Canaday, Ward Papers

1944-1957

Co-Chairman, Caribbean Commission, 1948-1952

The papers of Ward Canaday consist of twenty-three letters from Harry S. Truman to his close friend, Canaday, between 1944 and 1957.

[Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List]

 


ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Size: 2.5 linear inches (about 25 pages).
Access: Open.
Copyright: The donor gave to the U.S. government her copyrights in this material and in any other material received by the U.S. government and maintained in a depository administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. Documents created by U.S. government officials in the course of their duties are in the public domain. Copyright interest in other documents presumably belongs to the creators of those documents, or their heirs.
Processed by: Haley Petersen (2019) as part of the Truman Library Internship Program.
Supervising Archivists: Randy Sowell and David Clark.


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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

 

1885 (December 12)   Born Ward Murphey Canaday, New Castle, Indiana
1903-1905   Student, University of Colorado
1907   B.A., Harvard University
1907-1916   Advertising Manager, Hoosier Kitchen Cabinet Company, New Castle, Indiana
1912 (June 15)   Married Mariam Louise Coffin
1916-1953   Held various executive positions (including President and Chairman of the Board) with Willys-Overland Motors, Inc.
1933-1935   Assistant Administrator and Director of Public Relations, Federal Housing Administration
1941-1945   Helped develop and produce the military Jeep during World War II
1948-1952   U.S. Co-Chairman, Caribbean Commission
1949   Director, Virgin Islands Corporation
1976 (February 27)   Died, Toledo, Ohio

 

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COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

 

The papers of Ward Canaday consist of twenty-three letters from Harry S. Truman to his close friend, Canaday, between 1944 and 1957. The collection is arranged in a single Subject File.

The collection contains letters ranging from Truman’s time as a U.S. Senator to his post-presidential years. Several letters refer to the Virgin Islands, where Canaday lived for some time. In the letters dated after Truman’s presidency, Canaday is often encouraged to visit the newly-founded Truman Library. In other letters, Truman discusses other islands in the Caribbean, aid to Europe, his education program, and the death of White House Press Secretary Joseph Short.

Canaday’s papers were originally opened for research as part of the Miscellaneous Historical Documents Collection (MHDC 326).

More information about Ward Canaday can be found in the papers of Harry S. Truman (President’s Personal File 367).

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SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

 

Container Nos.   Series
    SUBJECT FILE, 1944-1957
Letters. Arranged chronologically.

 

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FOLDER TITLE LIST

 

SUBJECT FILE, 1944-1957

Box 1

  • Truman, Harry S.

 

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