Collection on Homer Capehart
S3097
1933-1962
1 folder

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Processed by: Philip N. Williams, March 1999

Biographical Note:

Homer Earl Capehart was born on June 6, 1897, in Algiers, Indiana, the son of Alvin Thomas and Susan (Kelso) Capehart. On January 19, 1921, he married Irma Viola Mueller. The couple had three children: Homer Earl, Thomas, and Patricia Louise. Capehart served in the 12th Infantry and Quartermaster Department, U.S. Army, from 1917-1919.

Capehart initially worked as a salesman after World War I. He was with the Baker-Capehart Co., an advertising agency, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, from 1922 to 1923. By 1927, Capehart was the president of the Capehart Corporation, a manufacturing firm in Fort Wayne, a position he held till 1932. In 1933, he was vice-president of The Wurlitzer Company. He also owned Capehart Farms, Washington, Indiana. A Republican, he was elected United States Senator from Indiana in 1944, 1950, and 1956. Capehart was a member of the Lutheran church, the Masonic order (32nd degree Shriner), the Variety Club, and the National Press Club. He died in Indianapolis on September 3, 1979.

For additional information, see:
Pickett, William B. Homer E. Capehart: A Senator's Life, 1887-1979. Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society, 1990.

Scope and Content Note:

The materials in this collection date from 1933 to 1962 and include correspondence and a speech. Several of the items concern the construction of Monroe Reservoir, including a speech of Indiana Governor Harold W. Handley; a letter to President Eisenhower's Assistant, Sherman Adams, from Robert W. Kellum, Executive Secretary of the Flood Control and Water Resources Commission of the State of Indiana; and a telegram from Senator Capehart.

A letter excerpted from a text on Soviet-American diplomacy reviews what was promised to President Roosevelt in 1933. Two letters of Capehart (dated 1944 and 1961) express anti-Communist and anti-Castro positions. Lastly, a letter of Capehart to Robert W. Kellum is a thank you for past support.

Item Listing:

1933, Nov. 16	Reprint of a letter from Maxim Litvinoff to President Roosevelt, excerpted from The Origins of Soviet-American Diplomacy, 
                                by Robert Paul Browder; Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1954; pp. 228-229.
1944, Oct. 18	TLS, from Homer E. Capehart to Mr. K.R. Shaffer, campaign letter on stationery with a letterhead reading "Capehart for 
                                Senator.”
1958, June 10	TLS, from Robert W. Kellum to Sherman Adams, Assistant to the President, re: Omnibus Bill on water resources projects, 
                                Sec. 205b of S. 497.
1958, June 26	Western Union telegram, from Homer E. Capehart to Robert Kellum, re: passage of S. 3910, authorizing Upper Wabash 
                                and Monroe Reservoir by Congress .
1960, Oct. 25	Text of address given by Governor Harold W. Handley at meeting of Southern Indiana, Inc., marking start of construction of 
                                Monroe Reservoir (5 pages).
1961, Dec. 6	Mimeographed letter from Homer E. Capehart to "Dear Friend," re: Communism and Fidel Castro.
1962, Dec. 1	TLS, from Homer Capehart to Robert Kellum, Indiana Flood Control and Water Resources Commission; a letter of 
                                appreciation for support.

Collection Information:

Size of Collection:

1 folder (11 items)

Collection Dates:

1933-1962

Provenance:

Unknown
Access: This collection is open for research.

Restrictions:

None

Reproduction Rights:

Permission to reproduce, exhibit, or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Manuscript Section, Indiana State Library.  Possession of a reproduction from an Indiana State Library collection does not constitute permission for use.
Language Materials are entirely in English

Alternate Formats:

None

Related Holdings:

 

Notes:

 

Photocopying Policy:

Manuscript materials CANNOT be photocopied or digitized in their entirety. Photocopies and/or digital images cannot exceed 25% of a collection or a folder within a collection. In some cases, photocopying may not be permitted due to the condition of the item. Check with a Manuscript Librarian for other options.