Scope and arrangement
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.
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.
The collection contains correspondence, memoranda, drafts, published writing, notes, reports, speeches, maps and designs, press releases, clippings, printed matter, and photographs.
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.
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.
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.
Some material may contain language and terminology that is outdated, harmful, or offensive.
The Robert Moses papers are arranged in thirteen series:
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1909-1980
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.
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.
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 The New York Times, Newsday, The Atlantic Monthly, and others. Drafts and clippings are present throughout the series, including some unpublished articles and short stories.
Also present in this series is correspondence with and about Robert Caro regarding his research for The Power Broker, and correspondence reacting to its publication.
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1932-1966
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.
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.
Unrealized projects such as the Lower Manhattan Elevated Expressway and Long Island Sound Crossing are also represented.
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1933-1934
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.
The files consist of correspondence, memoranda, reports, clippings, drafts, itineraries and minutes, maps and designs, and ephemera.
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1933-1953
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.
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.
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1919-1941 [bulk 1934]
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.
Topics covered include Moses' campaign platform; various New York State issues; banking and taxes; New Deal and infrastructure projects; and housing.
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1934-1960
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.
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.
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1915-1944 [bulk 1938]
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.
Major topics covered include government and banking reform, elimination of grade crossings, and housing.
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1924-1962
The Long Island State Park Commission series dates from 1924 to 1962 and relates to Moses' tenure as chairman of the commission.
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.
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1922-1962 [bulk 1953-1962]
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.
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.
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1954-1963
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.
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.
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1924-1966
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.
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.
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.
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1959-1970
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.
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.
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1915-1967
The Printed Matter series dates from 1915 to 1967 and includes a variety of material documenting Moses' professional life.
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.
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 New Outlook; various reports for developments across the New York Metropolitan region; and various newspapers, magazines, clippings, and reports.