Robert Moses papers

Description data TOP

unitid

{"value"=>"2071", "type"=>"local_mss"}

{"value"=>"MssCol 2071", "type"=>"local_call"}

unitdate

{"value"=>"1907-1980", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1907/1980"}

unittitle

{"value"=>"Robert Moses papers"}

physdesc

{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"430 boxes, 66 volumes", "unit"=>"containers"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"189.92 linear feet", "unit"=>"linear_feet"}]}

repository

{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">Manuscripts and Archives</span>"}

abstract

{"value"=>"Robert Moses (1888-1981) was an American public official and urban planner who played a major role in the development of the New York Metropolitan area and New York State in the 20th century. The Robert Moses papers span 1907 to 1980, covering Moses' professional life leading public authorities. The papers detail the development of highways, bridges, tunnels, parks, infrastructure, and housing throughout New York City and State. The collection consists of correspondence and memoranda, drafts, published writing, reports, maps and designs, clippings, printed matter, press releases, speeches, and photographs."}

langmaterial

{"value"=>"English"}

origination

{"value"=>"Moses, Robert, 1888-1981", "type"=>"persname"}

bioghist

{"value"=>"<p>Robert Moses (1888-1981) was a public official whose vision played a major role in shaping the physical development of the New York Metropolitan area. Moses was born on December 18, 1888 and raised in New Haven, Connecticut and on East 46th Street in Manhattan. He graduated from Yale University in 1909, and went on to receive a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University in 1914. Moses began his career with the Municipal Research Bureau in 1913. By 1922, as an advisor to Governor Al Smith, he had become involved in the areas to which he devoted most of his career: parks, construction, and highways. Moses was married twice, and had two daughters. He died on July 29, 1981.</p> <p>Moses was principally responsible for the construction of an enormous number of major public projects in the state and city of New York, including the Triborough Bridge, the Queens-Midtown Tunnel, the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, the Henry Hudson Bridge, the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, the Throgs Neck Bridge, and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge; the Cross-Bronx Expressway, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, the FDR Drive, the Northern and Southern State Parkways, and the Long Island Expressway; as well as Jones Beach State Park and the Robert Moses State Park on Long Island; and the Robert Moses Power Plant on the St. Lawrence River and Robert Moses Power Dam on the Niagara River. Moses was also responsible for the construction of several major public housing projects in New York City and the development of the Lincoln Center campus.</p> <p>During his long career, Moses accumulated multiple offices and positions, often concurrently, allowing him broad powers across New York State. Despite his many positions, Moses never held any elected office. A controversial figure, his development projects displaced hundreds of thousands of residents, including Black, low-income, and immigrant communities, and emphasized highways over public transit infrastructure.</p> <p>Positions Mosesheld include:</p> <p>Long Island State Park Commission, President 1924-1963</p> <p>New York State Council of Parks, chairman 1924-1963</p> <p>New York Secretary of State, 1927-1928</p> <p>Jones Beach Parkway Authority, President 1933-1963</p> <p>Bethpage State Park Authority, President 1933-1963</p> <p>Emergency Public Works Commission, chairman 1933-1934</p> <p>New York City Department of Parks, commissioner 1934-1960</p> <p>Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, chairman 1934-1968</p> <p>New York City Construction Co-ordinator, 1942-1960</p> <p>New York City Planning Commissioner, 1946-1960</p> <p>New York State Power Authority, chairman 1954-1962</p> <p>New York World's Fair, President 1960-1966</p> <p>Special Advisor to the Governor of the State of New York on Housing, 1974-1975</p>"}

custodhist

{"value"=>"<p>The Robert Moses papers were acquired by New York Public Library from Robert Moses over several accessions between 1953 and 1986. The initial gift occurred in December 1953, with transfers from Moses and the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority planned every few years. The original agreement prohibited any announcement of the acquisition and any reproduction of materials until after Moses' death. However, Moses would occasionally approve or deny researcher requests to view material before the collection was processed and open to the public.</p> <p>Material was transferred in 1954, 1955, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1968, 1982, and 1986, with another transfer occurring sometime in the 1970s. The initial agreement between Moses and The New York Public Library indicated that Moses could recall boxes at any time; in 1967 he recalled fifteen boxes of correspondence and personal papers. These files were not returned to the library until 1982, after Moses' death.</p> <p>Due to the complex nature of this agreement, and Moses having recalled specific boxes, some sections of the collection may include gaps or may possibly have been culled by Moses or others.</p>"}

scopecontent

{"value"=>"<p>The Robert Moses papers, dating from 1907 to 1980, provide a vast, though by no means comprehensive, view of Robert Moses' long career as a public official.</p> <p>The collection is arranged into thirteen series beginning with General Files that cover the entirety of Moses career, and followed by content from the agencies Moses worked for and projects he worked on. This includes the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, Emergency Public Works Commission, Office of the City Construction Coordinator, his New York Gubernatorial campaign, New York City Department of Parks, New York State Constitutional Convention, Long Island State Park Commission, New York State Council of Parks, New York State Power Authority, Public Housing Development, and the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair. The final series contains Printed Matter from throughout Moses' career.</p> <p>The collection contains correspondence, memoranda, drafts, published writing, notes, reports, speeches, maps and designs, press releases, clippings, printed matter, and photographs.</p> <p>The great number of positions which Moses held, many of them concurrently over long periods of time, make it difficult to identify precisely which portions of the collection document which aspect of his career. Similarly, the often unorthodox means by which Moses sought to achieve his plans at times obscures any separation of duties.</p> <p>The letterhead of a given department is no guarantee that the matter discussed in the letter is within the purview of that department. Similarly, over the span of the papers, Moses' secretaries and filing systems changed: some files are alphabetical by subject, while others are chronological. Researchers should look at multiple series, as material on specific topics may be spread throughout the collection.</p> <p>Over his long career Moses interacted with numerous politicians; world leaders; architects and developers; business executives; publishers; writers and journalists; and entertainers. Prominent correspondents represented across series include: Al Smith, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Fiorello La Guardia, Nelson Rockefeller, Frank Lloyd Wright, Herbert Hoover, Arthur Hays Sulzberger, Herbert Bayard Swope, Herbert Lehman, Thomas Dewey, Robert Wagner Jr., Prescott Bush, William F. Buckley Jr., John Lindsay, Jacob Javits, Irving Berlin, Richard Rodgers, and Oscar Hammerstein. Developers represented in the collection include William Zeckendorf, Samuel LeFrak, and Fred Trump. There is also correspondence with various members of prominent families including the Roosevelts, Rockefellers, Guggenheims, Kennedys, and Bushs.</p> <p>Some material may contain language and terminology that is outdated, harmful, or offensive.</p>"}

{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Robert Moses papers are arranged in thirteen series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/2071#c1770059'>Series I: General Files</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1909-1980</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The General Files series dates from 1909 to 1980 and contains the bulk of the collection, reflecting Moses' professional life and the interconnectedness of his many positions. The series includes correspondence, memoranda, reports, drafts, articles, maps and designs, printed matter, clippings, speeches, ephemera, and photographs.</p> <p>Nearly every aspect of Moses' career and the projects he spearheaded are documented here. This includes: development of the New York State Park system; development of the Long Island State Park and parkway system, including Jones Beach; government reform in New York City and State; the Moreland Commission (1928); infrastructure and development projects during the Great Depression; highway, bridge, and tunnel development in New York City; the 1939-1940 and 1964-1965 World's Fairs; post-World War II planning, including highway plans for various cities around the United States; housing development in New York City; development of the New York Power Authority; the move of the Brooklyn Dodgers; development of the United Nations headquarters; disputes with Joseph Papp over Shakespeare in the Park; development of Lincoln Center; Republican party politics; and numerous other projects and issues. Also included are files on a number of failed projects such as the Brooklyn-Battery Bridge, the Lower Manhattan Elevated Expressway, and a Long Island Sound Crossing.</p> <p>In addition to his role as a public official, Moses regularly wrote articles, often endorsing his projects and views, for a variety of publications including <span class=\"title\">The New York Times</span>, <span class=\"title\">Newsday</span>, <span class=\"title\">The Atlantic Monthly</span>, and others. Drafts and clippings are present throughout the series, including some unpublished articles and short stories.</p> <p>Also present in this series is correspondence with and about Robert Caro regarding his research for <span class=\"title\">The Power Broker</span>, and correspondence reacting to its publication.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/2071#c1771685'>Series II: Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1932-1966</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority series dates from 1933 to 1966 and consists of correspondence, memoranda, reports, clippings, drafts, printed matter, speeches, and contracts related to Moses' time as head of the Triborough Authority. The agency was founded in 1933 as the Triborough Bridge Authority (TBA) and reorganized as the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA) in 1945.</p> <p>Topics covered in this series include: disputes with Secretary of Interior Harold Ickes and President Franklin Roosevelt over the proposed Brooklyn-Battery Bridge and Moses' continuing appointment as Chairman of the TBTA; development of various highways and bridges throughout the New York Metropolitan area; the move of the Brooklyn Dodgers; post-World War II planning; development of Columbus Circle and Lincoln Square; development in Coney Island by Fred Trump; and other issues related to non-TBTA positions held by Moses.</p> <p>Unrealized projects such as the Lower Manhattan Elevated Expressway and Long Island Sound Crossing are also represented.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/2071#c1771852'>Series III: Emergency Public Works Commission</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1933-1934</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The Emergency Public Works Commission series dates from 1933 to 1934 and covers Moses' time as chairman of the New Deal commission. Files pertain to local relief efforts in New York City during the Great Depression, and the relationship of those efforts to the Works Progress Administration and other New Deal projects.</p> <p>The files consist of correspondence, memoranda, reports, clippings, drafts, itineraries and minutes, maps and designs, and ephemera.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/2071#c1771938'>Series IV: Office of the City Construction Coordinator</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1933-1953</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The Office of the City Construction Coordinator series dates from 1933 to 1953 and covers Moses' time as Construction Coordinator for New York City. The files consist of correspondence, memoranda, reports, maps, drafts, and printed matter.</p> <p>Topics covered include: Harold Ickes and the Brooklyn-Battery Bridge; the development of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway; post-war planning in Germany; the Cross-Bronx Expressway; housing development; and development of the United Nations headquarters.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/2071#c1771986'>Series V: New York Gubernatorial Campaign</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1919-1941 [bulk 1934]</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The New York Gubernatorial Campaign series dates from 1919 to 1941 and consists of files related to Moses' unsuccessful 1934 run for New York State Governor as the Republican candidate. Files include correspondence, memoranda, drafts, speeches, clippings, reports, printed matter, and ephemera.</p> <p>Topics covered include Moses' campaign platform; various New York State issues; banking and taxes; New Deal and infrastructure projects; and housing.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/2071#c1772073'>Series VI: New York City Department of Parks</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1934-1960</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The New York City Department of Parks series dates from 1934 to 1960 and consists of files related to Moses' time as Commissioner of New York City Department of Parks. Files include correspondence, memoranda, maps, reports, clippings, and printed matter.</p> <p>Topics covered include various park developments around New York City; New York University's acquisition of property around Washington Square; development of Coney Island by Fred Trump; the move of the Brooklyn Dodgers; disputes with Joseph Papp about Shakespeare in the Park; developments in Flushing Meadows Park for the 1964-1965 World's Fair and for Shea Stadium.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/2071#c1772099'>Series VII: New York State Constitutional Convention</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1915-1944 [bulk 1938]</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The New York State Constitutional Convention series dates from 1915 to 1944 and consists of material related to the 1938 New York convention. Files include correspondence, memoranda, drafts, reports, clippings and printed matter.</p> <p>Major topics covered include government and banking reform, elimination of grade crossings, and housing.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/2071#c1772155'>Series VIII: Long Island State Park Commission</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1924-1962</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The Long Island State Park Commission series dates from 1924 to 1962 and relates to Moses' tenure as chairman of the commission.</p> <p>While largely covering topics related to State parks and parkways on Long Island, including Jones Beach, Fire Island, and Heckscher State Park, the series also covers infrastructure and development projects throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties in the mid-20th century. Files consist of correspondence, memoranda, reports, and clippings.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/2071#c1772501'>Series IX: New York State Council of Parks</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1922-1962 [bulk 1953-1962]</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The New York State Council of Parks series covers Moses' time as head of the council. Files span 1922 to 1963 (bulk dates 1953-1963) and consist of correspondence, memoranda, reports, drafts, clippings, and printed matter.</p> <p>Topics covered include issues of development, maintenance, and improvement of the State Council and its relation to New York City Parks and the Long Island State Parks Commission. As Moses was the head of all three authorities, the issues and governance of all three organizations operated as practically one entity. Of particular interest are files related to the various regional authorities of the State Council and communication with neighboring State entities regarding interstate highways and parks.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/2071#c1772811'>Series X: New York State Power Authority</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1954-1963</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The New York State Power Authority series spans 1954 to 1963 and concerns Moses' time as head of the authority. Files consist of correspondence, memoranda, reports, clippings, press releases, and printed matter.</p> <p>The series largely covers the development of the Niagara Power Plant on the Niagara River and the St. Lawrence Power Project on the St. Lawrence river, including coordination with State and Federal authorities and the Canadian government. Files may also include material on other New York State topics, including Moses' requests for waiver of the New York State mandatory retirement regulations.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/2071#c1772824'>Series XI: Public Housing Development</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1924-1966</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The Public Housing Development series dates from 1922 to 1966 and covers various urban housing and redevelopment projects conducted by Moses. Files consist of correspondence, memoranda, reports, drafts, press releases, clippings, and printed matter.</p> <p>The Housing files date from 1924 to 1966 and contain various material related to public housing and other developments around New York City. Topics covered include the development of Stuyvesant Town; various New Deal public relief projects; and correspondence and reports with Governors Al Smith, Franklin Roosevelt, and Herbert Lehman. Also present is material related to La Guardia's Fusion Party.</p> <p>The Committee on Slum Clearance files date from 1957 to 1959 and reflect Moses' activities related to the clearing of so-called blighted areas for development of housing, highways, and infrastructure in New York City. Topics covered include the clearing of San Juan Hill for the Lincoln Center campus and the redevelopment of Luna Park in Coney Island by Fred Trump.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/2071#c1772863'>Series XII: New York World's Fair, 1964-1965, Inc</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1959-1970</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The New York World's Fair, 1964-1965, Inc. series dates from 1959 to 1970 and covers Moses' time as President of the Fair. Files include correspondence, memoranda, reports, clippings, maps, and printed matter.</p> <p>The series largely consists of copies of letters and memoranda generated by Moses and his staff. Topics covered include soliciting and construction of exhibits and facilities at the Fair, administration of the Fair after its opening in 1964, and arterial highway construction around the fair grounds.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/2071#c1772971'>Series XIII: Printed Matter</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1915-1967</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The Printed Matter series dates from 1915 to 1967 and includes a variety of material documenting Moses' professional life.</p> <p>The series is largely comprised of Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA) \"Greenbooks.\" These volumes are annual compilations prepared by the TBTA from 1934 to 1965 of official reports, speeches, magazines, and clippings on a variety of subjects with Moses' range of interests, but not necessarily related directly to the TBTA.</p> <p>Also included in this series are complete transcripts of the Moreland Commission proceedings of 1929; arterial plans for various cities across the United States and South America; drafts, correspondence, and issues of Al Smith's magazine <span class=\"title\">New Outlook</span>; various reports for developments across the New York Metropolitan region; and various newspapers, magazines, clippings, and reports.</p></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}

acqinfo

{"value"=>"<p>Received from Robert Moses and the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, December 1953-January 1986.</p>"}

processinfo

{"value"=>"<p>The collection was processed by Charles Kronick in 1986. The original finding aid was arranged into sixteen series with the material in rough alphabetical or chronological order. However, the absence of folder numbers made maintaining that order difficult. As a high-demand collection, the Robert Moses papers were identified for reprocessing in order to improve access and discoverability and meet current archival best practice.</p> <p>In 2024, Christopher Arena reprocessed the collection. Steps taken included rehousing the material in archival document boxes or appropriate sized flat boxes; describing material at the folder level and assigning folder numbers; rearranging out of place material; and updating front matter description to fit current standards. Additionally, some series from the original arrangement were collapsed and incorporated into other parts of the collection. Series I, originally titled Personal and \"Library\" Correspondence was renamed General Files. Series XI: Public Housing Development was created by combining Series XI: Committee on Slum Clearance and Series XIII: Housing. Series XIV: Speeches and Series XV: Photographs were incorporated into Series I: General Files.</p>"}

relatedmaterial

{"value"=>"<p>New York World's Fair 1939-1940 records, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library</p> <p>New York World's Fair 1964-1965 Corporation records, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library</p>"}

revisiondesc

{"value"=>"Rehousing, expanded description, and minor reprocessing by Christopher Arena.", "date"=>"2024"}

date_start

1907

keydate

1907

date_end

1980

date_inclusive_start

1907

date_inclusive_end

1980

extent_statement

189.92 linear feet (430 boxes, 66 volumes)

prefercite

{"value"=>"Robert Moses papers, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library"}

Update Collection TOP

Update from EAD XML File

Child components TOP

1. Series I: General Files [47/1]
2. Series II: Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority [11/1]
3. Series III: Emergency Public Works Commission [85/1]
4. Series IV: Office of the City Construction Coordinator [47/1]
5. Series V: New York Gubernatorial Campaign [86/1]
6. Series VI: New York City Department of Parks [25/1]
7. Series VII: New York State Constitutional Convention [55/1]
8. Series VIII: Long Island State Park Commission [14/1]
9. Series IX: New York State Council of Parks [11/1]
10. Series X: New York State Power Authority [12/1]
11. Series XI: Public Housing Development [2/1]
12. Series XII: New York World's Fair, 1964-1965, Inc [13/1]
13. Series XIII: Printed Matter [11/1]