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Papers of Harry S. Truman Staff Member and Office Files: Matthew J. Connelly Files

Dates: 1945-52

The Matthew J. Connelly Files include record of President Harry S. Truman's daily appointments for almost the entire period of his presidency. The individual appointment listings are selectively annotated to describe the circumstance of the appointments or the contents of the conversations. The collection also contains small correspondence and subject files.

See also: Matthew J. Connelly Oral History

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

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Size: 4 linear feet, 5 linear inches.
Access: Open.
Copyright: President Truman donated his copyright interest in any of his writings in this collection to the people of the United States. In addition, documents prepared by United States government employees in the course of their official duties are also in the public domain. Copyright interest in documents which do not fall into these two categories is presumed to remain with the authors of the documents.
Processed by: Jerry N. Hess (1963); revised by Dennis E. Bilger (1977); reprocessed by Anita M. Smith (1992); David Clark (2022).

[ Top of the page | Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List ]

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

1907, Nov. 19

 

Born, Clinton, Massachusetts

1930

 

Graduated from Fordham University

1930-33

 

Worked as a stock broker in New York City

1933-38

 

Worked with federal relief agencies in Boston and Washington, D.C.

1939

 

Member of the staff of the Appropriations Committee, U.S. House of Representatives

1940

 

Member of the staff of the Special Committee to Investigate Campaign Expenditures, U.S. Senate

1941-44

 

Member of the staff of the Senate Special Committee to Investigate National Defense Program, (Truman Committee)

1945, January-April

 

Executive Secretary to the Vice President

1945-53

 

Appointments secretary to the President

1955

 

Indicted for accepting a bribe and conspiring to defraud the government. He was convicted in 1956 and served six months in prison in 1960.

1962

 

Granted a full and unconditional pardon by President John F. Kennedy.

1976, July 10

 

Died, Oak Park, Illinois

[ Top of the page | Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List ]

COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

The file consists of four series: the Matthew J. Connelly Appointment Diaries File, the Presidential Appointments File, the Correspondence File, and the Subject File. The Matthew J. Connelly Appointment Diaries File contains bound "diary" volumes that list Connelly's appointments. The Presidential Appointments File contains the originals of the list that Connelly made during his tenure as appointments secretary of apparently all of President Truman's daily appointments from 1945 through the end of 1952. The appointment lists, which were apparently made after the day's events were over, are selectively annotated to describe the circumstances of the appointments or the contents of the conversations.

The material in the Correspondence File relates primarily to requests for autographed photographs of President Truman and of Connelly, and congratulatory and other personal correspondence sent to Connelly. The Subject File includes such disparate materials as a list of State Department documents relating to the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, a Secret Service report on White House activities for the second half of 1948, clippings from the Houston Chronicle concerning Jesse Jones, and a briefing book relating to President Truman's 1948 trip to the West Indies.

Copies of the lists of daily presidential appointments are included in the President's Secretary's Files. Connelly's collection of personal papers contains his notes of Cabinet meetings, 1945-53.

[ Top of the page | Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List ]

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Container Nos.

 

Series

1

  MATTHEW J. CONNELLY APPOINTMENTS DIARIES, 1946-1952 and Undated.
Bound appointment books listing Connelly's appointments.

2-7

  PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS FILE, 1945-1952
Lists including almost all of President Truman's appointments from 1945 through the end of 1952. They are selectively annotated to describe the circumstances of the appointments or the contents of the conversations.

8-9

  CORRESPONDENCE FILE, 1945-1952
Correspondence and cross reference sheets relating to requests for autographed photographs, Connelly's personal memberships, and the death of his mother, and congratulating him on his appointment as presidential assistant.

10

  SUBJECT FILE, 1946-1952
Correspondence, a report, a briefing book, a notebook, newspaper clippings and cross reference sheets relating to such unrelated subjects as Jesse Jones, Truman's 1948 trip to the Virgin Islands, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, people living in Missouri, and Connelly's expenses incurred while traveling with the President.
[ Top of the page | Administrative Information | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List ]

FOLDER TITLE LIST

MATTHEW J. CONNELLY APPOINTMENTS DIARIES, 1946-1952 and Undated.

Box 1

  • Appointment Diaries [1 of 8]
  • Appointment Diaries [2 of 8]
  • Appointment Diaries [3 of 8]
  • Appointment Diaries [4 of 8]
  • Appointment Diaries [5 of 8]
  • Appointment Diaries [6 of 8]
  • Appointment Diaries [7 of 8]
  • Appointment Diaries [8 of 8]

DAILY PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS FILE, 1945-1952

Box 2

Box 3

Box 4