Collection: Wint Smith papers | Kenneth Spencer Research Library Archival Collections (original) (raw)

Collection

Call Number: RH MS 201

Overview

Kansas native Wint Smith, a lawyer by profession, served in the military and the United States Congress. This collection includes correspondence, records related to Smith's military and Congressional career, speeches, photographs, diaries, maps, and other related materials.

Dates

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

No access restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Spencer Library staff may determine use restrictions dependent on the physical condition of manuscript materials.

Biography of Wint Smith (1892-1976)

Wint Smith served in the military in both World War I and World War II, as well as serving as a member of Congress in the House of Representatives as a Republican from 1947-1961. By profession a lawyer, Smith earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas, his law degree from Yale, and practiced in Salina and Kansas City, Kansas. Born in Mankato, Kansas in 1891, Smith died in Wichita, KS in 1976.

Chronological timeline of Wint Smith's life:

1892

Born in Mankato, Kansas, son of William and Ella Chilcott Smith

1910

Graduated from Mankato High School

1912

Married Blanch Kingsley

1916-1917

Entered University of Kansas. Studies interrupted when he accompanied U.S. forces under Gen. Pershing into Mexico

1917-1919

Accompanied U.S. forces in England and France (WWI)

1920

Graduated from University of Kansas

1921-1940

Served in the 114th Cavalry Regiment of the National Guard, part of the 24th Calvary Division [in 1940, the regiment was converted to the 127th Artillery Regiment]

1922

Graduated from Yale Law School

1923

Admitted to the Kansas Bar. Practiced in Salina and Kansas City, Kansas

1931-1940

Appointed and served as Attorney General for the State of Kansas

1932-1940

Acting attorney for the State Highway Commission

circa 1933

Became Superintendent of the newly-created Kansas Highway Patrol

1941-1945

Organized, trained, and commanded the 635th Tank Destroyer battalion (spent 2 years overseas); participant in the Omaha Beach landing and the Battle of the Bulge

1946

Returned to Mankato, Kansas; elected to Congress from 6th Congressional District to 6 consecutive terms

1961

Retired from Congress

1976

Died April 27 in Mankato, Kansas

Extent

14 Linear Feet (20 boxes + 2 oversize boxes + 4 oversize folders)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Scope and Contents

The bulk of the papers span the years 1946 to 1960 and include, for the most part, the various materials collected by Smith while a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Such material includes correspondence and subject files (RH MS 201 boxes 4-6, 8, 10-11); speeches and the congressional report series Wint Smith Reports on Congress and News and Comments from Congress written by Smith for his Kansas constituents (RH MS 201 box 9); and congressional election returns (RH MS 201 box 7).

Smith's varied interests and concerns while a member of Congress are well reflected by the correspondence and subject files he maintained. The congressional subject files, for example, contain manuscript items dealing with communism, biographical sketches of prominent individuals of the times, the United Nations, labor and labor hearings in the United States, and other materials related to major events of the day. Similarly, the congressional correspondence files reveal a variety of material concerned not only with political issues, but also with such domestic interests as veterans claims and legislation, social security, taxes, and other subjects. The so-called "General Files" of congressional correspondence, and also the speeches of Representative Smith, cover a wide range of topics and are arranged in a chronological sequence. Generally speaking, there exists no apparent gap in any of the collection's designated congressional files.

Also included in the collection are genealogical records and family correspondence (RH MS 201 box 1; 1877-1970); personal correspondence (RH MS 201 box 2; 1916-1974); University of Kansas material (RH MS 201 box 2; 1916-1920); Kansas Highway Patrol clippings (RH MS 201 box 2; 1933-1937); and military records (RH MS 201 box 3; 1917-1959; oversize materials located at RH MS R30 and RH MS R440). Diaries from Smith's time in the military are located at RH MS C55 and RH MS B61, and photographs from the collection are located at RH MS-P 201 (oversize photographs at RH MS-P 201(f).) Additional materials related to Smith's serving in the military during both World War I and II are available at RH MS 1062.

Researchers should bear in mind that, where feasible, Representative Smith's own file headings have been left intact since, oftentimes, they adequately described the contents of a given file. This holds particularly true for congressional correspondence and subject files.

Physical Location

RH MS 201

Physical Location

RH MS B61

Physical Location

RH MS C55

Physical Location

RH MS R30

Physical Location

RH MS-P 201

Physical Location

RH MS-P 201(f)

Physical Location

RH MS 1062

Physical Location

RH MS R440

Physical Location

RH MS S73

Other Finding Aids

NUCMC: 84-1314

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gifts, Mrs. Blanche Smith, 1976; Mr. Welther, 1992; Frederica Murphy, 2019.

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title

Guide to the Wint Smith Collection

Subtitle

Wint Smith papers

Author

Finding aid prepared by lgg, April and June 1977; js, lgg, 1978-1979. Finding aid encoded by mg, 2004. Finding aid revised by mwh, anm, 2018; cmp, 2021; mwh, 2021.

Date

2004

Description rules

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Language of description

Finding aid written in English.

Finding aid permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/10407/2184300361

Preferred citation

Wint Smith Collection, RH MS 201, Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas.

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the University of Kansas. Kenneth Spencer Research Library Repository