Drexel A. Sprecher (#224)

An Inventory of His Personal Papers
1945-1960
In the John F. Kennedy Library
National Archives and Records Administration

Administrative Information
Biographical Note
Collection Overview
List of Series
Description

Administrative Information

Abstract
Papers 1945-1960
Lawyer, Democratic Party official. Counsel and director of publications, Nuremberg war crimes trials (1945-1951); deputy chairman, Democratic National Committee (1957-1960). Correspondence, reports, speeches, meeting minutes and pamphlets relating to political campaigns and issues, state political organizations, and the Democratic Party's Small Business Division; legal papers relating to the Office of the Chief Counsel for War Crimes during the Nuremberg trials.

Access
Open.

Usage Restrictions
According to the deed of gift signed March 1972, copyright of these materials has been retained by the donor. Upon the death of the donor, all said rights shall pass to the United States. Documents in this collection that were prepared by officials of the United States as part of their official duties are in the public domain. Users of these materials are advised to determine the copyright status of any document from which they wish to publish.

Copyright
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excesses of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law. The copyright law extends its protection to unpublished works from the moment of creation in a tangible form. Direct your questions concerning copyright to the reference staff.

Provenance
Received from Drexel A. Sprecher of Chevy Chase, MD, in March 1972 (Acc. 1973-033); and in December 1974 (Acc. 1975-034).

Extent
About 33,000 items (28 linear feet, 10 linear inches; 33 cubic feet).

Date Opened
July 1975.

Processed by
Shirley J. Parker.

Revisions
Finding aid updated in July 2005, by Jennifer Blake.

Encoded by
James M. Roth

Related Collections
Drexel Sprecher Oral History Interview, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library

The Personal Papers of Drexel A. Sprecher (1913- )

Biographical Note

1913	Born, Independence, Wisconsin
1938	J.D., Harvard Law School
1938-1942	Attorney, National Labor Relations Board
1945-1949	Counsel, Office of U.S. Chief Counsel for War Crimes
1949-1951	Editor: “Trials of War Criminals before the Nuremberg Military Tribunals”
1952	Assistant Administrator, Small Defense Plants Administration
1952-1956	Legal Practice
1956	Director, Small Business Division, Democratic National Committee
1957-1960	Deputy Chairman for Political Organization, Democratic National Committee
1960-1973	Consultant, Leadership Resources, Inc.

Collection Overview
On July 14, 1957, Drexel A. Sprecher, formerly Small Business Division Director, was appointed Deputy Chairman for Political Organization of the Democratic National Committee by its chairman, Paul M. Butler. In this capacity, he was responsible for coordinating the work of state organizations in an effort to develop a nation-wide program to strengthen the Democratic Party organization. Under his directorship, the six DNC regional representatives - Sam Wilhite, Harold Jinks, James Browne, Jay Larsen, John Doran and William Dunfey - assisted state and local party leaders in organizing registration drives, training party workers, planning state and regional conferences, and initiating fund-raising projects. His files are principally those accumulated at the DNC as Deputy Chairman for Political Organization, 1957-1960, and as Small Business Director in 1956. Also included is a large volume of papers relating to his work as Counsel and Director of Publications for the Nuremberg Trials, 1945-1951. The Deputy Chairman files contain correspondence between Sprecher and the regional representatives; memoranda and reports; background materials on conference organization; agendas and minutes of meetings of the Advisory Committee on Political Organization; responses from congressional candidates on campaigning techniques; correspondence with state leaders about state organizations and finances; Adlai Stevenson 1956 campaign speech file; and DNC publications. The material relating to the Small Business Division composes a general subject file; correspondence to state chairmen; and correspondence to small businesses. As Counsel in the Nuremberg Trials, his files cover correspondence and reports of the Farben case, and fifty-six official volumes concerning the trial and related matters. It should be noted that the original arrangement of this file has been retained.

List of Series

Series 1. Democratic National Committee Files, 1953-1960
	Series 1.1. Subject Files Series 1.2. Political Organization Files Series 1.3. Regional Representatives Files Series 1.4. Party Official Files Series 1.5. Chronological Files Series 1.6. Publications Files Series 1.7. Small Business Division Files
Series 2. Nuremberg Trials , 1945-1951
	Series 2.1. Case Files Series 2.2. Procedures and Press Files Series 2.3. History Files Series 2.4. Publication Project Files Series 2.5. Documents Files

Collection Description

Series 1. Democratic National Committee Files, 1953-1960.
About 23,000 items.
Arrangement: by subject.

Series 1.1. Subject Files.
About 9,000 items.
Arrangement: alphabetically by subject.

This series consists of background materials, platform statements, press releases on Democratic party issues; information on fund-raising projects; minutes of meetings of the Advisory Committee on Political Organization and drafts of conference organization.

Box 1	Administration Advisory Committee on Political Organization (5 folders) Advisory Committee on Political Organization (l loose-leaf binder)
Box 2	Advisory Committee on Political Organization American Heritage Foundation Baker, John Blatt, Genevieve British Labor Party
Box 3	Business and professional Clubs Business political action courses Butler, Paul - speeches and memos (5 folders)
Box 4	Campaign coordination Campaign materials (2 folders) Campaign planning committee Campaign organization Campaigning, candidates’ questionnaire Candidate endorsement Cathcart, Robert Christopher Movement Clements, Earle Columbus Day (1956 observances) Committee on Political Education (2 folders) Congressional Campaign Committee
Box 5	Conferences
		Campaign, Atlantic City, NJ Campaign, Omaha, NE Executive secretaries Leadership (5 folders) Midwest Democratic Regional representatives (1-2 of 6 folders)
Box 6		Regional representatives (3-6 of 6 fo1des) State Chairmen (2 folders)
	Conventions
		National
			1956 1960 1964
		Procedures on State
	Cooperatives Corrupt practices law County leadership program
Box 7	Democratic
		Advisory Council (3 folders) Clubs Digest National Committee, directory National Committee, rules Party, history of Precinct manual Study group
	Douglass, Paul
Box 8	Education, platform statements Educators for Kennedy/Johnson (3 folders) Election laws, state law changes Election trends and results (1944—1956) Elections
		General Presidential, 1932, Electric Consumers Information Committee
	Ellis, Clyde T. Executive committee
Box 9	Fair Booths Fair Campaign Practices Fair Trade Laws Farm Organization Farmers Faubus, Orval E. Federal Agencies & Activities
		Defense mobilization Department of Justice Federal Communications Commission Federal Reserve System Securities and Exchange Commission
	Field Services Program File policy Files, list of categories
Box 10	Films Fund for the Republic Fund raising Governmental Affairs Institute Gravel, Camille Indians Instructors’ training courses Jensen, Dennis Kennedy, Citizens for (campaign manual) Labor Division League of Women Voters Lee, Robert Lie Detector Bulletin Lippitt, Gordon (2 folders) Listening Post Project Machinist Non-Partisan League Mailing lists
Box 11	Materials Distribution Division Materials Editorial Board Meetings NAACP Nationalities Division (2 folders) Natural resources Naturalized citizens Negroes Neighborhood Discussion Program
		Educational opportunities for American youth Housing problems of American people Problems of family farmers Problems of senior citizens Problems of winning the peace
Box 12	Neighborhood Discussion Program (2 folders) New Democratic Coalition Newsletter Office of Women’s Activities (2 folders) Party finances
		American Heritage
			Congressional district dinners Democratic Party night
Box 13		Dollars for Democrats
			General J-J dinners Legal problems Mass mailings State quota system Sustaining membership plans
	Party organization, state plans Party studies Patman, Wright Pell, Claiborne Pennybacker, Miles Petravage, Walter B.
Box 14	Platform and development of issues Platform conferences Platforms of the two parties Political Organization
		Republican Research and study Speeches State organization Manual State party conventions State party rules and regulations
	Potomac River Development Association Precinct Workers Training
		Film General (2 folders) Graduates
	Presidential leadership
Box 15	Public affairs division Publicity and public relations Radio-TV division Rauh, Joseph L. Records and lists division Redding, Jack Reed, S. Chadwick Registration division Registration, general Reinsch, J. Leonard Research division Riecken, Henry Roosevelt, Franklin Rowe, James Ruhig, Ted Runo, Robert Salter, John Schattschneider, E .E. Schmidt, Warren H.
Box 16	Songs Southern Politics, newspaper clippings Speakers and speaker’s bureau Special groups Special Projects
		General (RFK memo) #1. Candidates #2. Neighborhood discussion #3. Photographs #4. Film charts
	Speeches State governments, papers State leaders’ handbook Stationery Stewart, Franklin R. Suburbia Surveys and pollings (political behavior reports)
Box 17	Tawes, J. Millard (Governor of Maryland) Taylor, George Teamsters Teen Dem clubs Thatcher, Arthur Theis, Frank Tillett, Gladys Truman Diamond Jubilee Vandivier, Robert Van Loon, Rev. Thomas J. Veterans Volunteers Voter drives Voting analysis Voting laws Voting records Workshops Yearbooks
Box 18	“You Decide” Program Young Democratic clubs Young Democrats, press releases and publications (5 folders)

Series 1.2. Political Organization Files.
About 5,500 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by state.

This series includes material on the democratic organization in each state; campaign materials; information on party finances; correspondence of state party leaders and field reports to national headquarters.

Box 19	Alabama, political organization Alaska, political organization Arizona, political organization Arizona, state organization and campaign materials Arkansas, political organization California, political organization California, correspondence Colorado, political organization (2 folders) Colorado, state organization and campaign materials
Box 20	Connecticut, political organization Delaware, political organization District of Columbia, political organization Florida, political organization Georgia, political organization Guam, USA, political organization Hawaii, political organization Idaho, political organization Illinois, political organization Indiana, political organization Iowa, political organization Kansas, political organization Kentucky, political organization Louisiana, political organization Maine, political organization Maryland, political organization
Box 21	Michigan
		Political organization (5 folders) Correspondence Party finances State organization and campaign materials (3 folders)
Box 22	Minnesota
		Political organization Correspondence Party finances State organization and campaign materials
	Mississippi
		Political organization Correspondence Party finances
	Missouri
		Political organization Correspondence (2 folders) Party finances State organization and campaign materials
	Montana
		Political organization (2 folders) Correspondence Party finances State organization and campaign materials
Box 23	Nebraska
		Political organization (2 folders) Correspondence (2 folders) Party finances State organization and campaign materials
	Nevada
		Political organization Correspondence Party finances
	New Hampshire
		Political organization (2 folders) Correspondence (2 folders) Party finances State organization and campaign material
Box 24	New Jersey
		Political organization (2 folders) Correspondence State organization and campaign materials
	New Mexico
		Political organization (2 folders) Correspondence Party finances State organization and campaign materials
	New York
		Political organization (2 folders) Correspondence State organization and campaign materials
Box 25	North Carolina, political organization North Dakota
		Political organization Correspondence (2 folders) Party finances State organization and campaign Material
Box 26	Ohio
		Political organization (2 folders) Correspondence (2 folders) Party finances State organization and campaign materials
	Oklahoma
		Political organization Correspondence Party finances
	Oregon
		Political organization Correspondence Party finances State organization and campaign materials
Box 27	Pennsylvania
		Political organization (2 folders) Correspondence Party finances State organization and campaign material
	Puerto Rico, political organization Rhode Island
		Political organization Correspondence Party finances State organization and campaign material
	South Carolina, political organization South Carolina, correspondence South Dakota
		Political organization (2 folders) Correspondence (2 folders) Party Finances State organization and campaign material
Box 28	Tennessee
		Political organization Correspondence Party finances
	Texas
		Political organization (2 folders) Correspondence Party finances State organization and campaign materials
	Utah
		Political organization (2 folders) Correspondence Party finances
	Vermont
		Political organization Correspondence (2 folders) Party finances State organization and campaign materials
	Virgin Islands, political organization Virginia
		Political organization Correspondence Party finances
Box 29	Washington
		Political organization (2 folders) Correspondence Party finances State organization and campaign materials
	West Virginia
		Political organization (2 folders) Correspondence Party finances
	Wisconsin
		Political organization (2 folders) Correspondence (2 folders) Party finances State organization and campaign material
	Wyoming
		Political organization Correspondence Party finances State organization and campaign materials

Series 1.3. Regional Representatives Files.
About 2,500 items.
Arrangement: numerically by region.

This series contains correspondence between Drexel Sprecher and the six regional representatives, and between them and state and local party leaders. This series contains mostly routine memoranda.

Box 30	General memos (7 folders)
Box 31	Reporting file Review conference Region 1 - Sam Wilhite
		Correspondence (2 folders) Democratic Digest Fundraising (2 folders) Kits, brochures, etc. (2 folders) Leadership and area conferences
Box 32		Miscellaneous (3 folders and one loose-leaf binder)
Box 33		Precinct workers’ course materials (2 folders) Registration Young Democrats
	Region 2 - Harold Jinks, correspondence (3 folders)
Box 34	Region 3 - James Browne, correspondence (3 folders) Region 4 - Jay Larsen, correspondence (4 folders) Region 5 - John Doran, correspondence (3 folders) Region 6 - William Dunfey, correspondence (2 folders)

Series 1.4. Party Official Files.
About 1,500 items.
Arrangement: alphabetically by surname.

This series contains newspaper clippings and articles by and about Democratic Party officials.

Box 35	Abell, Tyler Acheson, Dean Albert, Carl Benton, William Boggs, Hale Bowles, Chester Bradley, Thomas Brawley, H.W. Brewster, Daniel Brightman, Samuel Butler, Paul Celler, Emanuel Clayton, Fritchey Clement, Frank Clifford, Clark Coffin, Frank Curley, James D’Alesandro, Thomas Day, J. Edward Dodd, Thomas Douglas, Paul H. Evins, Joe L. Gaibraith, John Goldberg, Arthur Gore, Albert Gronouski, John Harriman, Averell Harris, Fred Hays, Book Hayworth, Don Hechier, Ken Humphrey, Hubert Jackson, Andrew Jackson, Henry Jefferson, Thomas Jennings, Pat Johnson, Lyndon Kefauver, Estes Kennedy, Edward M. Kennedy, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Robert F. King, David Kirwan, Michael Lee, Blair Lehman ,Herbert McCarthy, Eugene Mahoney, George Maremont, Arnold Mead, James Monroney, Mike
Box 36	Morris, Toby Morse, Wayne IvIulter, Abraham Murphy, Charles Muskie, Edmund Nelson, Ga O’Brien, Lawrence O Joseph O Bronson Patman, Wright Pepper, Claude Perlman, Philip Proxmire, William Quenstedt Rayburn, Sam Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, Franklin Smathers, George Sorensen, Theodore Stevenson, Adlai
		Bandwagon Stevenson-Kefauver mail analysis Speeches
			1952-September 1956 October 1956
Box 37			Miscellaneous (2 folders)
	Stillman, John Symington, Stuart Thompson, Frank Truman, Harry S Tyd.ings, Joseph Walker, Gordon Watkins,• Gladys Williams, G. Mennen Williams, Harrison Willis, Paul Wismer, Eli Wolf, Leonard Yarborough, Ralph

Series 1.5. Chronological Files.
About 1,000 items.
Arrangement: chronological.

This series contains outgoing correspondence of Drexel Sprecher, Paul Butler, and their assistants.

Box 38	December 1957-March 1959 (11 folders)
Box 39	April 1959-August 1960 (9 folders)

Series 1.6. Publications Files.
About 500 items.
Arrangement: alphabetically by title.

This series contains publications of the Democratic National Committee.

Box 40

Democratic Digest, 1953-1960
Democratic Fact Book
The Progressive

Series 1.7. Small Business Division Files.
About 3,000 items.
Arrangement: alphabetically by subject.

This series contains memoranda from Drexel Sprecher to the state chairmen and directors; newspaper clippings, Adlai Stevenson speeches, occasional papers and congressional publications.

Box 41	Advisory Committee
		Anderson, Dewey Barchoff, Herbert Henderson, Laurance Mead, James Patman, Wright Pennybacker, Miles Roosevelt, James Sparkman, John
	Associations
		American Association of Small Business Associated Third Class Mail Users Burger Tire Consultant Service Conference on American Small Business Organization National Association for Preservation of Robinson-Patman Act National Association of Retail Druggists National Association of Retail Grocers National Federation of Independent Business National Food Brokers Association National Small Businessmen’s Association Small Defense Industries Association Smaller Business Association of New England
	Campaign Materials I Campaign Materials II
Box 42	Chairmen’s memos (5 folders) Correspondence, 1955-1956 Credit Failures
Box 43	General (6 folders) Ideas Independent and Small Business Coordinating Committee Independent Businessmen for Stevenson-Kefauver
Box 44	Interoffice communication List of names President’s Cabinet Committee on Small Business Publicity Senate Committee, weekly reports Small Business Association Small business leaders State chairmen and directors
		Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Idaho Illinois
Box 45		Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota
Box 46		Tennessee Texas Vermont Virgin Islands Virginia Washington West Virginia
	Tax relief I, government documents Tax relief II (2 folders)

Series 2. Nuremberg Trials, 1945-1951.
About 10,000 items.
Arrangement: by subject.

This series consists of Drexel Sprecher’s files as Counsel in the Nuremberg Trials, including correspondence and reports of the Farben case, and fifty-six official volumes concerning the trial and related matters. It should be noted that the original arrangement of this file has been retained.

Series 2.1. Case Files.
About 1,000 items.
Arrangement: numerically by case number.

This series consists mostly of newspaper accounts, both foreign and domestic of the defendants’ trials. Also included in the files are motions, tribunal orders, and defense applications rulings.

Box 47	Case I - Medical case Case II - Much case Case III - Justice case Case IV - Pohl case Case V - Flick case, newspaper accounts Case V - Flick case, daily reports Case VI - Farben case Case VI - Motions Case VI - Tribunal case Case VII - Hostages case Case VIII - RuSHA case Case X - Krupp case
Box 48	Case XI - Ministries Case Case XI - Tribunal Orders (2 folders) Case XII - High Command Case (2 folders) Case XII - Tribunal Orders IMT Case (2 folders)

Series 2.2. Procedures and Press Files.
About 2,500 items.
Arrangement: by subject.

This series consists of material related to trial preparation, legal procedures, legal problems, and the press’ handling of the trials.

Box 49	IMT, rulings of tribunal (2 folders) Defense Defense motions Law and legal problems (1-3 of 10 folders)
Box 50	Law and legal problems (4-10 of 10 folders)
Box 51	Motions, etc. to the court NI briefs, 1-22 (3 folders) Trial preparation
Box 52	Press and Nuremberg Trials Press on IMT case (2 folders) Procedural law (3 folders) Review of judgment Rules of procedure
		Certified copies
Box 53		Tribunal action Various tribunals
	SCHIRACH (2 folders) Trade unions, trial briefs Trial procedure, notes

Series 2.3. History Files.
About 2,000 items.
Arrangement: by subject.

This series consists of background papers on individual components of the trials, including addresses and articles on trials, miscellaneous clippings, and a four-part publication on the Roechling case.

Box 54	Engineer (Palace of Justice) Foreign delegations Germany IMT case Library branch Personnel branch Prison operations Public relations office Resume of cases Secretary General’s office (2 folders) Special projects
Box 55	Addresses and articles on war crimes Miscellaneous clippings (3 folders)
Box 56	Tribunal General de Gouvernement Militarie de zone Française d’Occupation (Roechlin case) Parts 1-3 and one unnumbered (4 volumes)
Box 57	Contents, miscellaneous Administrative matters German documents sent to Mr. Sprecher, unidentifiable List of abbreviations Miscellaneous papers and publications
		Dautricourt, Joseph, definition of the crime against humanity Doinmages subis par les départements de l’est General Tribunal of the military government the French zone of occupation in Germany Litawski, J.J. Developments in the concepts of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes against peace The Nuremberg Trial against the major war criminals and international law Peiser, Werner. The Last Years of the Weimar Republic
	Preparatory Work, first interim summary of evidence Unidentifiable publication (no title) Van Street, Virgil

Series 2.4. Publication Project Files.
About 2,500 items.
Arrangement: numerically by case number.

This series consists of preparatory and editorial work involved in the official publication of each case, including petitions and trial briefs for the defendants.

Box 58	Case I - Medical Case II - Much (2 folders) Case III - Justice Case IV - Pohl Case V - Flick (2 folders) Case VII - Hostages Case VIII - RuSHA Case IX – Einsatzgrappen
Box 59	Case X - Krupp Case XI - Ministries (2 folders) Case XII - High Command Roechling case - French zone (2 folders) Military government of Germany (U.S. State Department directive to Eisenhower) Bayle, Françoise
Box 60	Petitions and Trial Briefs for Defendants
		Bohle Darre Dietrich Kehrl Koerner Krosigk
Box 61		Lammers (2 folders) Pleiger (2 folders) Puhl Rasche Ritter Schellenberg
Box 62		Steengracht Veesenmayer Weizsaecker Woermann
	Printing of official IMT record Publication division: Bulletin #1 Publications
		English II (2 folders) English III Introduction to each case Staff in all cases, PIO releases

Series 2.5. Documents Files.
About 2,000 items.
Arrangement: numerically by count number.

This series consists of English translations of documents from the Office of Chief Counsel for War Crimes, including affidavits and minutes of meetings.

Box 63	Count 1A - alliance with Hitler (2 folders) Count 1B – Vermittlungsteele W (4 folders)
Box 64	Count 1C – four-year plan (3 folders) Count 1D - production and planned expansion (4 folders)
Box 65	Count 1E - stockpiling Count 1F - cartels Count 1G - propaganda, etc. (3 folders)
Box 66	Count 1H - cloaking and new order Count 1[?] - corporate organization Military tribunal No.6 - Case 6 (3 folders)

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