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Size | 30,000 items (25.5 linear feet). |
Abstract | Claude Kitchin (24 March 1869-31 May 1923) was a Democrat from North Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives, 1901-1923; chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee; and House majority leader for the Sixty-fourth and Sixty-fifth Congresses, 1915-1919. The collection includes Kitchin's office files while he served as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and House majority leader, particularly concerning his interests in the tariff; revenue bills, including war bonds and income tax; military defense; and opposition to United States entry into World War I. Correspondence documents committee issues and policy, constituent concerns, and local and state politics. There are a few earlier papers, mostly concerning North Carolina Populist-Democratic politics, 1896-1898, the Democratic Party in North Carolina, and prominent national figures. Also included are speeches and petitions, House bills, copies of the Congressional Record, clippings, letters of sympathy at his death, and notes and correspondence about Kitchin by Professor Alex Matthews Arnett (1888-1945). |
Creator | Kitchin, Claude, 1869-1923. |
Curatorial Unit | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection. |
Language | English |
Processed by: SHC Staff
Encoded by: Noah Huffman, December 2007
Updated by: Amanda Loeb, October 2013; Nancy Kaiser, November 2020
Back to TopThe following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.
Claude Kitchin (24 March 1869-31 May 1923), born in Scotland Neck, Halifax County, N.C., was a member of the Democratic party in the United States House of Representatives, 1901-1923; chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee; and House majority leader for the Sixty-fourth and Sixty-fifth Congresses, 1915-1919. His father, William Hodges Kitchin, was a United States Representative from North Carolina, 1880-1882, and his brother, William Walton Kitchin, was also a United States Representative from North Carolina, 1896-1908, and governor of the state, 1909-1913. Claude Kitchin graduated from Wake Forest College in 1888, where he studied law. He married Kate Mills and fathered nine children. He was admitted to the bar in 1890 and was interested in business, banking, and farming, as well as law and politics.
During his terms in Congress Kitchin focused on the tarrif, revenue bills, and funding the Unites States' efforts in World War I. He opposed the military preparedness measures of President Woodrow Wilson, and was one of fifty members of Congress to vote against declaring war on Germany in April 1917. Afterwards however, he threw himself into the war effort, arguing for an increase in taxes on excess corporate profits to fund the military, rather than selling Liberty Bonds and placing the financial burden of war on future generations. He suffered a stroke in 1920, but continued to serve in Congress until his death in 1923.
Back to TopThe collection includes Kitchin's office files while he served as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and House majority leader, particularly concerning his interests in the tariff, revenue bills, military defense, and opposition to United States entry into World War I. Series 1 Correspondence and Other Papers, 1878-1936 and undated, documents committee issues and policy, constituent concerns, and local and state politics. There are a few earlier papers, mostly concerning North Carolina Populist-Democratic politics, 1896-1898, the Democratic Party in North Carolina, and prominent national figures. Also included are speeches and petitions, letters of sympathy at his death, and notes and correspondence about Kitchin by Professor Alex Matthews Arnett (1888-1945). Notable correspondents include William Jennings Bryan, Josephus Daniels, William Gibbs McAdoo, and Woodrow Wilson. Series 2 U.S. House of Representatives Bills, 1916-1920, includes proposed bills to change the income tax, to institute a war income tax and a tax on war profits on government contracts, and to authorize issue of additional bonds to fund war expenditures. Series 3 Congressional Record consists of selected issuesof the publication, 1913-1921. Series 4 Clippings, 1892-1925 and undated, includes articles, editorials, pictures, and political cartoons concerning Kitchin, his actions in Congress, and World War I.
Back to TopLetters, petitions, speeches, notes, and office files, chiefly concerning Claude Kitchin's later years in Congress. Correspondence from 1881 to 1913 includes notes on the possibility of fusion of the Democratic and Populist parties in North Carolina, as well as bills and receipts from men working on Kitchin's land in North Carolina. Much of the collection consists of letters and petitions from Kitchin's constituents concerning appointments, government printed materials, free flower and vegetable seeds, personal favors, the draft, military preparedness, the war resolution in 1917, and the organization and campaigns of the Democratic party at the national and state level. Correspondence with contemporary political figures includes discussions of the arrangement of committee meetings, attendance, caucuses, roll calls, committee membership, and the establishment of policy. In correspondence with local and state leaders Kitchin dicussed governors, judges, and the political leaders from his district. Notable correspondants include William Jennings Bryan, Josephus Daniels, William Gibbs McAdoo, and Woodrow Wilson. Topics frequently mentioned include agriculture, banking, the economy, elections, foreign affairs, influenza epidemics, labor, militarism, newspapers, prohibition, rural credit systems, suffrage, the tariff, taxes, war profits,revenue bills, military defense, and opposition to United States entry into World War I.
Correspondence from 1920 to Kitchin's death in 1923 was chiefly carried out by Charles H. England, his secretary in Washington, D.C. Many letters that appear to be written by Kitchin, were actually written by one of his clerks in his name. Correspondence from 1923 to 1926 is largely composed of telegrams and letters of sympathy to the Kitchin family and notes by Kitchin's secretaries concerning various minor matters of unfinished business. Correspondence from 1935 to 1936 between the Kitchin family and Professor Alex Matthews Arnett (1888-1945), Kitchin's biographer, concerns the Kitchin family background, Kitchin's personality, and his political activities.
There are few personal or family letters.
Folder 1 |
1879-1899 |
Folder 2 |
1900-1909 |
Folder 3 |
1910 |
Folder 4 |
1911-1912 |
Folder 5 |
1913-June 1914 |
Folder 6 |
1914: July-September |
Folder 7 |
October 1914 |
Folder 8-16
Folder 8Folder 9Folder 10Folder 11Folder 12Folder 13Folder 14Folder 15Folder 16 |
November 1914-March 1915 |
Folder 17-32
Folder 17Folder 18Folder 19Folder 20Folder 21Folder 22Folder 23Folder 24Folder 25Folder 26Folder 27Folder 28Folder 29Folder 30Folder 31Folder 32 |
1915: April 1915-July |
Folder 33-46
Folder 33Folder 34Folder 35Folder 36Folder 37Folder 38Folder 39Folder 40Folder 41Folder 42Folder 43Folder 44Folder 45Folder 46 |
1915: August-18 October |
Folder 47-58
Folder 47Folder 48Folder 49Folder 50Folder 51Folder 52Folder 53Folder 54Folder 55Folder 56Folder 57Folder 58 |
1915: 18 October 1915-20 November |
Folder 59-71
Folder 59Folder 60Folder 61Folder 62Folder 63Folder 64Folder 65Folder 66Folder 67Folder 68Folder 69Folder 70Folder 71 |
1915: 21 November-9 December |
Folder 72-86
Folder 72Folder 73Folder 74Folder 75Folder 76Folder 77Folder 78Folder 79Folder 80Folder 81Folder 82Folder 83Folder 84Folder 85Folder 86 |
10 December 1915-5 January 1916 |
Folder 87-100
Folder 87Folder 88Folder 89Folder 90Folder 91Folder 92Folder 93Folder 94Folder 95Folder 96Folder 97Folder 98Folder 99Folder 100 |
1916: 6-31 January |
Folder 101-117
Folder 101Folder 102Folder 103Folder 104Folder 105Folder 106Folder 107Folder 108Folder 109Folder 110Folder 111Folder 112Folder 113Folder 114Folder 115Folder 116Folder 117 |
1916: 1-20 February |
Folder 118-134
Folder 118Folder 119Folder 120Folder 121Folder 122Folder 123Folder 124Folder 125Folder 126Folder 127Folder 128Folder 129Folder 130Folder 131Folder 132Folder 133Folder 134 |
1916: 21 February-11 March |
Folder 135-150
Folder 135Folder 136Folder 137Folder 138Folder 139Folder 140Folder 141Folder 142Folder 143Folder 144Folder 145Folder 146Folder 147Folder 148Folder 149Folder 150 |
1916: 12 March-20 April |
Folder 151-170
Folder 151Folder 152Folder 153Folder 154Folder 155Folder 156Folder 157Folder 158Folder 159Folder 160Folder 161Folder 162Folder 163Folder 164Folder 165Folder 166Folder 167Folder 168Folder 169Folder 170 |
1916: 21 April-20 June |
Folder 171-187
Folder 171Folder 172Folder 173Folder 174Folder 175Folder 176Folder 177Folder 178Folder 179Folder 180Folder 181Folder 182Folder 183Folder 184Folder 185Folder 186Folder 187 |
1916: 21 June-31 July |
Folder 188-205
Folder 188Folder 189Folder 190Folder 191Folder 192Folder 193Folder 194Folder 195Folder 196Folder 197Folder 198Folder 199Folder 200Folder 201Folder 202Folder 203Folder 204Folder 205 |
1916: August |
Folder 206-224
Folder 206Folder 207Folder 208Folder 209Folder 210Folder 211Folder 212Folder 213Folder 214Folder 215Folder 216Folder 217Folder 218Folder 219Folder 220Folder 221Folder 222Folder 223Folder 224 |
1916: September-October |
Folder 225-242
Folder 225Folder 226Folder 227Folder 228Folder 229Folder 230Folder 231Folder 232Folder 233Folder 234Folder 235Folder 236Folder 237Folder 238Folder 239Folder 240Folder 241Folder 242 |
1916: November-December |
Folder 243-257
Folder 243Folder 244Folder 245Folder 246Folder 247Folder 248Folder 249Folder 250Folder 251Folder 252Folder 253Folder 254Folder 255Folder 256Folder 257 |
1917: January |
Folder 258-275
Folder 258Folder 259Folder 260Folder 261Folder 262Folder 263Folder 264Folder 265Folder 266Folder 267Folder 268Folder 269Folder 270Folder 271Folder 272Folder 273Folder 274Folder 275 |
1917: February-16 March |
Folder 276-292
Folder 276Folder 277Folder 278Folder 279Folder 280Folder 281Folder 282Folder 283Folder 284Folder 285Folder 286Folder 287Folder 288Folder 289Folder 290Folder 291Folder 292 |
1917: 17 March-9 April |
Folder 293-305
Folder 293Folder 294Folder 295Folder 296Folder 297Folder 298Folder 299Folder 300Folder 301Folder 302Folder 303Folder 304Folder 305 |
1917: 10 April-6 May |
Folder 306-321
Folder 306Folder 307Folder 308Folder 309Folder 310Folder 311Folder 312Folder 313Folder 314Folder 315Folder 316Folder 317Folder 318Folder 319Folder 320Folder 321 |
1917: 7 May-18 June |
Folder 322-337
Folder 322Folder 323Folder 324Folder 325Folder 326Folder 327Folder 328Folder 329Folder 330Folder 331Folder 332Folder 333Folder 334Folder 335Folder 336Folder 337 |
1917: 19 June-7 August |
Folder 338-354
Folder 338Folder 339Folder 340Folder 341Folder 342Folder 343Folder 344Folder 345Folder 346Folder 347Folder 348Folder 349Folder 350Folder 351Folder 352Folder 353Folder 354 |
1917: 8 August-15 September |
Folder 355-373
Folder 355Folder 356Folder 357Folder 358Folder 359Folder 360Folder 361Folder 362Folder 363Folder 364Folder 365Folder 366Folder 367Folder 368Folder 369Folder 370Folder 371Folder 372Folder 373 |
1917: 16 September-30 November |
Folder 374-390
Folder 374Folder 375Folder 376Folder 377Folder 378Folder 379Folder 380Folder 381Folder 382Folder 383Folder 384Folder 385Folder 386Folder 387Folder 388Folder 389Folder 390 |
1 December 1917-17 January 1918 |
Folder 391-408
Folder 391Folder 392Folder 393Folder 394Folder 395Folder 396Folder 397Folder 398Folder 399Folder 400Folder 401Folder 402Folder 403Folder 404Folder 405Folder 406Folder 407Folder 408 |
1918: 18 January-28 February |
Folder 409-424
Folder 409Folder 410Folder 411Folder 412Folder 413Folder 414Folder 415Folder 416Folder 417Folder 418Folder 419Folder 420Folder 421Folder 422Folder 423Folder 424 |
1918: 1 March-14 April |
Folder 425-441
Folder 425Folder 426Folder 427Folder 428Folder 429Folder 430Folder 431Folder 432Folder 433Folder 434Folder 435Folder 436Folder 437Folder 438Folder 439Folder 440Folder 441 |
1918: 15 April-31 May |
Folder 442-456
Folder 442Folder 443Folder 444Folder 445Folder 446Folder 447Folder 448Folder 449Folder 450Folder 451Folder 452Folder 453Folder 454Folder 455Folder 456 |
1918: 1 June-13 August |
Folder 457-474
Folder 457Folder 458Folder 459Folder 460Folder 461Folder 462Folder 463Folder 464Folder 465Folder 466Folder 467Folder 468Folder 469Folder 470Folder 471Folder 472Folder 473Folder 474 |
1918: 14 August-31 October |
Folder 475-488
Folder 475Folder 476Folder 477Folder 478Folder 479Folder 480Folder 481Folder 482Folder 483Folder 484Folder 485Folder 486Folder 487Folder 488 |
1918: November-December |
Folder 489-509
Folder 489Folder 490Folder 491Folder 492Folder 493Folder 494Folder 495Folder 496Folder 497Folder 498Folder 499Folder 500Folder 501Folder 502Folder 503Folder 504Folder 505Folder 506Folder 507Folder 508Folder 509 |
1919: January-February |
Folder 510-528
Folder 510Folder 511Folder 512Folder 513Folder 514Folder 515Folder 516Folder 517Folder 518Folder 519Folder 520Folder 521Folder 522Folder 523Folder 524Folder 525Folder 526Folder 527Folder 528 |
1919: March-May |
Folder 529-545
Folder 529Folder 530Folder 531Folder 532Folder 533Folder 534Folder 535Folder 536Folder 537Folder 538Folder 539Folder 540Folder 541Folder 542Folder 543Folder 544Folder 545 |
1919: June-August |
Folder 546-564
Folder 546Folder 547Folder 548Folder 549Folder 550Folder 551Folder 552Folder 553Folder 554Folder 555Folder 556Folder 557Folder 558Folder 559Folder 560Folder 561Folder 562Folder 563Folder 564 |
1919: September-December |
Folder 565-579
Folder 565Folder 566Folder 567Folder 568Folder 569Folder 570Folder 571Folder 572Folder 573Folder 574Folder 575Folder 576Folder 577Folder 578Folder 579 |
1920: January-February |
Folder 580-600
Folder 580Folder 581Folder 582Folder 583Folder 584Folder 585Folder 586Folder 587Folder 588Folder 589Folder 590Folder 591Folder 592Folder 593Folder 594Folder 595Folder 596Folder 597Folder 598Folder 599Folder 600 |
1920: March-November |
Folder 601-618
Folder 601Folder 602Folder 603Folder 604Folder 605Folder 606Folder 607Folder 608Folder 609Folder 610Folder 611Folder 612Folder 613Folder 614Folder 615Folder 616Folder 617Folder 618 |
December 1920-March 1921 |
Folder 619-632
Folder 619Folder 620Folder 621Folder 622Folder 623Folder 624Folder 625Folder 626Folder 627Folder 628Folder 629Folder 630Folder 631Folder 632 |
1921: April-June |
Folder 633-650
Folder 633Folder 634Folder 635Folder 636Folder 637Folder 638Folder 639Folder 640Folder 641Folder 642Folder 643Folder 644Folder 645Folder 646Folder 647Folder 648Folder 649Folder 650 |
July 1921-May 1922 |
Folder 651-674
Folder 651Folder 652Folder 653Folder 654Folder 655Folder 656Folder 657Folder 658Folder 659Folder 660Folder 661Folder 662Folder 663Folder 664Folder 665Folder 666Folder 667Folder 668Folder 669Folder 670Folder 671Folder 672Folder 673Folder 674 |
1922: June-December |
Folder 675-694
Folder 675Folder 676Folder 677Folder 678Folder 679Folder 680Folder 681Folder 682Folder 683Folder 684Folder 685Folder 686Folder 687Folder 688Folder 689Folder 690Folder 691Folder 692Folder 693Folder 694 |
1923 |
Folder 695 |
1924-1926 |
Folder 696 |
1935-1936 |
Folder 697-714
Folder 697Folder 698Folder 699Folder 700Folder 701Folder 702Folder 703Folder 704Folder 705Folder 706Folder 707Folder 708Folder 709Folder 710Folder 711Folder 712Folder 713Folder 714 |
Undated |
Folder 715 |
Notebook of legislative references |
Folder 716-736
Folder 716Folder 717Folder 718Folder 719Folder 720Folder 721Folder 722Folder 723Folder 724Folder 725Folder 726Folder 727Folder 728Folder 729Folder 730Folder 731Folder 732Folder 733Folder 734Folder 735Folder 736 |
Miscellaneous printed materials |
Copies of selected House bills with scattered annotations, 1916-1920. Includes several bills proposing changes to income tax, a bill to institute a war income tax, a bill to authorize the issue of additional bonds to fund war expenditures, and a proposal for a tax on war profits on government contracts. There are also proposed drafts of the 1918 revenue bill and copies of the 1920 Transportation Act.
Folder 737-741
Folder 737Folder 738Folder 739Folder 740Folder 741 |
House bills, 1916-1918 |
Folder 742-745
Folder 742Folder 743Folder 744Folder 745 |
House bills, 1919-1920 |
Selected copies of the Congressional Record with scattered annotations, 1913-1921.
Folder 746-747
Folder 746Folder 747 |
Congressional Record, 1913-1921 |
Clippings from North Carolina and national newspapers related to the political career of Claude Kitchin. Includes articles, editorials, pictures, and political cartoons. Many clippings are annotated. Topics include Kitchin's election to Congress; his role as House floor leader; Democratic party politics; national defense, military preparedness, the War Tax bill, and World War I; taxes, the Tariff Act, and the Revenue Bill; Kitchin's relationship with Woodrow Wilson; and Kitchin's illness, stroke, and death.
Folder 748-752
Folder 748Folder 749Folder 750Folder 751Folder 752 |
Clippings, 1892-1914 |
Folder 753-765
Folder 753Folder 754Folder 755Folder 756Folder 757Folder 758Folder 759Folder 760Folder 761Folder 762Folder 763Folder 764Folder 765 |
Clippings, 1915-1917 |
Folder 766-775
Folder 766Folder 767Folder 768Folder 769Folder 770Folder 771Folder 772Folder 773Folder 774Folder 775 |
Clippings, 1918-1925 |
Folder 776-780
Folder 776Folder 777Folder 778Folder 779Folder 780 |
Clippings, undated |
Reel M-406/1-43
M-406/1M-406/2M-406/3M-406/4M-406/5M-406/6M-406/7M-406/8M-406/9M-406/10M-406/11M-406/12M-406/13M-406/14M-406/15M-406/16M-406/17M-406/18M-406/19M-406/20M-406/21M-406/22M-406/23M-406/24M-406/25M-406/26M-406/27M-406/28M-406/29M-406/30M-406/31M-406/32M-406/33M-406/34M-406/35M-406/36M-406/37M-406/38M-406/39M-406/40M-406/41M-406/42M-406/43 |
Microfilm |
Microfilm (M-406/1-43)
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