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Francis T. Maloney Papers

 Collection
Identifier: 1979-0010

Scope and Content

These papers were the only ones to survive basement flooding before the collection was donated to Special Collections in 1969. In Series I, correspondence between Senator Maloney, Albert N. Jorgensen, the War Department, and the Federal Works Agency which deal with a proposal to construct an armory at the University of Connecticut were photocopied from the Albert N. Jorgensen correspondence in the records of the President's Office in the University of Connecticut Archives. In Series II, subject index excerpts have been removed from the original notebooks and placed in manuscript folders. In Series V, loose newspaper clippings were removed and placed in manuscript folders, chronologically.

Several photographs from the collection of Mr. Maloney have been digitized and are available in the Library digital repository.

Dates

  • undated, 1931-1959

Access

The collection is open and available for research.

Restrictions on Use

Permission to publish from these Papers must be obtained in writing from the owner(s) of the copyright.

Biography

Francis Thomas Maloney, son of Patrick and Grace (Hickey), was born in Meriden, Connecticut, on 31 March 1894. After attending public and parochial schools in Meriden, he became a reporter for The Meriden Morning Record (1914-1921). During World War I, Maloney was a member of the United States Naval Reserve Force as a seaman first class.

In 1918, Maloney married Martha Herzig of Wallingford. They had a son, Robert, and three daughters, Marilyn, Grace, and Ann. Maloney sold real estate and fire insurance from 1921 until 1929 when he was elected mayor of Meriden. He served for two terms.

He was elected as a Democratic member to the 73rd Congress in 1933, and in 1934 was elected to the United States Senate. While in the Senate he chaired the Special Committee Investigating Gasoline and Fuel Shortages. He also was chairman of the Special Committee to Study International Petroleum Production and Distribution. Maloney was reelected to the Senate in 1940. While in the Senate, Maloney supported the social reforms of the New Deal. He opposed President Roosevelt's plan to reorganize the Supreme Court in 1937.

Maloney held membership in many organizations, including the American Legion, Ancient Order of Hibernians, Fraternal Order of the Eagles, Knights of Columbus, Loyal Order of Moose, Meriden Turner Society, Sons of Union Veterans, and Young Men's Temperance and Benevolence Society.

While working on a proposal to modernize Congressional procedure in December 1944, Maloney became ill from exhaustion. He died in Meriden, Connecticut, on 16 January 1945.

Extent

5 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Francis T. Maloney was a United States Senator from 1934 until his death in 1945. Previous to that, he was a Congressman and, before that, Mayor of his hometown, Meriden, Connecticut. During World War I he was a member of the U.S. Naval Reserve Force.

Arrangement

Series I: Correspondence (1931-1944) contains incoming and outgoing letters written between 1931 and 1944. Several of the letters are between Francis T. Maloney and the Library of Congress. They request information Maloney needed for speech writing. There are photocopies of correspondence between Senator Maloney, Albert N. Jorgensen, the War Department, and the Federal Works Agency which deal with a proposal to construct an armory at the University of Connecticut. The letters were written between August 1940 and November 1940. These letters were copied from the Albert N. Jorgensen correspondence in the records of the President's Office.

Series II: Writings (undated, 1931-1944) is organized into two sections. The first part consists of speeches, radio broadcasts, and articles written by Maloney. The second part consists of excerpts from the Congressional Record relating to Maloney. They were mounted in looseleaf notebooks and organized by Congressional term, by session and then by form—remarks and speeches, bills, resolutions, and petitions. At the beginning of the papers for each session, there is a subject index. These excerpts have been removed from the notebooks and places in folders.

Series III: Biographical Material (undated, 1945-1947) contains information about Maloney, such as published articles, photographs, and campaign posters. There are several photographs, including two of Senator Maloney and Jimmy Durante visiting war plants in Connecticut. There is a bound volume of the Congressional memorial service for Maloney, which was held on 23 May 1945. Several oversized campaign posters are located in box 2.

Series IV: Speech Reference File (undated, 1943) is an alphabetized series of material Maloney used as research for speeches.

Series V: Scrapbooks (1929-1959) is organized into two sections. The first section contains nine volumes dating between 1929 and 1945. Three of the volumes (1937 December - 1939 January, 1939 January - 1939 July, and 1939 November - 1944 June) contain clippings relating only to Meriden events and personalities. The second section contains loose newspaper clippings, some of which were removed from scrapbooks because they had become unglued and others, which were found loose among the papers. A tenth scrapbook, dating from December 1944 to May 1945 was filled with loose clippings, which were removed and placed in folders, chronologically.

Acquisition Information

The Francis T. Maloney Papers were donated to the University of Connecticut Library circa 1969 by Senator Maloney's son, Robert Maloney. These papers were the only ones to survive basement flooding.

Subjects

Collecting Areas

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
A Guide to the Francis T. Maloney Papers
Status
Published
Author
Archives & Special Collections staff
Date
1980
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Archives and Special Collections, University of Connecticut Library Repository

https://lib.uconn.edu/location/asc/
Contact:
University of Connecticut Library
405 Babbidge Road Unit 1205
Storrs Connecticut 06269-1205 USA US
860-486-2524

  • Archives & Special Collections, UConn Library
    Dodd Center for Human Rights
  • 405 Babbidge Rd, Unit 1205
    Storrs, CT 06269-120
  • archives@uconn.edu
  • 860-486-2524

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