Introduction | Biographical Sketch | Scope and Content | Series Description | Inventory

Introduction

The papers of William L. Fiesinger, Democratic Congressman from the Ohio Thirteenth District from 1931-1937, consist of correspondence, subject files, clippings, and speeches covering Fiesinger's service in Congress and his subsequent years in law practice and retirement. Focusing on the economy and silver question, the collection also includes material on the Panama Canal, Fiesinger's European travels in 1953, and a small amount of genealogical material.

The collection was donated to the Center for Archival Collections through the cooperation of Ann Dauch Von Gruenigen, a granddaughter of the Congressman, on August 4, 1994. No restrictions exist on the use of this collection. Duplication is permitted for the purposes of preservation and research. The collection was processed and the finding aid prepared by Lee N. McLaird, Curator of Rare Books and Special Collections in 2007.

Biographical Sketch

William Louis Fiesinger was born October 25, 1877 in Willard, Huron County, Ohio, the oldest child of Louis and Elizabeth (Fuchs) Fiesinger. He was educated in the public schools of Norwalk and graduated from the law department of Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea in 1901. He practiced law in Sandusky, and served as City Solicitor from 1903-1909. He went on to serve as a judge in the Erie County Common Pleas Court (1925-1931).

A Democrat, Fiesinger was elected to the United States Congress from Ohio's 13th Congressional District in 1930, defeating incumbent Joseph E. Baird. He served three terms, but was ousted in the Democratic primary by Forrest R. Black in 1936. Black was defeated in the general election by Dudley A. White. When Fiesinger ran again in 1938, he was defeated by White. Fiesinger preceded the wave of Democrats elected to Congress in Franklin Roosevelt's landslide victory following the onset of the Great Depression. He differed with Roosevelt on many issues, particularly on monetary policy. He served on the Coinage Weights and Measures, Invalid Pensions, Rivers and Harbors, Census, and Election of President, Vice President, and Representatives in Congress Committees. He was best known as the author of the "Fiesinger Bill" which would have required the federal government to purchase 1.5 billion ounces of silver, in support of a bimetal monetary policy for the United States.

After leaving Congress, Fiesinger returned to private legal practice in Sandusky, but remained an advocate of the conservative fiscal and political policies he had supported while in office.

He married Maud Mary Nelles (b. December 5, 1876 in Brantford, Ontario, d. June 29, 1950 in Sandusky) on April 25, 1905 and they had two daughers, Elizabeth (b. 1906) and Lois, (b. 1909). Following his congressional service, Fiesinger returned to Sandusky to practice law. He died in Cleveland on September 11, 1953 and is buried in Oakland Cemetery, Sandusky, Ohio.

Scope and Content

The William L. Fiesinger Collection provides a glimpse into the work of one Ohio Congressman as he and his colleagues attempted to prepare legislation that they hoped would alleviate the Great Depression through monetary reform. The question of silver remained an abiding one for Fiesinger and the lifelong relationships he made during his term of office are documented through his correspondence. While almost no constituent correspondence survives, letters to other representatives and to lobbyists illuminate the process of developing a bill and following it through committee hearings and final vote.

Although some comment on Fiesinger's Democratic party relationships in Ohio and nationally can be gathered, there is no documentation of his campaigns, or on issues besides the economy and the gold standard. After his service in Congress, Fiesinger maintained contact with John Janney and may have been planning to write a book with him on economics, since some section drafts and notes survive. Those dating from the World War II era may shed some light on Fiesinger's evolving thoughts on the economic dangers of that conflict.

Following the war, Fiesinger also saved a small amount of material on the Panama Canal as well as on the issue of monetary policy, giving speeches and writing editorials on these topics. A small amount of family correspondence from the final two years of his life remain, much of it dealing with family history or his travel overseas. Family and travel photographs complete the collection.

Series Description

PROCEEDINGS

MINUTES OF A MEETING IN DR. SPRAGUE'S OFFICE, TREASURY DEPARTMENT
October 5, 1933
No arrangement Verbatim transcript of a meeting between F. Meredith Blagden, John Janney, Mr. Sterling, and Mr. Sprague.

CORRESPONDENCE

CORRESPONDENCE--GENERAL
1932-1953
Arranged chronologically
Includes letters, clippings, and enclosures

CORRESPONDENCE--FAMILY
1952-1953
Arranged chronologically
Includes personal correspondence, some while traveling in Europe.

CORRESPONDENCE--GENEALOGY
1952-1953
Arranged chronologically
Includes letters from extended family regarding history of Fiesinger family.

SUBJECT FILES

SUBJECT FILES
1950s
Arranged alphabetically by topic
May include brochures, legal papers, and clippings on topics of concern to Fiesinger

LITERARY PRODUCTIONS

BILLS
1930s
Arranged chronologically
Includes typescript drafts of bills and resolutions

PETITIONS AND RESOLUTIONS
1933-1934
No arrangement
Petition requesting action on a bill proposed by Fiesinger in the House of Representatives and supporting documents

SPEECHES BY FIESINGER
1930-1950
No arrangement
Includes speeches given in Congress and to other organizations

ESSAYS BY FIESINGER
1940s-1953
No arrangement
May include hand-written and typescript drafts of essays, primarily on monetary questions.

DIARY
1953
No arrangement
Diary kept by Fiesinger on his overseas travel in 1953.

SPEECHES AND ESSAYS BY OTHERS
1878-1940
Arranged alphabetically by speaker
Typescript transcriptions of speeches and essays on monetary standards

PRESS RELEASES
1930-1940
No arrangement
Includes text of press releases by Fiesinger's office

PUBLISHED MATERIALS

MISCELLANEOUS PUBLICATIONS
1930-1950
No arrangement
Includes publications gathered by Fiesinger in the course of his work

SCRAPBOOKS AND SCRAPBOOK MATERIALS

NEWSCLIPPINGS
1930-1953
Arranged chronologically
Newsclippings dealing with public affairs during Fiesinger's term of office

PROGRAM
1953
No arrangement
Program from a performance on a cruise ship

SCRAPBOOK
1940s
No arrangement
Includes clippings on national economy and world affairs. Shelved with oversize material. Loose materials filed with clippings

LISTS, CHARTS, MAPS, ETC.

LISTS
1934
No arrangement
List of professors of economics

CHART (GRAPH)
1934
No arrangement
Index of dollar prices of gold, silver, commodities and stocks and index of factory payrolls, January 1, 1933-April 19, 1934.

CHART (HOROSCOPE)
1902
No arrangement
Faust Institute of Astrology, Psychology, Personal Magnetism, and Occult Science. Handwritten horoscope, possibly for Miss Maude Nelles, Fort Wayne, IN.

CHART (GENEALOGY)

PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIALS

PHOTOGRAPHS
1900-1953
No arrangement
Photographs of Fiesinger and others

ARTIFACTS

MENUS
1952-1953
No arrangement
Menus from cruise ships

OHIO MATCH COMPANY MATCHBOOKS
n.d.
Matchbook covers, some in uncut form.

Inventory

Box 1

1. Minutes of a Meeting in Treasury Department October 5, 1933
2. Correspondence, 1932
3. Correspondence, Jan-Jun 1933
4. Correspondence, Jul-Dec 1933
5. Correspondence, Jan 1934
6. Correspondence, Feb-Apr 1934
7. Correspondence, May-Jun 1934
8. Correspondence, Jul-Dec 1934
9. Correspondence, Jan-Feb 1935
10. Correspondence, Mar 1935
11. Correspondence, Apr-May 1935
12. Correspondence, Jun-Jul 1935
13. Correspondence, Aug-Dec 1935
14. Correspondence, 1936
15. Correspondence, 1938
16. Correspondence, 1939
17. Correspondence, 1940
18. Correspondence, 1941
19. Correspondence, 1942
20. Correspondence, 1943
21. Correspondence, 1944
22. Correspondence, 1945
23. Correspondence, 1946
24. Correspondence, 1947
25. Correspondence, 1948
26. Correspondence, 1949
27. Correspondence, 1950
28. Correspondence, 1951
29. Correspondence, 1952
30. Correspondence (fragment), n.d.
31. Correspondence, Family, 1952-1953
32. Correspondence, Genealogy, 1952-1953
33. Correspondence, Envelopes (scattered), n.d.

Box 2

Folders

1. Subject File: Businesses, 1952-1953
2. Subject File: Cemeteries, 1950
3. Subject File: Panama Canal, 1949-1952
4. Subject File: Silver Question, 1930s
5. Bill. (typescript) 72nd Congress/1st session, June 30, 1932
6. Bill. (typescript) Fiesinger Bill (HR 1577), February 1934
7. Bill. (typescript) Amendment to Fiesinger Bill, April 1934
8. Bill. (typescript) Proposal by Thomas, 1934
9. Resolution (74th Congress/1st session), 1936
10. Petition. Ohio Delegation to Speaker, 1934
11. Petition. "Committee of 100", 1934
12. Draft of Communication w/ Economists Committee on Monetary Policies, 1934
13. Speech. Fiesinger, 1930s
14. Speech. Fiesinger, 1930s
15. Speech. Fiesinger. Re: HR 1577, 1934
16. Speech. Fiesinger. RE: HR 1577, 1934
17. Speech. Fiesinger. In debate?, 1934
18. Speech. Fiesinger. Radio Address, 1934
19. Speech. Fiesinger. The Problem, May 1935?
20. Speech. Fiesinger. Panama Canal, 1952-1953?
21. Essay. Fiesinger. Economic History. Draft notebooks, 1940s
22. Essay. Fiesinger. Economic Crisis..., 1940s
23. Essay. Fiesinger. Economic history (ms.), 1940s
24. Essay. Fiesinger. Economic history (typescripts), 1940s
25. Essay. Fiesinger. Economic history (typescripts), 1940s
26. Essay. Fiesinger. Economic history (typescripts), 1940s
27. Essay. Fiesinger. Coinage, 1940s
28. Essay. Fiesinger. World War II, 1941-1942
29. Essay. Fiesinger. Political party platform plank, ca. 1952
30. Diary. Fiesinger. My Travels Abroad, 1953
31. Essay. Agar, Herbert. The American Review, May 1935
32. Speech. Blaine, James. 1878
33. Speech. Cook, Frank B. April 2, 1934
34. Speech. Cromwell, James. 1934
35. Essay. Del Mar, Alexander. 1886
36. Essay. Kimball, E. J. 1930s
37. Speech. Morganthau, Henry. May 13, 1935
38. Speech. Spahr, Walter. Nov 11, 1947
39. Speech. Stevens, H. H. Oct 8, 1931
40. Essay. Winslow, F. Truman. n.d.
41. Essay. Janney, John? 1934
42. Essay. (testimony?) Janney, John? 1934
43. Essay. Author unknown. Silver, 1934
44. Essay. Author unknown. National Recovery Act, 1930s
45. Press Release. Comptroller of the Currency, Sep-Oct 1933
46. Congressional Record (scattered pages), scattered dates
47. Bills, printed, 1952-1953
48. Edmondson, Robert Edward. Publications, 1934
49. Eversull, Harry K. The One and the Many, 1934
50. Facts in Review, Jan 20, 1941
51. Fledgelings: Pioneers in Aviation, 1947
52. Janney, John. Essays on Silver, 1930s
53. Ohio Supreme Court. East Bay Sporting Club vs. Miller, 1927
54. Program. Theater, March 2, 1952
55. Clippings from scrapbook, 1940s
56. Newsclippings, 1940s
57. List. List of economists, 1934
58. Chart. Index of Dollar Prices of Gold..., 1934
59. Chart. Horoscope Chart, 1902
60. Chart. Genealogy of Fiesinger Family, 1950
61. Photographs. Negatives, n.d.
62. Photographs. Fiesinger family, 1900-1950
63. Photographs. Fiesinger family? Europe, 1950
64. Photographs. Foreign views, 1953
65. Postcards. Foreign views, 1953
66. Photographs. Napoleon and Mirabeau, 1950
67. Ohio Match Co. Matchcovers, n.d.

Oversize

Items

1. Scrapbook, 1940s
2. Menus, 1953

Manuscripts by Subject | Political Collections