Archives Branch: Personal Papers Collections

Physical Characteristics: 100 standard legal size document boxes; 24 oversized boxes; 12 oversized map case folders; 60 linear feet

Span Dates: 1898-1940

Scope and Content: The collection includes correspondence, clippings, ephemera, photographs, drawings, maps, negatives, and official records related to the life and work of Smedley Butler between the years 1898 and 1940 (bulk 1912 – 1939). The majority of the collection is comprised of Butler’s vast personal and professional correspondence. The first series in the collection, correspondence has been further subdivided into 3 subseries: personal correspondence, official correspondence, and post retirement correspondence. Those letters in the subseries personal correspondence are characterized by the correspondent, i.e., letters exchanged between Butler and his immediate family. This subseries is dominated by correspondence between Butler and his wife, Ethel Butler; his mother, Maud Butler; and his father, Thomas Butler. Other correspondents include his brother, Samuel Butler, his aunt, Isabelle Darlington Butler, and his son Thomas “Tom Dick” Butler. The letters in this series, particularly those from Butler’s early years as a Marine, are particularly voluminous, as he would frequently write on a daily basis while deployed around the world. The second subseries, official correspondence, contains those letters written or received by Butler in the commission of his duties during his long career in the Marine Corps. This subseries also contains letters from fans and supporters and correspondence related to Butler’s personal business dealings. It should be noted that, given Butler’s obvious dedication to his career as a Marine, he discusses aspects of his official responsibilities in his correspondence with his friends and family members; likewise, he discusses personal matters in correspondence dominated by his official duties. A thorough scholar would be advised to examine both subseries in examining the different stages in Butler’s life. The distinction has been made in order to compartmentalize the materials in this large collection to make them easier to examine. Butler’s short tenure as Director of Public Safety for the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is documented here, though it is indirectly related to his Marine career. This series terminates in October 1931, after Butler’s retirement from service. The third subseries, post retirement correspondence, is comprised of correspondence to and from Butler after his retirement from the Marine Corps and his entrance into civilian life. By far the largest of the three correspondence groupings, this subseries consists primarily of Butler’s communications with the public at large, as the majority of the letters in this subseries could be characterized as “fan” letters. This subseries also contains correspondence related to Butler’s post – Marine Corps career as a lecturer, public speaker, author, and would – be Senator. Whenever possible, enclosures have been kept with their accompanying letters, as have original envelopes. As such, materials that would fall into other series, such as clippings, have not been relocated for the sake of continuity. Correspondence is arranged chronologically by year, there under by date. The second series in the collection is official records. These are materials characterized by their origination by and for the Marine Corps chain of command, including memoranda, orders, and letters of instruction issued to Butler and by Butler. The third series, personal papers, includes Butler’s fiduciary and medical records, insurance information, and those materials related to Butler’s personal business and welfare. This series also includes ephemeral items and souvenirs. The fourth series, writings, include manuscripts authored by Butler, the majority of which are autobiographical in nature. This series includes articles written by Butler for national publications on such subjects as American anti – imperialism, veteran’s rights, and Prohibition. The fifth series, speeches and lectures, include the text of speeches and lectures, as well as itineraries, promotional materials, and notes. The sixth series, radio addresses, are comprised of radio scripts used by Butler in delivering addresses during a weekly radio program. The seventh series, publications, articles, extracts, and clippings, include materials kept or maintained by Butler as research materials, as well as media in which he is mentioned. Butler received extensive media attention from an early age, and continued to find himself a constant subject of newspaper reports both as a Marine and as a public speaker. The eighth series in the collection, photographs, negatives, drawings, and postcards, is comprised of visual materials collected by Butler. While there is a small component of photographs of a personal nature, the majority of the photographs in this series are related to Butler’s career and life as a public figure. The ninth series, maps and charts, is also the smallest in the collection, comprised by Butler’s modest collection of maps.  The tenth series includes Butler family papers. These are materials kept by the Butler family after the death of Smedley Butler, primarily those materials kept by his wife Ethel concerning photographs of memorial events and tributes to Butler, condolence letters received after Butler’s death, and correspondence from scholars about Butler’s career. The eleventh series contains oversized materials. The collection contains considerable material concerning Butler's tour in Haiti, with many letters detailing the day-to-day conditions and problems peculiar to the Marines' role in the occupation of the country. Butler's position in the establishment of the Gendarmerie d'Haiti is developed through many letters from various leading political figures and members of the military, both American and Haitian. The collection also includes significant material on Butler's repeated attempts to be relieved of his duties in Haiti in order to be dispatched to Europe at the outset of America's entry into World War I, and the constant denials from Assistant Secretary of Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt. The segment of the collection that covers Butler's tour of China in 1927 – 1929 as Commanding General of the 3d Brigade, U.S. Marines is particularly important. Included are position papers describing the role that the 3d Brigade was to assume "to protect the lives and property of our nationals in Tientsin, to offer a temporary refuge in Tientsin for our nationals’ evacuation from the interior and to make safe that evacuation to the sea.” Butler wrote very detailed reports of his command during the late 1920s in China. The collection documents Butler's role in establishing the vocational and education programs of the Marine Barracks, Quantico, Virginia in 1920; the controversy over Butler's alleged disparaging remarks on the conditions of the USS Gulfport in 1921; the general program of the East Coast Expeditionary Force maneuvers in 1921; Butler’s activities as Director of Public Safety for Philadelphia from 1923 to 1924. Butler’s post Marine Corps career as an author and lecturer is also well documented.