Coolidge Papers. Federal Trade Commission, 1923-29.

Correspondence, reports, and newspaper clippings comprise the case file about the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Documents show that President Coolidge replaced FTC member Nelson B. Gaskill with William E. Humphrey, who took pride in having "changed the attitude of the Commission toward business" (November 21, 1925, letter to President Coolidge). Other items reveal discussion about strengthening relations between the FTC and the U.S. Department of Commerce, although Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover's responses show him wary of the idea. Included are materials indicating which businesses and industries stood accused of unfair competitive practices injurious to consumers and other companies in the same industry, among them: tobacco; lumber; steel; gasoline; automobile manufacturing and sales including General Motors; chemical and dye manufacturers including Du Pont; the electric-power industry including General Electric; the anthracite coal-mining industry; motion-picture producers, distributors and exhibitors; poster advertisers; meat packers; and grocers' chain stores. Other case file materials show that General Electric, the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), American Telephone and Telegraph Company, Western Electric, and Westinghouse were accused of attempting to monopolize the wireless communication field and the sale and manufacture of radio apparatus. Other documents concern the "truth in advertising movement" and the projected establishment of a new FTC division, known as the Division of Trade Practice Conference, intended to protect consumers from industry fraud.

Selections reproduced as facsimile page images: 250 of 500 pages


Selected Document List | Page Images

no dateMemorandum from William Coates to US Congress
no dateLetter from John Sargent to Calvin Coolidge
November 9, 1925Letter from John Sargent to Everett Sanders
October 17, 1925Letter from Edward T. Clark to Stanley King
November 12, 1925Letter from Vernon W. Van Fleet to Edward T. Clark
November 13, 1925Letter from Everett Sanders to John G. Sargent
November 21, 1925Letter from W.E. Humphrey to Calvin Coolidge
no dateMemorandum from W.E. Humphrey to Calvin Coolidge
November 21, 1925Letter from Everett Sanders to William E. Humphrey
January 21, 1926Letter from William R. Tucker to Calvin Coolidge
February 1, 1926Letter from Alfred Beckman to Calvin Coolidge
no dateMemorandum
no dateLegal Document
December 31, 1925Letter from John G. Sargent to Calvin Coolidge
June 5, 1924Letter from C.W. Hunt to Calvin Coolidge
no dateArticle from Russell Young
February 3, 1925Federal Publication
January 31, 1925Letter from Edward N. Hurley to Calvin Coolidge
January 20, 1925Letter from Edward T. Clark to W.E. Humphrey
January 28, 1925Letter from W.E. Humphrey to Edward T. Clark
January 27, 1925Letter from W.E. Humphrey to Calvin Coolidge
February 9, 1925Letter from Herbert Hoover to Edward T. Clark
September 3, 1924Letter from Walter Edge to C. Bascom Slemp
February 9, 1925Letter to Mr Hurley
March 25, 1924Letter from Huston Thomson to C. Bascom Slemp
October 26, 1925Letter from Everett Sanders to Vernon W. Van Fleet
no dateReport
February 28, 1924Letter from Warren F. Martin to Calvin Coolidge
February 27, 1924Letter from H.M. Daugherty
no dateNotes
no dateReport
September 3, 1924Letter from Walter Edge to Nelson B. Gaskill
no dateNotes
no dateNotes
no dateNotes from Stanley King
October 15, 1925Letter from Stanley King to Edward T. Clark
October 6, 1925Letter from Calvin Coolidge to W.E. Humphrey
October 7, 1925Letter from W.E. Humphrey to Calvin Coolidge
September 24, 1925Letter from Vernon W. Van Fleet to W.F. Bennett
February 7, 1925Letter from Edward T. Clark to Herbert Hoover
no dateNotes
no dateLegal Document
no dateArticle from Felix H. Levy
May 4, 1925Letter from Felix H. Levy to Everett Sanders
May 4, 1925Letter from Arnold Joerns to Calvin Coolidge
April 6, 1925Letter from William Humphrey to Edward T. Clark
February 12, 1925Letter from Calvin Coolidge to Andrew W. Mellon
February 12, 1925Letter from Calvin Coolidge to Edward N. Hurley
February 12, 1925Letter from Edward T. Clark to Herbert Hoover
no dateReport
no dateArticle
November 10, 1925Letter from Edward T. Clark to Vernon W. Van Fleet
April 22, 1926List
February 11, 1929Letter from Calvin Coolidge
January 2, 1929Letter from Abram F. Myers to Calvin Coolidge
December 17, 1928Letter from Abram F. Myers to Edward T. Clark
no dateArticle
February 11, 1929Letter from Calvin Coolidge to Abram F. Myers
August 18, 1927Letter from Abram F. Myers to Edward T. Clark
no dateNotes
July 29, 1927Notes
August 17, 1926Letter from W.E. Humphrey to Edward T. Clark
no dateCircular
April 27, 1926Letter from W.E. Humphrey to Edward T. Clark
no dateArticle
July 3, 1926Letter from Abram F. Myers to Calvin Coolidge
May 26, 1926Letter from Everett Sanders to Herbert N. Lord
May 5, 1926Letter from Calvin Coolidge to John P. Nugent
June 22, 1926Speech from Vernon W. Van Fleet
July 6, 1926Letter from Vernon W. Van Fleet to Calvin Coolidge
July 6, 1926Letter from Everett Sanders to Vernon W. Van Fleet
July 8, 1926Letter from Frank W. Mondell to Everett Sanders
July 27, 1926Letter from Rudolph Forster to John G. Sargent
May 26, 1926Notes