenson, Martin 1976
Books for Libraries, Inc. 1971-75
*Brophy, Ralph M. and Marge 1971-84
*Brown Ella
1968-70
1971-76 and undated
Burdick, Charles B. 1974-75
*Burdick, Charles B. 1975
Burner, David 1970-713
*Burner, David 1976
*C Misc. 1968-75
*Callaghan, Horace 1957-69
Campaign of 1932 Smears:
*Raskob Apology
Campaign of 1964
2
Campbell, Glenn
1961-67
1970-71
1972-75
*Campbell, Glenn & Rita 1974-77
*Capper (Raymond) Articles 1943-44
*Central Intelligence Agency 1946-48
*Christmas Cards & Letters
*Clarke, Carter 1968-78
*Colegrove, Kenneth 1968-75
*Colegrove, Psyche 1973-78
Columbia Oral History Program 1974
*Considine, Bob 1968-73
*Cox, Martha & Richard 1972-75
3
*D Misc.
*deToledano, Ralph 1970
*Diaries of Frank and Ellen Mason
See: boxes 28-33
*Dressel, Ellis Loring
*E Misc.
*Ecker, Frederick H. 1954-64
*Ecker, Frederick W. 1964
*Eggleston, George 1978
*Elmiger, Ginette 1955
*Entertainment: Guests 1938-41 & undated
Estes, Bille Sol 1962
*European Newsreel Project 1939 & undated
*F Misc.
Famine Relief Survey
General
1946 & undated
*1945-46 and undated
Clippings 1946
"Dear Julius" Letters
1946
March-April
May
June
1947
*Hoover Statements & Press Conferences 1946
*Pate "Diary"
Fararr, Fred
1966-71
1972-73
4
1974-75
Faymonville, Phillip 1975-77
*Fellers, Bonner 1966-68 & undated
*Fergurson, Horner & Myrtle 1965-77 & undated
Fellers, Bonner 1942
*Fireside Press 1946 & undated
Foley, William T.
*1967-70
*1971
*1972-73
*1974-79
Food for Small. Democracies 1970
*Frick, Helen C. 1959-71
*G Misc.
Gardner, Richard L. 1974-75
Germany
Correspondence & Memoranda
1945-46
1945
*August
*September 1-15
*September 16-30
*October & undated
5
Articles by Frank Mason
See Also: Diaries in box 33
1945
*1945
*undated
*Clippings and Printed Matter, 1945-46 & undated
See: box 27
Military Government 1945 & undated
Miscellaneous 1945-46 & undated
*Photos 1945
War Crimes Trials 1945
*Gibson, Hugh 1945-74 & undated
Goebbels Diaries
Clippings 1948-50
Correspondence
1947-48
1949
*1949-77
1950
January
February 1-15
February 16-27
March-September
Undated
Miscellaneous
*Miscellaneous 1948-77 & undated
6
Statement Before Senate Judiciary Committee on June 15, 1950
pages 1-50
pages 51-100
pages 101-150
pages 151-200
pages 201-246
Statement By Frank E. Mason 1950
*H Misc.
*Hauser, Louis & Linda 1971-75
*Heimlick, William F. 1971-79 & undated
Henry, John M.
1972
July--October
November--December
1973
1975-76
Herbert Hoover Foundation
1967-75
*1976-79
Herbert Hoover Presidential Library
1968-70
7
1971
1972-77
Flemish Cabinet
Printed Matter
Herbert Hoover Presidential Library Association
1954
1955
January-June
October
November
1956-59
1965-69
1970
1971
1972 & undated
8
1972-74
*1974-78
*Hickock, Guy and Andree 1929-81 & undated
Hitler: Plots Against 1946
Hoover, Allan
1965-67
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972-73
1975
Hoover, Herbert
1940-44
1945
May -- July
August
September
October -- November
1946-47
*1946-47
1948-50
1951-53
*1951-52 & undated
1954
1955-60
*1956-60
1961
*1962
1962
February -- August
September -- December
10
1963
1964-65 & undated
Article & Speeches
1944-51
*1952
1952-62 & undated
*undated
Biographical Sketch
Birthday Celebrations 1954-74
*Book by Hugh Gallagher 1974
*Bust of Herbert Hoover 1967-68
Campaign of 1964: Observations
*Clippings
Famine Relief Survey
1946
1947 & undated
Requests for Assistance
*Illnesses
*Miscellaneous
Miss Hill Correspondence 1892-95
National Cyclopedia of America Biography 1973-75
11
Photographs and Portraits
Hoover, Herbert Jr. 1966-69
Hoover, Lou Henry
*1941
Biography of Lou Henry Hoover 1966
*Biography of Lou Henry Hoover 1966
Hoover Book by Lewis L. Strauss 1971-75
Hoover Books
American Epic 1959-60
American Individualism 1967-71.
Copyrights 1964-70 & undated
Doubleday & Company 1968-70
Fishing for Fun
Magnum Opus
Memoirs
Correspondence
1950
1969-70
1971
1972-76
Promotion 1952
Miscellaneous
Ordeal of Woodrow Wilson 1972
Scribners 1969-70
Hoover China Plate Proposition 1972
Hoover Commissions 1949
Hoover File on the Masons
*1941-46
12
*1947-50 & undated
Hoover Institution
Advisory Board
*1960
1962-70
Board of Overseers
1970
1971
January-November
December
1972-73
1974
1975 & undated
*1978-79
Collecting Activities of Frank E. Mason
1945
1946
*1946
1947-62
13
Dedication of Herbert Hoover Room:
Responses from Dignitaries, 1965
General
1949-55
1964-71
*1984 & undated
Manuscripts Donated by Frank E. Mason
1970-72
*undated
New Left Summaries
1969-70
1971
January -- July
August -- December
1972
*Report by K. Colegrove 1960
*Resolution of Thanks for Services 1980
Hoover Oral History Project
General
1966-69
1970
1971
Anthony Interview 1970
Mason Interview 1966-68
*Howard, Jack R. 1971-76
*Howard, Roy 1944-59
*Humor
14
International News Service
See Also: 1919-20 Scrapbooks in boxes 36 & 39
*1920-24
*1925
*1927-31 & undated
*Anecdotes 1966-71.
*Business Improvement 1927-31
*Koenigsberg Incident 1928
*Mason's Resignation 1931
*Irwin, James W. 1973-77
*J Misc.
Johnson, Harold K. 1969
*Jordan, Max 1969-77
*K Misc.
*Kean, Robert Winthrop 1968-79
Kirk, Neville T. and Carol
*1926-67
*1968-70
15
*1971
*1972
*1973
*1974-75
1976
*January -- May
*June -- December
1977-79 & undated
*Knox, Frank 1927-43
*L Misc.
*Lewis, Bond 1973-76 & undated
*Lindsay, Franklin & Dodie 1975-77 & undated
*Lusitania Sinking 1919-74
*M Misc.
16
McCarty, John T. 1971-72
McBee, Dorothy H. 1965-67
MacNeil, Neil
1964-65
1966-68
*Magnum, Opus 1976-77
*Mason, Carol 1930-36 & undated
*Mason, Caroline 1967-72
*Mason, Cora Tussing 1918-26
Mason, Ellen
1945
1946
1947
*1936-73 and undated
*1976-78 & undated
Mason, Frank. E.
*Articles & Speeches
*Biographical Material
See Also: Scrapbooks
*Donation of Papers to H. Hoover Pres. Library
*Estate
*Financial 1927-60 & undated
*Funeral, etc.
*Military Service: Inter-War Years
*World War I
See: World War I
See Also: Navy Service in World War II
World War II
*Service Records
*Mason, Robert T. 1946
*Mason, Virginia 1973
17
*Mason Family History 1921-88 & undated
*Michaela, J.A. 1946
Milbank, Jeremiah
*1955-57
*1958-63
*1964-65
*1966-67
*undated
*Inflation Fighters 1958-59 & undated
*Milbank, Jeremiah Jr. 1957-76 & undated
*Milbank, Katherine 1964-66 & undated
Miller, Walter L. 1970-72
Minthorn House
*Moley, Raymond 1967-75
*Monahan, James 1966-75
*Morrill, Lewis 1973-76
*Moynihan, Arthur 1972-77 & undated
*Moley, Raymond 1974-75
*Morgenthan Plan 1944
*N Misc.
National Broadcasting Company
*1939-40
*1940-76
18
*Naval Reserve Controversy 1943-44 & undated
Navy Service in World War II
Correspondence
1941
*April -- August
*September -- November
*December
1942
*January -- June
*July -- August
*September October
*November December
1943
*January March
*April May
*June August
*September October
*November December
19
1944
*January March
*April -- May
Undated
Coordinator of Information 1941-42
*Elk Hills Contract 1943
Office of Public Relations
*Radio Section 1941-42
Telephone Messages
1941
June -- July
August September
October November
December
20
1942
January February
March -- October-
1943
*OWI Meetings 1942
*Resignation from Navy 1944
*Role of FEM
New York WPA Project
*Nixon, Richard M.
O Misc.
*O Misc.
*Ohio State School of Journalism 1973-75 & undated
*Ohio State University 1977
*Old Oaks
*O'Neill, James F. 1969-75
*Osmun, Russell 1944-45
*P Misc.
20
Patton, George S.
*1943-45
1945
Pearl Harbor
1953
*1975-77
Permission to Quote Hoover Materials
1964
1965
March -- April
May -- July
August -- November
1966
21
1967
*1968
1968
1969
January
February
March -- October
1970
1971
1972-73
1974-75
*1978-79
Personal Correspondence D-N & unidentified
Photographs
See Also: boxes 34-36
Folder 1
*Folder 2
*Folder 3
*Pihl, Paul 1965-69
Polish Elections of 1947
*Postwar Plans for the Pacific 1944
Presidential Candidiates Poll 1959
*R Misc.
*Reagan, Ronald 1975
Regnery, Henry
1973
*1975
Robinson-Bornet Book
*1954-57
*1958-75 & undated
1968-75
*Roosevelt, Archibald B. 1973-75 & undated
Roosevelt & Browder 1957
Roosevelt Myth Draft
*S Misc.
*Screenwriters Build
Second Division Association
1935-41
1969-71
1972-74
23
*1974-78
Senators at Large 1947-48
Short Snorter,
Smith, Ralph C.
*1970-74
*1975-79 & undated
Stahlman, James G.
*1939-40
*1967-74
1975
*January -- May
*June -- December,
1976
Starr, Richard F.
1971-75
*1975-76 & undated
Strauss, Lewis L.
1945-75
*1977
*Tenney, G.E. 1973-75
*Thalken, Tom 1970-78
*Thomas, Lowell 1931-81
*Toland, John 1976
Tong Chu, Mrs. Elsie 1964
24
*Travel Articles by FEM 1959-60 & undated
*Trevor, Alexander B. 1970-72
Trevor, John B., Jr.
*1969-71
*1972-79
Trips
See Also: trip diaries in box 33
*1919 Zeppe