WILLIAM C. MULLENDORE PAPERS
Scope and Content Note
The William C. Mullendore Papers (1919-73, 35 linear feet) doc-
ument his personal life and professional careeer as a lawyer and
public utilities executive. Born in 1892 on a farm near Howard,
Kansas, Mullendore was proud of his rural midwestern heritage and
maintained contact with his family and community through corres-
pondence with his brothers and family friends.
During World War I Mullendore served in the U.S. Army Air Corps
and as an assistant legal counsel in the U.S. Food Administration.
Herbert Hoover, the director of the USFA, was impressed with this
young staff member and retained him for further service in the
American Relief Administration (1919-21) and as one of his personal
assistants in the Commerce Department (1922-23). Mullendore's papers
reflect very little of this period in his career. Nevertheless,
those years marked the beginning of a life-long friendship with Mr.
Hoover that surfaces repeatedly throughout the papers.
As Hoover's personal assistant he accompanied the presidential
party during Warren Harding's ill-fated 1923 visit to Alaska.
Mullendore kept a diary during the trip which is supplemented by
correspondence and some interesting photographs.
Mullendore was Hoover's chief personal assistant in the Commerce
Department, but he was anxious to resume the practice of law. In
1923 he moved to California, practicing there for two years before
his work brought him to the attention of executives at Southern
California Edison. In 1925 he became a special counsel for the firm,
subsequently advancing to positions as attorney general (1929),
executive vice-president (1931), president (1945) and chairman of the
board (1954).
One of Mullendore's first important assignments was to represent
the company's interests in connection with Hoover Dam legislation
which occupied the attention of Congress from 1922-28. Mullendore's
files concerning this Washington assignment amount to about two and a
half feet of materials dated 1919-34. Included in these files are
correspondence, Mullendore's diary for 1927-28 and memoranda on a
variety of subjects such as the personality of key congressmen, the
collapse of the St. Francis dam in 1926, the effect of legislation on
SCE, the power market, the silt problem and water power policy.
Later developments affecting Southern California Edison are
reflected in correspondence, memoranda, clippings, reports and copies
of Mullendore's speeches and statements at gatherings of business
executives, and to stockholders and government agencies. Mullendore
was frequently in demand as an accomplished and thought-provoking
speaker on economics, human relations, individual freedom, and the
American way of life. His interest in these subjects is reflected in
most of his speeches, in journals in which he recorded his
observations and in correspondence with his brothers, son-in-law
Louis H. Dehmlow and fellow conservative Leonard Read.
Subject File Series
Box Contents
1
American Relief Administration
Assets Corporation
1934-36
1937
1941
Atomic Energy
Banking Panic of 1933
Ballard, R.H. 1932
British Empire: Postwar Condition, 1944-47
Campaign of:
1920
1924
1928
Correspondence
Clippings
Mullendore Speeches
Printed Matter
1932
1934
Upton Sinclair (1)
2
Upton Sinclair (2)
1938
1952
Clark, Harold S., 1931
Clubs
Miscellaneous
1929-31
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1940
1941
1945
1951-68
3
American Academy of Political Science
Alpha Sigma Phi
1923-29
1930-31
1932
1933
1934
1937
1940
1941
1945-60
American Legion
1931
4
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1940
1941
American Liberty League. 1935-36
American Relief Administration Association
Bar Associations
1930-32
1935
5
1936
1937
1940
1941
Bohemian Club
California Junior Republic
1935-36
1937
1940
6
1941
Citizens Relief Committee of Los Angeles, 1935
Claremont College, Friends of
1940
1941
1945
Citizens American Committee of Los Angeles, 1934
Committee on Social Studies, 1940-41
Crusaders, 1935-36 and undated
Lincoln Club
1943-44
1945
Newcomen Society
1936
1937
1940
1941
7
1945
University Club
1931
1933
1934
1936
1937
University of Michigan-Alumni Association
1930
1931
1932
1933
8
1934
1935
1936
1937
1940
Colleges
California Institute of Technology
1935
1936
1937
1940
1941
1945
University of Michigan, 1913-64
9
University of Southern California
Colorado River Commission/Hoover Dam
Correspondence
1919-26
1927
1928-32
1934-39
All American Canal
Bills: Printed Copies
Boulder Dam: Comments on
Chronological History of Dam Bill
Clippings
10
Colorado River Compact
Congressional Hearings--Printed
1922-24
1926-28
Congressional Record
1928 May-July
1928 December 3-11
11
1928 December 12-18
Diary of Mullendore, 1927-28
Douglas Statement, 1928
Federal Trade Commission, 1928
Government Ownership
House of Representatives: Comments on Members
Legislation: Minority Views
Levees and Imperial Valley
Lobbying
Power Market, 1927
Public Relations
St. Francis Dam Failure, 1926-28
Silt Problem
12
Smoot Speech of April 30, 1928
Southern California Edison Company
Correspondence and Memoranda
1926 January-March
1926 April-July
1927
1928
1931-34 and undated
1981
Effect on Southern California Edison
Swing-Johnson Bill
Topock Dam Site
Utility Association: Printed Matter, 1928
Visit to Other Power Facilities, 1926
Water Power Policy, 1924-28
Water Supply
Printed Matter (1)
13
Printed Matter (2)
Miscellaneous (1)
Miscellaneous (2)
Miscellaneous (3)
Constitutional Government
Contributions by Mullendore
1930-31
1932
1933
1934
1936
1937
1938
1940
14
1941
1945
Crowther, Geoffrey 1948
Crusaders, 1935
Department of Defense
Civilian Orientation Conference
1951 (1)
1951 (2)
Diary of William C. Mullendore
See Also: Colorado River Commission/Hoover
Dam: Diary of William C. Mullendore
1917
1920
Douglas, Lewis W.
Employment Applications
Recommendations, etc.
1923-29
1930
1931
1932
1933
1964 and undated
15
Harding, Warren G.: Alaskan Trip (1923)
Correspondence and Diary
Clippings and Post Cards
Herald, Gerald
Herbert Hoover Oral History Program
Hoover, Herbert
Correspondence, 1918-62
See Also: Correspondence series
Articles and Speeches
Christmas Cards and Birth Announcements
Clippings and Printed Matter
Funeral
General
Hoover Portrait Committee
16
Hoover, Lou Henry 1919-34
See Also: Correspondence series
Hoover Commission (Second): Report of Real Property Task Force
Hoover Foundation, 1955
Hoover Institution, 1924-25
Hoover Library Dedication, 1962
Ickes, Harold I.--Speeches, 1935-42
Inflation: Clippings & Printed Matter
(1)
(2)
Japan
Kellems, Vivian 1946
Kennedy, Robert F. 1968
Keynesism
Kohlberg, Alfred
Lane, Rose Wilder
Law School Notes
17
Legal Practice
Correspondence
1922-24
1925-26
1927
1928
1929-32
Undated
Bolster, J.F.
Dolbear, C.E.
Lewis, E.G.
18
Marks, Charles Edward
Relocation of Offices, 1927
Todd Estate, 1933
Miscellaneous
Liberty Fund, 1961
LSD
folders 1-6
19
folder 7
Marshall Plan
Meals for Millions
Morrell, Benjamin
Mullendore, William C.
Articles about William Mullendore
Birth Announcement List
Biographical Data (2 folders)
Clippings
Folder 1
Folders 2-3
Congratulations on Election as Chairman of the Board, 1954
Congratulations on Selection as General
Counsel, 1929
Congratulations on Selection as President of Southern California
Edison, 1945 (3 folders)
Diary
See:
1. Colorado River Commission/Hoover
Dam: Diary of Mullendore, 1927-28
2. Diary of William C. Mullendore, 1917; 1920
21
Honorary Degree from University of Michigan 1949
Library Inventory
80
Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce "Business
Statesman" Award, 1944
21
Reflections on "Time of My Life"
80
World War I Scrapbook
21
Mullendore Family
Mutual Life Insurance Company
Correspondence
1940
1941
1945
Investment in Rental Housing, 1947-48
National Committee on Food for the Small Democracies,
1940-41
National Electric Light Association
National Industrial Conference Board, 1933-68
Nyce, Peter Q. 1930-31
Obsolescence
22
Oral History Interview with William C. Mullendore
Photos
80
Printed Matter
22
Propaganda (4 folders)
Public Ownership
23
Quotations
Rand, Ayn
Read, Leonard
See Also: Correspondence series
Roosevelt, Franklin D.
Socialism and Welfare State
Southern California Edison
1930-33
1934-48 and undated
Bond Issue, 1948
24
Strike, 1953 (2 folders)
Water Supply, 1916-21
Printed Matter (2 folders)
Southern Fuel Company
1931
1932
1933
1934
1936
1937
Southwestern Acceptance Corporation, 1931
Spiritual Mobilization, 1960
State of the Nation
Correspondence
Mixed Years
1935
1936
1937
1938
26
1939
1940
1941
1941-42
1943
27
1944
1945
1946
1947
1948-52
1953-57
Inflation, 1968-71
28
Notes on Defenses of Prosperity
Articles and Statistics
1932-39
1946-47
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
29
1952-53
1952-53 (2 folders)
1954
1955
1956
1957
30
1958
1959
1960
1963-69
Stock Market Price List, 1928
Stock Market Data, 1960 and before
Tilson, John Q. 1927
Townsend, Francis E. 1939
Union Pacific Company, 1948-71
United for California League, 1936-37
31
War Economics
Printed Matter
(1)
(2)
(3) See: box 80 for Printed Matter (4)
32
Miscellaneous (2 folders)
Printed Matter, Oversized
Photographs
33
Memorabilia (2 folders)
Miscellaneous, 1919-29
Correspondence Series
Box Contents
34
Miscellaneous Correspondence
1930
1931 (2 folders)
1932
1933
35
1933
1934 (2 folders)
1935
36
1935
1936 (2 folders)
37
1936
1937 (3 folders)
1938
38
1938
1939 (3 folders)
1940
39
1940
1941
40
1942-44
1945
1947-55
1958-72
Undated
41
Calvert, William & Bobbie (2 folders)
Dehmlow, Louis H. T. (3 folders)
42
Dehmlow, Louis H. T. (8 folders)
43
Dehmlow, Louis H. T. (1 folder)
Hoover, Allan
Hoover, Herbert
See Also: Subject File series
1925-29
1934-49
1950-59
1960-64
Hoover, Lou Henry
See Also: Subject File series
Mullendore Family Correspondence (3 folders)
44
Mullendore Family Correspondence (13 folders)
45
Mullendore Family Correspondence (14 folders)
46
Mullendore Family Correspondence (2 folders)
Read, Leonard
See Also: Subject File series
Writings and Speeches Series
Box Contents
47
Articles and Statements
1915-20
1926-28
1929
1930
1931 (3 folders)
1931 In the Public Interest, June 11
1932
48
1932 (2 folders)
1933 (2 folders)
1934 (2 folders)
1935 (2 folders)
49
1936 (2 folders)
1937
1938
50
1939 (2 folders)
1940 (3 folders)
1941
1942
51
1942
1943 (2 folders)
1944 (3 folders)
1945
52
1946 (3 folders)
1947 (2 folders)
1948
53
1948 Two Worlds-Commencement Speech, 6/12/48
1949
1950 (3 folders)
1951
54
1951
1952 (2 folders)
1953 (2 folders)
1954 (2 folders)
55
1954
1955 (2 folders)
1956 (2 folders)
1957 (2 folders)
56
1958
1959
Young President's Organization
Modern Age: Article and Notes (4 folders)
57
LaVerne College
1960
United Presbyterian Men
1961
1962
The Welfare State: (February 25)25)
58
Marlowe-Shakespeare Mystery (4 folders)
59
1963
The Need for Growth
Meaning of Communism
1965
1966
1967
1968
Undated (2 folders)
60
Undated (2 folders)
Clippings Re: Speeches
1930
1931 (2 folders)
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941-44
1943-46
1948
1949 (2 folders)
1950
61
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960-62
Correspondence Re: Speeches
1929-30
1931 (3 folders)
1932 (2 folders)
1933
62
1934 (2 folders)
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
63
1941
1943-44
1945
1948
1951
1955
Joe Brookshire Colection of WCM Speeches
64
Concept Card Files
Journals
65
1917-39
66
1940-53
67
1954-58
68
1955-59
69
1960-61
70
1962-65
71
1966-72 and undated
72
Observations
1916-17
1930-31
1933
1934
1935
1937-39
1940
1941-45
1946-47
1948-50
1951
73
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
74
1960
1961-62
1963
1964
1965
1965 Significance of Blackout
1966
1967
75
1967 November 29
1968-72
Undated
(folders 1-4)
76
(folders 5-7)
Source Materials
(folders 1-2)
77
(folders 3-6)
78
(folder 7)
79
Speech Notes, Speeches by Others
Volker Fund Publication of Speeches
80
Interfiled Material (see list on page 11-12)
Printed Matter (4)
Ac. 213/13, Recd 5/1/95
Photographs and Postcards