Congressional Correspondence

File — Box: 18, Folder: 15

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection: The Wallace F. Bennett papers (1946-1978) concentrate on the period of time when Bennett served as United States Senator from Utah. The bulk of the collection dates from 1965 to 1972. The papers have been divided into five categories: business, family, legislative, personal, and political correspondence.

The business papers consist mostly of correspondence along with some financial statements. These items relate to the Senator's Salt Lake interests: Bennett Motor Company, Bennett's Glass and Paint, Bennett Leasing, as well as various investments made over the years.

The family correspondence is of two kinds. There are the "family letters" which kept his immediate family as well as some close associates in touch with his social, political and legislative activities. They contain his candid expressions about those activities and serve as his diary. A nearly complete set of this correspondence is located in boxes 41-46. In addition, there is other correspondence with individual family members that spans the years 1950-1974. Of this latter kind, those between the Senator and his brother, Richard, are the most useful for learning about family, business, and personal matters.

The legislative section of the collection is the least informative. It is primarily perfunctory correspondence and invitations. The latter items were sampled and only a small portion retained.

The personal correspondence consists of letters to friends, associates, and constituents. Among these are former Michigan Governor, George Romney; former Secretary of Agriculture and Mormon Church Apostle, Ezra Taft Benson; J. Willard Marriott; and Ernest L. Wilkinson.

The political correspondence is limited but in some cases revealing. There are interesting items about former Utah Governor, J. Bracken Lee and former Utah Congressman, Douglas Stringfellow, who had been forced off the Republican ticket in 1954.

The Senator wrote three books during this period. They are Faith and Freedom, 1950; Why I Am A Mormon, 1958; and John F. Bennett: Businessman--Benefactor, 1980. They are included in the collection providing useful background information about the Senator's beliefs, the Bennett family, his business interests and his life in Washington. In addition, Mrs. Bennett, the daughter of Heber J. Grant, former president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, wrote Glimpses of a Mormon Family in 1968. It is also a useful adjunct providing family information and indicating the highlights of their Washington life.

Dates

1962

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.