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William Jennings Bryan Papers

 Collection
Identifier: MS-2193

  • Staff Only

This collection contains a 1912 letter from William Jennings Bryan to R. S. Hazen of Knoxville, Tenn., about Woodrow Wilson's election as president. It also contains a photograph of Bryan from Nashville, Tenn., and the folder that held it.

Dates

  • 1912

Conditions Governing Access

Collections are stored offsite and must be requested in advance. See www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.

Conditions Governing Use

The UT Libraries claims only physical ownership of most material in the collections. Persons wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants on www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.

Extent

0.1 Linear Feet

Abstract

This collection contains a 1912 letter from William Jennings Bryan to R. S. Hazen of Knoxville, Tenn., about Woodrow Wilson's election as president. It also contains a photograph of Bryan from Nashville, Tenn., and the folder that held it.

Biographical/Historical Note

William Jennings Bryan (1860--1925) was born in Salem, Illinois. He graduated from Illinois College in 1881 and studied law. He began a practice in Jacksonville, Illinois, then moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1887. In 1890 he was elected to the U. S. House of Representatives but was defeated in 1894. The next two years he spent as editor in chief of the Omaha World-Herald. He became one of the nation's greatest orators and became the Democratic presidential candidate in 1896 and 1900 with a platform for free silver. Bryan then started the Commoner, a widely read weekly, in 1901. He was again the Democratic presidential nominee in 1908.

In 1912 he supported the Democratic nomination of Woodrow Wilson, who when elected named Bryan Secretary of State. He negotiated treaties, providing for investigation of all disputes, with about 30 nations. Antiwar leanings made Bryan more conciliatory than Wilson toward Germany, and his Latin-American policies caused a good deal of friction. Bryan was so against Wilson's second Lusitania note that he resigned on June 9, 1915, rather than sign it. However, he continued to support Wilson during the 1916 election and after war was declared.

In his later years Bryan devoted himself to the defense of fundamentalism. He urged measures against teaching evolution and appeared for the prosecution in the famous Scopes Monkey Trial in Tennessee. Although he won the case in the trial court, defense lawyer Clarence Darrow ridiculed Bryan's beliefs in an examination. Five days after the trial, Bryan died in his sleep.

Arrangement

Collection consists of a single folder.

Acquisition Note

Collection purchased in May 2004.

Repository Details

Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository

Contact:
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Knoxville TN 37996 USA
865-974-4480