ARCHIVE: Estate Files.
Eleanor Roosevelt
Estate Files
with correspondence and contracts
Nine accordion folders and two nine- by twelve-inch envelopes; 1945-1970s (bulk 1960s-70s).
Correspondence and signed and/or annotated documents:
• Approximately sixteen typed letters and notes signed by AER to her family, attorney, and a handful of others; ca. 1947-62; content includes detailed burial instructions as well as other arrangements involving estate appraisals and her will.
• Approximately a dozen typed documents signed by AER; includes legal memoranda, transfers of title, literary contracts, and her signed Social Security card; most ca.1955-57.
• Several typed letter carbons from AER and a handful of documents annotated by her.
Provenance: By descent to Irene Aitken.
Contents
1. ER Correspondence 2
ER to Elliott Roosevelt 2
ER to Harry Hooker 2
ER to Others 3
2. Family correspondence 3
3. Literary and recording contracts 4
4. Legal Documents and correspondence 5
5. Financial records 6
(6. John A. Roosevelt) 7
1. ER Correspondence
Estate of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt [accordion folder]
A. ER correspondence: Over a dozen TLS, TNS, and TDs, “Eleanor Roosevelt,” “Anna Eleanor Roosevelt,” and “ER,” 1947-62. With photocopies of her will and of FDR’s will as printed in the New York Times; as follows:
ER to Elliott Roosevelt
Three TLS, 1947-51:
Typed letter signed, “Anna Eleanor Roosevelt,” to Elliott, August 18, 1947; 8vo.; one leaf of personal stationery bearing the address of the Park Sheraton Hotel, recto only; two holes punched to top margin for filing; creased where folded for mailing; gifting him all “files, documents, papers and memoranda of every kind” but for This Is My Story, which she has gifted her daughter; and detailing his management of the rights.
Typed letter signed, “Anna Eleanor Roosevelt,” to Elliott, August 18, 1947; 4to.; one leaf of plain paper, recto only; two holes punched to top margin for filing; creased where folded for mailing; text identical to the letter above.
Typed letter signed, “Anna Eleanor Roosevelt,” to Elliott, March 2, 1951; 4to.; one leaf of plain paper, recto only; two holes punched to top margin for filing; creased where folded for mailing; signed again as “approved” by Anna Roosevelt; clarifying “the nature of my gift to my daughter Anna of the original manuscript of This is My Story which I referred to in my letter to you of August 18, 1947…”
One typed document signed, 1957:
Typed document signed, “Elliott Roosevelt,” and signed again as “approved” by Eleanor Roosevelt, April 15, 1957; 4to.; one leaf of plain paper, recto only; reverting all title to her correspondence, files, documents, papers and memoranda of every kind back to her (i.e. reversing her 1947 letter to Elliott). With carbon document, also signed by both. Note: see also accordion folder marked Estate of AER / Literary and Recording Contracts for a signed carbon of this document.
ER to Harry Hooker
Seven TLS and TNS, 1955-62:
Typed letter signed, “E.R.,” to Harry [Hooker], June 6, 1955; small 8vo.; one leaf of Eleanor Roosevelt’s personal stationery bearing 211 East 62nd Street address, recto only; two holes punched to top margin for filing; autograph postscript; thanking him for his letter of the third. She writes, “All the arrangements you are making are fine and I am deeply appreciative of the care you are taking in working them out.”
Typed note signed, “Eleanor Roosevelt,” to Harry; [n.d.; 1955?]; 4to.; one leaf of plain paper, recto only; two holes punched to top margin for filing. In full: “Memo to Harry Hooker: A small sum of money to be put into the will for Lorena Hickok if she survives me, and also for Ellie Elliot. $1,000 to each.”
Typed letter signed, “Eleanor R.,” to Harry, April 28, 1957; small 8vo.; one leaf of personal stationery bearing East 62nd Street address, recto only; two holes punched to top margin for filing; regarding appraisals and gifts.
Typed letter signed, “Eleanor Roosevelt,” to Harry, December 17, 1957; small 8vo.; one leaf of personal stationery bearing East 62nd Street address, recto only; two holes punched to top margin for filing; regarding appraisals and gifts.
Typed note signed, “E.R.,” to Harry, April 14, 1960; small 8vo.; one leaf of personal stationery bearing East 74th Street address; a thank you note for the will.
Typed letter signed, “E.R.,” to Harry, January 25, 1962; small 8vo.; one leaf of Eleanor Roosevelt’s personal stationery bearing 55 East 74th Street address, recto only; two holes punched to top margin for filing; requesting deed of gift for the Monteith bowl to the FDR Library.
Typed note signed, “Eleanor Roosevelt,” to Harry, February 1, 1962; small 8vo.; one leaf of Eleanor Roosevelt’s personal stationery bearing 55 East 74th Street address, recto only; two holes punched to top margin for filing; thanking him for drawing up the Deed of Gift for the Monteith bowl.
ER to Others
Two TLS, 1955-57:
Typed letter signed, “Eleanor Roosevelt,” to “My Executors,” June 21, 1955; 4to.; one leaf of plain paper, recto only; two holes punched to top margin for filing. Providing instructions for burial; in full:
I want Dr. David Gurewitsch or any doctor in charge to open veins to be sure I am dead, then I want the funeral as soon as possible with no embalming. Just a plain pine coffin covered with a blanket of pine boughs. Inside the coffin are to be plain pillows and sheet with cloth and tied in. Funeral to be private and no flowers. Prefer gifts to either American Association for the UN or Wiltwych School for Boys.
Typed letter signed, “Eleanor Roosevelt,” to “Mr. Schanzer,” July 18, 1957; 8vo.; two leaves of personal stationery bering East 62nd Street address, two pages; one holograph emendation; two holes punched to top margin for filing. Declaring that “all the furniture in the cottage, and linen and silver, not listed as given to someone else, should be left to my son Elliott.” Changing gift to Dr. David Gurewitsch. Narrating additional bequests.
2. Family correspondence
A series of letters surrounding Elliott’s financial woes and ER’s potential assistance. As follows:
Autograph letter signed, “Elliott,” to “Mummy,” n.d. [June 1962]; 4to; two leaves, three pages; laying out his financial plight and asking for loans.
Typed note signed, “John,” to Mummy, July 5, 1962; one page; returning Elliott’s letter which he has copied for their siblings; with typed letter carbons to James and to FDR Jr. discussing the manifold difficulties of Elliott’s requests to their mother.
Autograph letter signed, “Elliott,” to “Mummy,” Sept 2, 1962; 8vo.; two leaves, four pages; thanking her for a visit and her help, repaying a loan (with a post-dated check), and describing the happiness, strength, and pride he takes in his family. In an envelope labeled “Mrs. FDR / Personal & Private / from E.R.”
Autograph letters signed, “Elliott,” to “Mummy,” Sept 30, 1962; 4to.; one leaf, two pages; updating her, asking her not to deposit the check yet, hoping for a better 1963, and wishing her love and health (mentioning that she has not been well). In envelope marked “personal” and addressed to Mrs. FDR at the Harkness Pavilion Hospital in NYC.
3. Literary and recording contracts
[accordion folder]
Includes at least seven titles, as well as copious agent correspondence: “Nannine Joseph – General correspondence.”
Includes contracts and royalty reports, 1950s-60s, documents, correspondence, in files as follows:
a. Audio tour of Hyde Park (primarily posthumous, no AER).
b. Tomorrow Is Now (statements, correspondence, esp. NJ, no AER).
c. Several letters from agent Nannine Joseph, 1967.
d. Autobiography (three NJ letters and one statement).
e. Daisy Bates (intro by AER) (one photocopy NJ letter and one check stub).
f. Book of Common Sense Etiquette (correspondence, inc. John A. Roosevelt, NJ; documents; four contracts signed by EAR, December 30, 1958, and December 31, 1958.
g. This Is My Story (empty file, labeled in pencil instead of in type as the others).
h. Mislabeled in pencil, “Copyrights, Contracts, Publishers, etc.” – includes correspondence from AER, including one signed letter, as follows:
Typed letter carbon, AER to Elliott, January 22, 1954; one page; regarding her bequest of family letters.
Typed letter carbon, AER to Elliott, February 1, 1954; forwarding a letter from Esther Lape.
Typed letter carbon, signed “Anna Eleanor Roosevelt,” to Anna, James, Elliott, and FDR JR., December 12, 1956; 4to.; two leaves, two pages; authorizing them to sell their stories but requesting payment for her involvement, if any. With an earlier typed draft, heavily annotated in pencil (by Hooker?).
Typed letter carbon signed, “Elliott,” and signed again as “approved” by “Anna Eleanor Roosevelt,” April 15, 1957; transfer of title (apparently another copy of the agreement executed above).
Draft typed letter and typed letter carbon, neither signed, AER to FDR Jr., April 15, 1957; annotated in pencil (by Hooker?); regarding his biographical undertaking (a play and film script).
i. ABC TV and Book, 1962-65, dense file but apparently nothing signed by AER. Includes long galleys of The Many Faces of FDR.
j. The Search for America (single TLS from publisher to lawyer, 1964).
k. Loose: Family Circle, Jan 1964, printing “A Farewell Interview with ER,” fine.
l. Growing Toward Peace (single TLS from NJ, 1963).
m. You Learn By Living (few letters from NJ), 1962-63.
n. The Wisdom of Eleanor Roosevelt (1962 contract signed by Hooker, FDR Jr., JAR, and VP of McCall corp Helen Byers; with fully executed copy).
o. Nannine Joseph: General correspondence (several dozen letters and statements, 1962-68, financial in nature).
4. Legal Documents and correspondence
AER will, trust, related legal and financial correspondence; includes notes signed by ER, two TLS from James Roosevelt and one TLS from FDR Jr.
Typed memorandum signed in full, “Eleanor Roosevelt,” June 21, 1955; 4to.; three leaves, three pages; “Memo for Executors and my Children,” annotated in pencil (by Hooker?).
Type note signed, “E.R.,” to “Harry,” April 26, 1961; small 8vo.; one leave of personal stationery bearing her 55 East 74th Street address; sending a copy of the changes to her will that they recently discussed and stating, “When you have the new Will drawn up, I will gladly make an appointment to sign it.” With autograph postscript.
Type note signed, “Eleanor Roosevelt,” to “Harry,” May 9, 1961; small 8vo.; one leave of personal stationery bearing her 55 East 74th Street address; regarding a new draft of the will.
Type note signed, “Eleanor Roosevelt,” to “Harry,” May 19, 1961; small 8vo.; one leave of personal stationery bearing her 55 East 74th Street address; regarding the latest version of the will, she writes that “it is absolutely correct as it now stands.”
“Copy of Last Will and Testament Dated May 31, 1961, of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt who died November 7, 1962,” several copies, five pages each.
Unpaid hospital bills, 1962 (a dozen or so)
Paid bills (several dozen)
Hooker office copy of AER Estate Schedules
Wills and Trusts (Estate of AER - accordion folder):
Trusts U/W FDR – personal property – copies of his will
Sale of interest 55 E 74th St.
Trusts under other wills
Assignment claim v. trustees for James
Copyrights, contracts, publishers, etc.
Printed copy of FDR’s and Sara Delano Roosevelt’s wills and several assignments signed by AER and James 1955, including:
• “Memorandum re disposition of obligation due from James Roosevelt to Mrs. Anna Eleanor Roosevelt,” two pages; annotated by AER in ink.
5. Financial records
Payroll Records
AER / to be returned to Library Hyde Park when Estate settled [accordion folder]:
Many notes regarding AER’s staff, written by a secretary (primarily if not exclusively Maureen Corr), at least two annotated by AER (see below). Apart from that, mostly notes by others; correspondence and documents relating to taxes and insurance from lawyers and accountants. Includes IRS documents, payroll reports, etc., as well as AER’s signed social security card.
• Autograph note in AER’s hand, stapled to type sheet relating to staff earnings; n.d.
• Typed letter signed, Farmer’s National Bank to AER, with her autograph note to lower margin regarding to money and dates.
Taxes
Estate of AER [2 accordion folders]:
a.
Estate tax waivers, list of securities, etc.
US Estate tax return
Appraisal under estate tax law
Estate income tax 1962-63
b.
Federal Estate tax return
NY estate tax return
Prior to death, US I.T. returns for 1959-62 (includes her charitable contributions, which is an interesting thing to have; and lists “occupation” as “author, journalist.”)
Prior to death, NY state IT returns for 1959-60, 1962
US Fiduciary IT returns for 1965-67
NY state fiduciary IT returns for 1965-67
Accounting
[accordion folder]:
1960s-70s; but includes several items ca. 1945, including an ALS from AER:
Autograph letter signed, “Eleanor Roosevelt,” to Harry, April 28th (1945), bifolium leaf, two pages, Washington Square mourning paper. Regarding a check.
Typed letter carbon, AER to the president and to Doc; regarding an FDR memorial committee, 1945.
Typed letter carbon, Truman to FDR’s estate; regarding the status of various FDR papers.
Typed note signed, “Sam” Rosenman to James Roosevelt, 1945; forwarding same.
Additional records
I.E. / Anna Roosevelt Trust / Duplicate Originals [nine- by twelve-inch envelope]
Three copies and related document
AER financial….HSH…. [accordion folder]:
Banking, trusts, legal, etc.; all posthumous (1960s-70s)
(6. John A. Roosevelt)
a.
[accordion folder]:
Correspondence
Will
I.E. copy of will, 1965
Copy of agreement between JAR and A.C. Roosevelt 1965
Three extra copies of will
Irene B. Roosevelt: correspondence and memoranda
NB: Correspondence is not by JAR – most is by Atty. Weldon.
b.
Estate of John A. Roosevelt / 1981 Est tax payments / 180 Income Tax returns (nine- by twelve-inch envelope)
Includes 1970 insurance appraisal of various items.
(#4656192)
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