Adolph Joachim Sabath Papers

Manuscript Collection No. 43

1903-1952. 3.3 Linear ft.

ACCESS AND PROVENANCE

The ADOLPH JOACHIM SABATH PAPERS were donated by Mrs. Adolph Joachim 
Sabath through Rabbi Leonard J. Mervis in August, 1953. According to
the donor correspondence, Mrs Sabath was willing to donate only those 
of her husband's papers dealing primarily with immigration and Palestine. 
The whereabouts of the remainder of the Sabath Papers is unknown.

Property rights have been assigned to the American Jewish Archives. All 
literary rights to materials authored by Adolph Sabath are held by the
Sabath heirs. Literary rights to materials authored by others are held by
the individual author or his/her heirs. Questions concerning rights should 
be addressed to the Director of the American Jewish Archives.

The ADOLPH JOACHIM SABATH PAPERS are open to all users. The original manuscript 
collection is available in the reading room of the American Jewish Archives.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH top

Adolph Joachim Sabath was born in Zabori, Bohemia (now Czechoslovakia),
April 4, 1866, one of eleven children born to Joachim and Barbara
(Eissenschimmel) Sabath. In 1881, at the age of fifteen, Sabath left his
native land and arrived in the United States with only enough money in his
pocket to travel to Chicago, where a cousin lived. He initially worked at odd
jobs and then advanced to the real estate business, all the while, saving
enough money to bring his family to the United States and continue his
education. He graduated from Bryant and Stratton Business College in 1885. He
attended the Chicago College of Law and then Lake Forest University where he
received his LL.B. degree in 1891.

In 1895, Sabath started his political career with the aid of the liberal
governor of Illinois, Peter Altgeld, who appointed him a justice of the peace.
He served until 1897, when he became a police magistrate. In 1907, he was
elected the Democratic representative from the Fifth Illinois District to the
Congress of the United States. Mr. Sabath served in the House of
Representatives for twenty-three consecutive terms until his death, the second
longest continuous service of any congressman. His other political activities
included: membership in the central and executive committees of the Democratic
Party (1909-1920), delegate to all the Democratic State Conventions since
1890, and delegate to all Democratic National Conventions (1894-1944).

As a representative of a reform-minded immigrant constituency, Sabath
fought for passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act and recognition of small
nations after World War I. He also introduced the first workmen's compensation
bill and advocated federal aid for better highways. Congressman Sabath opposed
prohibition and fought for its repeal. In 1931, he introduced the first
Reconstruction Finance Corporation Bill and at all times supported labor and
all relief legislation. He introduces the first old-age pension resolution in
1909 and urged enactment of the Social Security Act. He was a member of the
Committee on Immigration and Naturalization where he opposed inhuman and harsh
immigration measures but supported stringent deportation laws. He also served
as chairman of the Alcohol Liquor Traffic Committee, and as a member (and
later chairman) of the House Rules Committee. 

He advocated United States membership in the League of Nations and was one 
of the first to support military preparedness against the Nazi menace. His 
seniority and influence were used on behalf of New Deal and Fair Deal Legislation.

In 1917, Sabath was married to Mae Ruth Fuerst. He was a member of the
national Masons, Elks, Knights of Pythias, and various other social,
fraternal, and civic organizations of Chicago. He died November 6, 1952 in the
naval hospital at Bethesda, Maryland, two days after his reelection to
Congress.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE top

The ADOLPH JOACHIM SABATH PAPERS (1903-1952) consist of material
relating to the 46-year career of Chicago Congressman, Adolph Joachim
Sabath. The collection includes correspondence, legislative bills,
Congressional Records, notes, resolutions, speeches, articles, newsclippings,
and miscellaneous material which span the years from 1903-1952. The Papers are
divided into four series: 

				A. CORRESPONDENCE
				B. LEGISLATIVE RECORDS
				C. PRINTED MATERIAL
				D. MISCELLANEOUS.

The CORRESPONDENCE series (1909-1948) consists of one box of letters
arranged chronologically. Among the important correspondents are: Franklin D.
Roosevelt, Josephus Daniels, Stephen S. Wise, Joseph P. Tumulty, Samuel
Gompers, and Julius Rosenwald. Also of interest is the correspondence 
(1913-1916) concerning the Navy Department cases of Edward Klouser, Ralph Harley,
Richard Kaminskie, and John McMahon. Access to important subjects and
correspondents can be made through the Subject Tracings.

The LEGISLATIVE RECORDS series (1903-1952) consists of four boxes of
legislative materials including Congressional Records, legislative bills,
notes, resolutions, and speeches arranged chronologically. Subjects include:
immigration, tariffs, prohibition, workmen's compensation, the Great
Depression, communism, and Palestine. This material offers a good crosssection
of the events and legislation with which Sabath was involved throughout his
political career.

The PRINTED MATERIAL series (1911-1948) consists of approximately two
boxes which have been arranged by type of material with a chronological
internal arrangement. The first type of printed material consists of magazines
and pamphlets (1944-1946) relating primarily to Palestine. The second type
consists of miscellaneous printed articles (1911-1948) which deal with many of
Sabath's activities and interests, including immigration, anti-Semitism,
refugees, and Nazism. The third type consists of newsclippings from 1909 to
1948 with the bulk dealing with the years 1943 to 1948. This group deals with
Palestine, anti-Semitism, immigration, refugees, and Nazism.

The MISCELLANEOUS series (1924; 1940-1953) consists of photographs,
memorial booklets, and government manuals. The photographs deal with Nazi
concentration camp victims and the memorial books include those for Warren G.
Harding, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Adolph Joachim Sabath.

BOX AND FOLDER LISTING top

Box  Folder    Contents

SERIES A. CORRESPONDENCE

Note: The CORRESPONDENCE series is arranged chronologically with access to
many topic and correspondents through the Subject Tracings at the end of the 
inventory.

1    1         1909.
     2         1910; 1911 August.
     3         1912.
     4         1913.
     5         1914.
     6         1915.
     7         1916.
     8         1917.
     9         1918; 1921.
     10        1924; 1926.
     11        1929; 1932.
     12        1936.
     13        1937.
     14        1938-1939.
     15        1942 April; 1943.
     16        1944.
     17        1945 Jan.-Sept.
     18        1945 Oct.-Dec.
     19        1946.
     20        1947.
     21        Undated.

SERIES B. LEGISLATIVE RECORDS

Note: The LEGISLATIVE RECORDS series is composed of bills, laws, reports, and
speeches concerning legislation of interest to Sabath. This series is arranged
chronologically with access to topics through the Subject Tracings.

2    1         1903-1907.
     2         1908.
     3         1909.
     4         1910.
     5         1911.
     6         1912.
     7         1913.
     8         1914.
     9         1915.
     10        1916.
     11        1917.
     12        1918.

3    1         1919.
     2         1920.
     3         1921.
     4         1922.
     5         1923.
     6         1924.
     7         1925.
     8         1926.
     9         1927.
     10        1928.
     11        1929.
     12        1930.
     13        1931.
     14        1932.
     15        1933.
     16        1934.
     17        1935.
     18-19     1936.

4    1         1937.
     2         1941.
     3         1942.
     4         1943.
     5         1944.
     6         1944; 1945.
     7-9       1946.


5    1         1947.
     2         1948.
     3         1949.
     4         1950.
     5         1951.
     6         1952.
     7         Undated.
     8         Undated. Miscellaneous notes and papers.

SERIES C. PRINTED MATERIAL

     9         Anti-Defamation League. 1945-1946.
     10        Congress Weekly. 1945-1946.

6    1         Independent Jewish Press Service, Inc. 1945-1946.
     2         Information Bulletin of the American Council for Judaism.
                    1945 Aug.-1946 Sept.
     3         Pal-Eco News. 1945-1946.
     4         Palestine. 1944-1946.
     5         Palestine Affairs. 1946 April-August.
     6         Miscellaneous. 1911-1939 [scattered].
     7         Miscellaneous. 1942-1945.
     8         Miscellaneous. 1946-1948.
     9         Miscellaneous. Undated.

7    1         Miscellaneous. Newsclippings. 1909-1948 [scattered].
     2         Miscellaneous. Newsclippings. Undated.

SERIES D. MISCELLANEOUS

7    3         Photographs. ca. 1945.
     -         House Rules and Manual, 81st Congress; Memorial booklets on                     			Warren G. Harding, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Martin Gorski,
			Ralph Edwin Church, and Adolph Joachim Sabath.

SUBJECT TRACINGS top

Note: The following list of subjects is a selective guide to many of the
topics found in the ADOLPH JOACHIM SABATH PAPERS. When used in conjunction
with the Box and Folder List, the Subject Tracings should help the researcher
locate topics. References are to boxes and folders: e.g. 1/9=Box 1, Folder 9.

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee 1/12.
Anti-Semitism 1/12,13,17; 4/7; 6/1,6,7,9; 7/1,2,3.
Anti-Trust 2/1.

Baruch, Bernard M. 1/9.

Civil Rights 1/19.
Communism 4/7; 5/3.
Condon, Edward U. 5/2.
Consumer Purchase Study 4/2.
Crime, Jewish 1/12.

Daniels, Josephus 1/6,8.
Dies, Martin 1/15,16.

Einstein, Albert 1/12.

German Jewish Refugees 1/12.
Gompers, Samuel 1/5, 6/6.
Great Depression 3/11,13,14,15,16.

Hoover, Herbert C. 1/8.

Immigration 1/2,3,5,11; 2/1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,11,12; 3.3,4,
     5,6,7,8,9,10,11; 6/1,6; 7/2.

Latin America 2/12.
League of Nations 3/1.

Naturalization 2/2,6,12; 3/3,4,9,10.
Nazism 1/12,13,15; 6/6; 7/2.

Palestine 1/9,12,145,16,17,18,19,20; 4/5,6,7; 5/1; 6/1,
     2,3,4,5,7,8,9; 7/2.
Panama Canal 2/8.
Philippine Islands 1/10; 2/2; 3/5,6,8,11; 3/12,15; 6/6.
Polish Jews 1/13.
Prohibition 2/2; 3/7,10,11,12,13,14,15.
Puerto Rico 2/3; 3/8.
Pure Food and Drugs 2/7.

Refugees 6/8,9; 7/3.
Rosenwald, Julius 1/3,7.
Roosevelt, Franklin D. 1/5,7,9,11.

Silver, Abba Hillel 1/16.
Smith, Gerald L.D. 1/15.
Soviet Union 1/18; 2/3,11; 3/14; 4/7.
Subversive Activities 1/19; 4/4; 5/1,2; 7/1.

Tariff 1/1; 2/2,3,7,8,10; 7/1.
Tumulty, Joseph P. 1/10.

United States Navy 4/1.
Wilson, Woodrow 2/10,11,12; 3/1,6.
Wise, Stephen S. 1/12,13,14.
Women's Suffrage 2/9,12.
World War I 2/11,12; 3/1.
World War II 1/15.

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