Claude Moore Fuess (AC 1905) Material for a Biography of Frank Waterman Stearns (AC 1878), 1868-1941 (bulk 1915-1941)
General International Standard for Archival Description
Amherst College Archives and Special Collections
Finding aid encoded using Perl scripts and edited in XMetal 2.0. Encoded by David Schaich. 2004-03-19
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
Claude Moore Fuess (AC 1905) Material for a Biography of Frank Waterman Stearns (AC 1878)
Creation of Claude Moore Fuess (AC 1905) Material for a Biography of Frank Waterman Stearns (AC 1878)
Time of Creation of Claude Moore Fuess (AC 1905) Material for a Biography of Frank Waterman Stearns (AC 1878)
Fuess, Claude Moore, 1885-1963
Biographical History for: Claude Moore Fuess (AC 1905) Material for a Biography of Frank Waterman Stearns (AC 1878)
Biographical Note Claude Moore Fuess (AC 1905), educator, historian and author, was born in Waterville, N.Y., in 1885. He received the M.A. (1906) and Ph.D (1912) degrees from Columbia University. Fuess taught English at Phillips Academy, Andover, from 1908 to 1933, and was appointed headmaster there in 1933. He was the author or editor of more than 30 books and numerous articles, among which are "An Old New England School: A History Of Phillips Academy Andover" (1917); "The Amherst Memorial Volume; A Record Of The Contribution Made By Amherst College And Amherst Men In the World War, 1914-1918" (1926); "Daniel Webster" (1930); "Amherst, The Story Of A New England College" (1935); "Calvin Coolidge, The Man From Vermont" (1940); "Joseph B. Eastman, Servant Of The People" (1952); "Stanley King Of Amherst" (1955); and "Andover: Symbol of New England" (1959). At some time Fuess was commissioned by Frank Waterman Stearns to write a biographical treatment of Stearns himself; however, Stearns died in 1939 and sometime around 1941 the project was abandoned according to the wishes of the Stearns family. Fuess died in 1963. Frank Waterman Stearns (AC 1878) was born on November 8, 1856 in Boston. After graduating from Amherst College in 1878, he joined his father's retail dry goods firm, the R. H. Stearns Company in Boston. He became a partner in that company in 1881 and was appointed chairman of its Board of Directors in 1919. Stearns was a close friend of his fellow Amherst College alumnus, Calvin Coolidge (AC 1895) and one of his most influential supporters in politics. In 1880 Stearns married Emily Williston Clark (daughter of William Smith Clark, AC 1848), with whom he had three children: Foster Stearns (AC 1903), Emily W. Giese, and Louisa Prescott. Frank Waterman Stearns died in Boston in 1939.
Scope and Contents of the Collection The collection includes unfinished typescript chapters of Claude M. Fuess' proposed biography of Frank Waterman Stearns, clippings and other biographical materials about Stearns and the F.W. Stearns Company. In addition, the collection contains certain personal papers of Stearns, including some of his correspondence with Calvin Coolidge and members of Coolidge's staff when Coolidge served as Governor of Massachusetts and later Vice-President and President of the United States. Other of Stearns' correspondents include his son Foster Stearns and Dwight W. Morrow (AC 1895).
series
Series 1: TYPESCRIPT DRAFTS OF FUESS' BIOGRAPHY OF STEARNS, n.d.
Series 1, TYPESCRIPT DRAFTS OF FUESS' BIOGRAPHY OF STEARNS, n.d., consists of drafts of seven chapters begun by Fuess. They are arranged by chapter number, with insertions at the end.
Typescript drafts n.d.
Series 2: NOTES AND CLIPPINGS ABOUT STEARNS, 1908-1929 and n.d.
Series 2, NOTES AND CLIPPINGS ABOUT STEARNS, 1908-1929 and n.d., includes Fuess' biographical notes and newspaper clippings related to F. W. Stearns, the Stearns family and the R. H. Stearns Company.
Notes n.d.
Clippings ca. 1908-1929
Series 3: CLAUDE MOORE FUESS CORRESPONDENCE, 1937-1941
Series 3, CLAUDE MOORE FUESS CORRESPONDENCE, 1937-1941, consists of a small number of letters Fuess received providing background on F.W. Stearns. The chief correspondent is Benjamin F. Felt.
Correspondence 1937-1941
Series 4: FRANK WATERMAN STEARNS PAPERS, 1868-1930 (bulk 1915-1930)
Series 4, FRANK WATERMAN STEARNS PAPERS, 1868-1930 (bulk 1915-1930), is organized into four sub-series: A. Correspondence, 1870-1930 (bulk 1915-1930), which is further sub-divided into two groups: 1. Correspondence with Calvin Coolidge and his Aides, 1915-1928 and n.d. 2. General Correspondence B. Writings, 1915-1930 and n.d. C. Photographs, ca. 1875-1930 D. Other Documents, 1868-1919 Sub-Series A, Correspondence, is the most significant here, as it documents F. W. Stearns' long friendship with Calvin Coolidge and the Coolidge family and his strong support of Coolidge's political career as he progressed from State Senator in Massachusetts (1911) to Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts (1915), to Governor of Massachusetts (1918), to Vice-President of the United States (1920), to President (1923-1928).
subseries
Sub-Series A: Correspondence
Calvin Coolidge (undated letters at end of folder) 1915-1928
General Correspondence 1870-1930
Sub-Series B: Writings
F. W. Stearns writings 1915-1930
Sub-Series C: Photographs
Photographs (5 items) ca. 1875-1930
Sub-Series D: Other Documents
Bill of sale: R. H. Stearns, Ship Samuel G. Glover, to H. Briggs 1868 Sept 25
"In re: Abandonment of Office by Policemen, City of Boston, Sept. 9, 1919" - typescript [legal deposition?] by then Attorney General of the Commonwealth 1919
Pamphlet: Roosevelt Night, Middlesex Club, Boston (includes an address by Calvin Coolidge) 1919 Oct 27