Warren G. Harding letter to William P. Dillingham, February 20, 1921

In this letter dated February 20, 1921, President-elect Warren G. Harding writes to Senator William Paul Dillingham in response to his letter of February 16, in which he suggests Walter W. Husband for commissioner general of immigration. Husband formerly served as a member of the U.S. Immigration Commission, the Inter-Racial Council in London, and chief of the Contract Labor Division of the Department of Commerce and Labor. In 1921 Harding appointed Husband as the commissioner-general of immigration, and in 1925 was appointed the second assistant secretary of labor by President Calvin Coolidge. This letter is part of the Warren G. Harding Papers (MSS 345). This collection includes correspondence, business records, and other materials documenting Harding’s business career as owner and editor-in-chief of The Daily Marion Star, as well as the various stages of his political career. A significant portion of the collection, and what’s available on Ohio Memory, highlights his 1920 presidential campaign, spanning just before publicly announcing his candidacy to handily defeating Ohio Governor James M. Cox in the election. Correspondents include both Ohio and national businessmen, political figures, and ordinary citizens writing with questions, support, congratulatory notes, and campaign advice. Some of the most interesting insights into the tumultuous political climate in the U.S., the extreme factionalism within the Republican Party in Ohio, and Harding’s campaign strategies are described in letters between Harding and his campaign manager, Harry M. Daugherty. Some of the topics addressed include women’s suffrage, Prohibition, the League of Nations, African American representation and issues, and lingering peace negotiations following World War I