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Matthew Stanley Quay
A Register of His Papers in the Library of Congress
Prepared by Laura Kells
1993
Manuscript Division
Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
Finding aid encoded by Library of Congress
Manuscript Division, 2001
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table of Contents for Matthew Stanley Quay
Collection Summary
Selected Search Terms
* Names:
* Subjects:
* Occupation:
Administrative Information
* Provenance:
* Processing History:
* Transfers:
* Copyright Status:
* Preferred Citation:
Biographical Note
Scope and Content Note
Description of Series
* Family Correspondence, 1787- 1949, n.d.
* General Correspondence, 1852- 1927, n.d.
* Financial Records, 1863- 1903, n.d.
* Scrapbooks and Clippings, 1878- 1908, n.d.
* Photographs, 1888, n.d.
* Miscellany, 1776- 1918, n.d.
* Oversize, 1856- 1908, n.d.
Container List
* FAMILY CORRESPONDENCE, 1787- 1949, n.d.
* GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE, 1852- 1927, n.d.
* FINANCIAL RECORDS, 1863- 1903, n.d.
* SCRAPBOOKS AND CLIPPINGS, 1878- 1908, n.d.
* PHOTOGRAPHS, 1888, n.d.
* MISCELLANY, 1776- 1918, n.d.
* OVERSIZE, 1856- 1908, n.d.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Collection Summary
Creator: Quay, Matthew Stanley, 1833-1904
Title: Papers of Matthew Stanley Quay 1776-1949 (bulk 1890-1904)
Size: 5000 items; 47 containers plus 5 oversize; 23 linear feet
Repository: Manuscript Division, Library of Congress
Abstract: U.S. senator from Pennsylvania (1887-1904). Correspondence,
election materials, financial papers, genealogical information, newspaper
clippings, photographs, and other papers pertaining primarily to Quay's
career in Pennsylvania and national politics as a member of the Republican
party and the U.S. Senate.
Selected Search Terms
Names:
Beaver, James A. (James Addams), 1837-1914
Cameron, J. D. (James Donald), 1833-1918
Curtin, Andrew Gregg, 1815-1894
Hanna, Marcus Alonzo, 1837-1904
Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901
Hastings, Daniel, 1849-1903
McKinley, William, 1843-1901
Pennypacker, Samuel W. (Samuel Whitaker), 1843-1916
Penrose, Boies, 1860-1921
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Wanamaker, John, 1838-1922
Quay family
United States. Army. Ohio Infantry Regiment, 7th (1861-1864)
United States. Congress. Senate
Republican Party (Pa.)
Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- )
Subjects:
Fredericksburg (Va.), Battle of, 1862
Presidents--United States--Election--1896
Pennsylvania--Politics and government--1865-1950
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
United States--Politics and government--1865-1900
United States--Politics and government--1901-1909
Virginia--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Campaigns
Occupation:
Senators, U.S. Congress--Pennsylvania
Administrative Information
Provenance:
The papers of Matthew Stanley Quay, politician and United States senator,
were given to the Library of Congress in 1988 by Professor James A. Kehl of
the University of Pittsburgh. They have been combined with a small
collection of Quay papers given to the Library by Russell S. Bachman in
1936.
Processing History:
The Matthew Stanley Quay Papers are described in Library of Congress
Acquisitions: Manuscript Division, 1988, pp. 9-13.
Transfers:
Bound volumes of the Beaver Radical (1869-1871) have been transferred to
the Library's Serial & Government Publications Division and are available
in the Newspaper and Current Periodical Reading Room.
Copyright Status:
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Matthew Stanley Quay
is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Preferred Citation:
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following
information: container number, Matthew Stanley Quay Papers, Manuscript
Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Biographical Note
Date Event
1833 , Sept.
30 Born, Dillsburg, Pa.
1850 Graduated Jefferson College, Canonsburg, Pa.
1854 Admitted to bar and began law practice, Beaver County, Pa.
1855 , Oct.
10 Married Agnes Barclay
1856 - 1859 Prothonotary of Beaver County
1861 - 1865 Lieutenant, Tenth Pennsylvania Reserves
Colonel, 134th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers
Lieutenant colonel and assistant commissary general,
Militia of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Military state agent, Washington, D. C.
Private secretary to Gov. Andrew G. Curtin of Pennsylvania
Major and chief, Department of Transportation and Telegraph
, staff of Governor Curtin
Military secretary to Governor Curtin
1865 - 1867 Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
1867 - 1872 Owned and edited the Beaver Radical
1872 - 1882 Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
1878 - 1879 Recorder of the city of Philadelphia, Pa.
Chairman of the Republican state committee
1885 Selected as member of Republican National Committee
1885 - 1887 Pennsylvania state treasurer
1887 Elected, United States Senate
1888 Chairman, Republican National Committee, during
presidential campaign of Benjamin Harrison
Awarded Congressional Medal of Honor for bravery at
Fredericksburg, Va., during the Civil War
1893 Reelected, United States Senate
1895 Named chairman, Pennsylvania Republican central committee
1896 Candidate for president
Member, executive committee, Republican National Committee
1898 , Nov. Indicted for conspiracy to misuse state funds
1899 , Jan. Failed to be reelected to United States Senate because of
deadlock in Pennsylvania legislature
1899 , Apr. Acquitted of misuse of state funds; appointed United States
21 Senator, ad interim
1900 , Apr. Denied seat in United States Senate by resolution of that
24 body
1901 Reelected, United States Senate
1904 , May
28 Died, Beaver, Pa.
Scope and Content Note
The papers of Matthew Stanley Quay (1833-1904) span the years 1776-1949,
with the bulk of the material concentrated between 1890 and 1904. The
papers focus primarily on Quay's activities in late nineteenth-century
state and national politics as United States senator from Pennsylvania and
Republican party leader, with the richest material relating to Pennsylvania
state politics. Other material concerns Quay's military career, his
financial activities, and his family.
The Family Correspondence file spans the years 1787-1949. In much of this
correspondence, Quay is referred to as Stan, an abbreviated form of his
middle name. Included are letters to him from his father, Anderson B. Quay,
a Presbyterian minister, and his mother, Catherine. There are also letters
to the Reverend and Catherine Quay from their eldest daughter, Sarah, who
wrote from Rose Park Seminary and the Lyceum Institute in the 1830s about
her life at school. Letters from Quay's sister, Thetta, concern family life
until her death from consumption in 1862. Correspondence of Quay's youngest
brother, Elliot, includes letters written while he was a second lieutenant
in the Seventh Ohio Infantry in 1861 and 1862. He resigned in poor health
in October 1862 and died of consumption.
The family's health is a common subject in the correspondence. Quay's
parents and every adult member of his immediate family died of consumption.
Of Quay's own children, only five of ten survived to adulthood. Quay also
seems to have inherited a weak constitution, and his ailments figure
prominently in his correspondence to his wife, Agnes, and their son,
Richard, , whom he wrote from Florida, where he spent extended periods of
time to restore his health. There is also a long run of correspondence
between Quay and his daughter Coral. The latest correspondence is from the
next generation of Quays to their Aunt Coral during World War II and the
postwar period.
Attached to some of the correspondence are typescripts prepared by James A.
Kehl. A professor of history, Kehl had obtained the papers from Quay's
grandson, Stanley Quay, who had inherited them from Coral Quay. To help
identify family members, diagrams of family trees are in the Miscellany
file in the "Family information" and "Research notes" folders.
The General Correspondence file, 1852-1927, relates primarily to political
activities. There is some correspondence concerning Quay's election to the
United States Senate in 1886-1887 and to his Republican National Committee
chairmanship from 1888 to 1891. A major portion of the correspondence
relates to his candidacy for the chairmanship of the Republican state
committee and the split in Pennsylvania over the party chairmanship in
1895. Material from 1896 covers the battle over the membership of the
Pennsylvania Republican delegation and Quay's candidacy for the presidency.
The correspondence from 1899 to 1901 focuses on the controversy concerning
Quay's Senate seat, his acquittal on charges of conspiring to misuse state
funds, his reappointment by the governor in 1899, the vote against seating
him in the Senate in 1900, and his reelection in 1901. Correspondence
includes reports on efforts to gain political backing, letters of support,
and requests for appointment to public office. Added to correspondence from
the 1890s are notations in shorthand. Prominent correspondents include
Presidents Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, and Theodore Roosevelt;
Pennsylvania governors James A. Beaver, Andrew G. Curtin, Daniel H.
Hastings, and Samuel W. Pennypacker; and national figures such as Mark A.
Hanna, Boies Penrose, John Wanamaker, and J. D. Cameron.
The Financial Records file documents some of Quay's financial dealings
during the period leading to his conspiracy indictment. Of particular
interest are the records of his dealings with the Peoples' Bank of
Philadelphia. These files (1878-1898, n.d.) include records of transactions
and canceled checks, as well as correspondence and telegrams from cashier
John S. Hopkins, who handled most of Quay's personal stock transactions. In
March 1898, the Peoples' Bank declared bankruptcy, and Hopkins committed
suicide. Letters and telegrams from Quay found in Hopkins's desk after his
death were used against Quay in his reelection campaign and as evidence in
his trial. Also of interest is a financial journal in which Quay lists his
stock holdings and other financial assets.
Of particular interest in the Scrapbooks and Clippings series are fifty-
three volumes of clippings from the years 1878 and 1888-1895. They reflect
national press coverage of Quay and include both pro- and anti-Quay points
of view. Senator Quay was an early subscriber to a clipping service, Henry
S. Romeike of New York. Also available are two large volumes of clippings
relating to Quay's death and funeral. Bound volumes of the Beaver Radical
(1869-1871), a weekly Republican newspaper which Quay published from 1868
to 1872, have been transferred to the Serials Division of the Library and
are available in the Newspaper and Current Periodical Reading Room.
The Photographs file contains an album of photographs and autographs of
United States senators in 1888. A clipping in one of the scrapbooks notes
the value of the album because of the fact that some of the senators were
normally reluctant to give out photographs. In addition to portraits of
Quay, there is a portrait of Pennsylvania governor John F. Hartranft.
The Miscellany file contains information about Quay's family and a journal
of his brother Elliot's 1860 trip to Louisiana in search of work.
Biographical information about Matthew Quay as a young man is available in
reminiscences by members of the Griffin family, who were visited by Quay at
their Southern plantation in 1850. Matthew Quay's military papers include
accounts of his activities at the battle of Fredericksburg during the Civil
War. Material from his political career includes election results and
voting records, the guest book of the Pennsylvania delegation at the
Republican National Convention in St. Louis in 1896, political pamphlets,
and petitions, resolutions, and other written expressions of support. An
1890 handwritten statement by William Shaw Bowen, a reporter for the New
York World, describes his investigation into Quay's background and
political and financial dealings. The World subsequently printed Bowen's
articles giving a sensational negative account of Quay's character and
activities as a political boss. Legal materials include court papers
(1897-1898) from Quay's trial. Among the memorabilia are inaugural ball
programs, invitations to the White House during the Theodore Roosevelt
administration, dinner menus, and metal and cloth political badges.
Description of Series
Box Series
BOX 1 Family Correspondence, 1787 - 1949 , n.d.
Letters to and from family members.
Arranged chronologically.
BOX General Correspondence, 1852 - 1927 , n.d.
2-10
Letters and telegrams from politicians, constituents, and
friends, including some negative photostats and typewritten
copies of letters from and about Quay obtained from other
repositories.
Arranged chronologically.
BOX 10 Financial Records, 1863 - 1903 , n.d.
Bank statements, canceled checks, ledgers, financial journal,
telegrams, and correspondence.
Arranged by type of material and chronologically therein.
BOX Scrapbooks and Clippings, 1878 - 1908 , n.d.
11-40
Volumes of newspaper clippings relating to state and national
politics, a book of congratulatory telegrams, volumes on Quay's
death, and loose clippings.
Volumes are arranged chronologically and topically, and unbound
clippings are arranged chronologically.
BOX Photographs, 1888 , n.d.
40-41
A volume of autographed photographs of United States senators
arranged by state; a volume featuring fishing scenes off the
coast of Florida ; a few portraits; and a lithographic plate.
BOX Miscellany, 1776 - 1918 , n.d.
42-47
Family information, military papers, legal documents, election
results and voting records, petitions and resolutions, speeches
and writings, political pamphlets, and memorabilia such as
invitations, programs, and political ribbons.
Arranged alphabetically by type of material and chronologically
therein.
BOX OV Oversize, 1856 - 1908 , n.d.
1-5
Oversize scrapbooks, election materials, financial documents,
certificates, and newspaper clippings.
Items are described according to the boxes, series, and folders
from which they were removed.
Container List
Box Contents
FAMILY CORRESPONDENCE, 1787 - 1949 , n.d.
BOX 1 1787-1904
(8 folders)
1912, 1943-1949
Undated
ca. 1835-1863
ca. 1865-1905
ca. 1900-1950
GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE, 1852 - 1927 , n.d.
BOX 2 Feb. 1852-Dec. 1890
(13 folders)
BOX 3 Jan. 1891-2 July 1895
(10 folders)
BOX 4 3-20 July 1895
(10 folders)
BOX 5 21 July-29 Aug. 1895
(9 folders)
BOX 6 30 Aug. 1895-21 Feb. 1896
(11 folders)
BOX 7 22 Feb. 1896-21 Apr. 1899
(14 folders)
BOX 8 22 Apr. 1899-30 Apr. 1900
(12 folders)
BOX 9 May 1900-Sept. 1903
(12 folders)
BOX 10 Oct. 1903-Nov. 1904
(2 folders)
Aug. 1905-Mar. 1927
Undated
FINANCIAL RECORDS, 1863 - 1903 , n.d.
BOX 10 Bank records
Allegheny National Bank, 1893
Beaver Deposit Bank, 1880-1898
Commonwealth Guarantee Trust and Safe Deposit Co.,
1893
Farmers' and Mechanics' National Bank, 1892-1895
Peoples' Bank of Philadelphia, 1878-1898, n.d.
(5 folders)
Miscellaneous checks and receipts, 1878-1902
Beaver Radical, 1869-1870
Family finances, 1863-1888, n.d. See also Oversize
Financial journal, 1896-1903
Miscellaneous, 1864-1890, n.d.
Republican National Committee, 1888-1889, n.d.
(2 folders)
Republican State Committee printing accounts, 1878
Stock transactions, 1893-1902 For additional material see
same series, Bank records; See also Oversize
SCRAPBOOKS AND CLIPPINGS, 1878 - 1908 , n.d.
BOX 11 Chronological volumes
Vol. 1, 1878
Vol. 2, 1 Apr. 1888-31 Oct. 1889 See Oversize
BOX 12 Vol. 3, 29 Oct.-23 Nov. 1889
Vol. 4, 19 Nov.-19 Dec. 1889
BOX 13 Vol. 5, 19 Dec. 1889-11 Feb. 1890
Vol. 6, 11 Feb.-25 Mar. 1890
BOX 14 Vol. 7, 25 Mar.-19 Apr. 1890
Vol. 8, 19 Apr.-24 May 1890
BOX 15 Vol. 9, 24 May-13 June 1890
Vol. 10, 11 June-9 July 1890
BOX 16 Vol. 11, 30 June-21 Sept. 1890
Vol. 12, 9 July-13 Sept. 1890
BOX 17 Vol. 13, 21 Aug.-6 Sept. 1890
Vol. 14, 6-26 Sept. 1890
BOX 18 Vol. 15, 26 Sept.-15 Oct. 1890
Vol. 16, 15 Oct.-6 Nov.1890
BOX 19 Vol. 17, 6 Nov. 1890-19 Jan. 1891
Vol. 18, 2 Dec. 1890-13 Jan. 1891
BOX 20 Vol. 19, 9 Jan.-7 Feb. 1891
Vol. 20, 8-19 Feb. 1891
BOX 21 Vol. 21, 19 Feb.-24 Mar. 1891
Vol. 22, 13 Mar.-29 Apr. 1891
BOX 22 Vol. 23, 29 Apr.-3 June 1891
Vol. 24, 29 May-30 June 1891
BOX 23 Vol. 25, 23 June-11 July 1891
Vol. 26, 1-22 July 1891
BOX 24 Vol. 27, 20-29 July 1891
Vol. 28, 28-31 July 1891
BOX 25 Vol. 29, 29 July-6 Aug. 1891
Vol. 30, 2-13 Aug. 1891
BOX 26 Vol. 31, 6-22 Aug. 1891
Vol. 32, 14 Aug.-7 Sept. 1891
BOX 27 Vol. 33, 29 Aug.-1 Oct. 1891
Vol. 34, 1-28 Oct. 1891
BOX 28 Vol. 35, 14 Oct.-6 Nov. 1891
Vol. 36, 24 Oct.-2 Dec. 1891
BOX 29 Vol. 37, 21 Nov. 1891-1 Jan. 1892
Vol. 38, 29 Dec. 1891-30 Jan. 1892
BOX 30 Vol. 39, 21 Jan.-28 Feb. 1892
Vol. 40, 27 Feb.- 26 Mar. 1892
BOX 31 Vol. 41, 11 Mar.-29 Apr. 1892
Vol. 42, 26 Mar.-20 Apr. 1892
BOX 32 Vol. 43, 14 Apr.-10 May 1892
Vol. 44, 27 Apr.-19 May 1892
BOX 33 Vol. 45, 9-27 May 1892
Vol. 46, 18-27 May 1892
BOX 34 Vol. 47, 26 May-5 June 1892
Vol. 48, 27 May-1 June 1892
BOX 35 Vol. 49, 2-7 June 1892
Vol. 50, 4-15 June 1892
BOX 36 Vol. 51, 7-10 June 1892
Vol. 52, 26 Aug.-2 Sept. 1895
BOX 37 Vol. 53, 2-28 Sept. 1895
Topical volumes
Political cartoons, mostly from Philadelphia Times
and Pittsburgh Leader, 1889, 1895-1896 See
Oversize
Memorial vols., Matthew Stanley Quay, 1904
(2 vols.) See Oversize
BOX 38 Miscellaneous clippings, 1900
Pennypacker, Samuel W., on Quay, 1901, n.d.
BOX 39 Telegrams, 1899
BOX 40 Unbound and unarranged
Originals, 1895-1908, n.d.
(5 folders) See also Oversize
Preservation photocopies, 1895-1905, n.d.
(3 folders)
PHOTOGRAPHS, 1888 , n.d.
BOX 40 Lithographic plate of Quay portrait
Portraits
Unidentified
BOX 41 Albums
Fishing scenes, 1888
United States senators, 1888
MISCELLANY, 1776 - 1918 , n.d.
BOX 42 Bowen, William Shaw, statement, 1890
Family information
General, 1776-1918, n.d.
Quay, Elliot S., journal, 1860
Legal documents
Contracts, deeds, and mortgages, 1860-1894 See
also Oversize
Court materials, 1897-1898, n.d.
Memorabilia
Dinner menus, 1878-1901
(3 folders)
Inaugural ball programs, 1889, 1897
(2 folders)
Invitations, 1903-1908, n.d.
Republican National Convention tickets and ballot,
1888-1900
BOX 43 Political ribbons
1889-1896, n.d.
(9 folders)
BOX 44 1896-1912, n.d.
(9 folders)
Military papers, 1861-1901
(2 folders) See also Oversize
BOX 45 Political material
Appointments and recognitions, 1856-1893 See
Oversize
Congressional documents, 1897-1905
Election results, ballots, and voting records,
1872-1887, 1900, n.d. See also Oversize
Miscellaneous, 1895-1904, n.d.
Pamphlets, 1872-1905, n.d.
(2 folders)
Petitions and resolutions, 1890-1903, n.d. See
also Oversize
Speeches and writings, 1857-1904, n.d.
Writings in support of Quay, 1895, n.d.
Reminiscences of Quay, 1893-1905, n.d.
Research notes
Unidentified fragmentary material
BOX 46 Volumes
Guest book, visitors to Pennsylvania delegation,
Republican National Convention, St. Louis, Mo.,
1896
BOX 47 Memorial presentation book, 1904, Pennsylvania
State League of Republican Clubs
OVERSIZE, 1856 - 1908 , n.d.
BOX OV 1 Financial records, 1863-1903, n.d.
Family finances, 1863-1888, n.d. (Container 10)
Stock transactions, 1893-1902 (Container 10)
Scrapbooks and clippings, 1878-1908, n.d. See also
Oversize (OV 2-5)
Unbound and unarranged
Originals, 1895-1908, n.d. (Container 40)
Miscellany, 1776-1918, n.d.
Legal documents
Contracts, deeds, and mortgages, 1860-1894
(Container 42)
Military papers, 1861-1901 (Container 44)
Political material
Appointments and recognitions, 1856-1893
(Container 45)
Election results, ballots, and voting
rqecords, 1872-1887, 1900, n.d. (Container
45)
Petitions and resolutions, 1890-1903
(Container 45)
BOX OV 2 Scrapbooks and clippings, 1878-1908, n.d.
Chronological volumes
Vol. 2, 1 Apr. 1888-31 Oct. 1889 (Container
11)
BOX OV 3 Topical volumes
Political cartoons, mostly from
Philadelphia Times and Pittsburgh Leader,
1889, 1895-1896 (Container 37)
BOX OV 4-5 Memorial vols., Matthew Stanley Quay, 1904
(Container 37)
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