John Hyde Sweet, 1880-1964 [RG2503.AM]

HISTORY NEBRASKA MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID

RG2503.AM: John Hyde Sweet, 1880-1964

Papers: 1938-1940
Nebraska City, Otoe County, Neb.: Newspaper editor; U.S. Representative
Size: 11.0 cu.ft.; 22 boxes

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

John Hyde Sweet was born at Milford, Otsego Co., New York, September 1, 1880, the son of Charles Arthur and Minnie E. (Hyde) Sweet. His parents first came to Guide Rock, Nebraska and later moved to Palmyra. John was educated at the Palmyra High School and later attended the University of Nebraska. He moved with his family to Nebraska City in 1901.

Mr. Sweet was married to Zelma Harriet Ringsby October 5, 1904 at Auburn, Nebraska. He joined the Nebraska City News as its manager in 1909 and went on to become its editor, a position he held until his death in 1964. In 1938, he agreed to become congressional secretary to Congressman George H. Heinke. Heinke was killed in an auto accident in 1939 and Sweet was elected as First District Representative to finish Heinke’s term. Sweet had been a candidate for the Nebraska Legislature in 1926.

John Sweet was president of the Nebraska Press Association; president and charter member of the Nebraska City Chamber of Commerce, past president and organizer of the Nebraska City Rotary who awarded him the Community Service Award in 1929; past president BPOE, and he was a charter member of the Nebraska State Historical Society and the Nebraska Society. He received the Nebraska Builders Award from the University in 1951. He was a member of the original board of Nebraska City Utilities and served as a member of the State Normal Board.

John Hyde Sweet died at Wichenburg, Arizona following a stroke on April 4, 1964 and was buried at Wyuka Cemetery in Nebraska City on April 8, 1964. It is estimated that during his newspaper career, Sweet wrote approximately 2000 words a day, six days a week, 52 weeks a year, for nearly 55 years.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

This collection consists of the papers of both the Hon. George H. Heinke and John Hyde Sweet which date from Mr. Heinke’s campaign of 1938 to the end of Mr. Sweet’s term of office in 1940. The collection is arranged in eight series: 1) General Correspondence by Subject, 1938-1940; 2) General Correspondence by Correspondent, 1940; 3) Correspondence Relating to the Second World War, 1939-1940; 4) Bulletin Requests, 1939-1940; 5) Form Letters, 1940; 6) Legislative Bills, 1939-1940; 7) Campaign and Election Data, 1938-1940; and 8) Printed Matter, 1938-1940.

Approximately four thousand pieces of correspondence form the bulk of the Sweet collection. The first two series consist of general correspondence filed alphabetically by topic and correspondent respectively. Series Three contains letters to and from constituents concerning adjournment of Congress, September-October 1940; Conscription, June-September, 1940; and neutrality, March-November 1939. Bulletin requests and form letters complete the correspondence files.

Series Six, Legislative Bills, consist of an extensive file of bills with some handwritten notes and comments. Campaign and election data includes such material as mailing lists, charts and maps. A file of printed matter completes the Sweet collection. This series includes the weekly press release “Capitol Hill,” by J.H. Sweet; literature from the Republican National Committee, speeches, bulletins and clippings.

Correspondents of Mr. Sweet and Mr. Heinke include: Charles D. Ammon, 1940; Paul Armstrong, 1940; Edward A. Beecher, 1939; Hugh A. Butler, 1939-1940; Earl Cline, 1940; Oren S. Copeland, 1940; Levi L. Coryell, Sr., 1940; Carl T. Curtis, 1940; Robert S. Dickinson, 1940; John M. Dierks, 1939; Isaac B. Flint, 1940; Harry D. Flory, 1939-1940; Rex Hazelrigg, 1939; Daniel M. Hildebrand, 1938-1939; Cordell Hull, 1939; Homer D. Kirk, 1939-1940; Walter D. Kirtley, 1940; Harry J. Krusz, 1940; James E. Lawrence, 1939-1940; Frederick H. Oberman, 1939; William H. Pitzer, 1940; Johm B. Quinn, 1939-1940; James L. Sellers, 1940; Arthur J. Weaver, 1940; Claude R. Wickard, 1940; William L. Wilson, 1940; and Millard T. Woods, 1939-1940.

This collection reflects the attitude of Nebraskans toward New Deal diplomacy, the arms embargo, the proposed 1939 revision of the neutrality act, and military conscription. Much of the correspondence relates to federal programs such as the National Youth Administration and Work Projects Administration, or to private organizations such as the Corn Belt Liberty League and the National Voice of Christian Economics. Of particular interest is a letter from Rex Hazelrigg, branch organizer of the Communist Party of the United States, Lincoln, Nebraska Branch, urging the lifting of the embargo on arms to Spain.

INVENTORY

Series 1 – General Correspondence by Subject, 1938-1940

Box 1
Folder

1. Agriculture – Special Committee
2. Agriculture Adjustment Act
3. Anti-Lynching Bill
4. Applications
5. Arbor Day
6. Babies
7. Census Applications
8. China-Japan Protests
9. Civil Aeronautics
10. Civilian Conservation Corps Camps
11. Communist party – Lincoln, Nebraska Branch
12. Congressional Record – Requests, etc.
13. Congressional Library

Box 2
Folder

1. Corn Belt Liberty League
2. Dies Committee – Anti-American
3. District Newspaper Subscription Records
4. Fox Farming
5. Fed Surplus Commodity Corporation
6. Federal Home Loan Bank Board
7. Federal Theater Protests
8. Flying Cadets
9. Flood Control
10. Grain Dealers – on musty wheat
11. Hendricks, Bill
12. Hog Processing Tax
13. House Stationery Room Bills
14. Immigration
15. Interstate Commerce Commission

Box 3
Folder

1. Kings Canyon National Park Bill
2. Kirk, Homer D.
3. Legislature of Nebraska
4. Maps – Geologic Survey Catalog – Prices-Information
5. Medicine, Socialized
6. National Youth Administration
7. National Youth Administration
8. Neely Bill
9. Newspapers
10. Patman Bill – Chain Stores
11. Photographs
12. Public Works Administration
13. Postmastership
14. Quinn, John B.
15. Reciprocal Trade
16. Reclamation
17. Rural Electrification
18. Rural Mail Routes
19. Salary Vouchers – GHH, JHS, HC
20. Silver Purchase Act

Box 4
Folder

1. Social Security Act
2. Spanish Embargo
3. Soil Surveys – 1st District Inquiries
4. Stock Yards Act
5. Stauss, George A.
6. Townsend Clubs and Bills
7. Veterans Pensions
8. War letters
9. Wheeler/Lea Bill
10. Wheeler/Jones Bill
11. Worker Alliance of America

Box 5
Folder

1. Works Progress Administration
2. Correspondence
3. Petitions
4. Protests
5. Miscellany

Series 2 – General Correspondence by Correspondent, 1938-1940

Box 6 Correspondence A – D

Box 7 Correspondence E – K

Box 8 Correspondence L – R

Box 9 Correspondence S – Z

Series 3 – Correspondence relating to WWII

Box 10
Folder

1. Adjournment of Congress, 1940
2. Conscription, 1940

Box 11
Folder

1. Neutrality, A-R, 1939

Box 12
Folder

1. Neutrality, S-Z, 1939

Series 4 – Bulletin Requests

2. Bulletin Requests, 1939

Box 13
Folder

1. Bulletin Requests, 1939-1940

Series 5 – Form Letters

2. American Policy
3. American Legion Dept
4. 9-State Committee
5. Members of Bar
6. Graduation
7. Defense Jobs
8. Adjournment
9. William Jennings Bryan Memorial
10. Export-Import Bank
11. Time Table of Dictatorship
12. War Hysteria Letter
13. Mimeo – Yearbooks
14. Committee Letter, 1940, June 6

Box 14
Folder

1. Supreme Court, 150th Anniversary
2. Defense Program Letter
3. Neutrality
4. Hughes Address, Special
5. Lawrence #2
6. Lawrence Letter
7. Postcard, Notice of Document
8. Accident Bulletins
9. Release, Arbor Day
10. Cherry Blossom Letter
11. WPA
12. Document Ordered
13. Stencil, Document Ordered

Series 6 – Legislative Bills, 1939-1940

14. Townsend Act
15. J. Hamilton Lewis Funeral
16. HR 9980
17. 3rd Deficiency Payment of Draft
18. Transportation Bill
19. Military Training
20. Naval Bills
21. District of Columbia Reorganization
22. Wool Label Bill
23. Investigation & Rec. Committee

Box 15
Folder

1. Indian Affairs
2. Excess Profits
3. Tennessee Federal Judge
4. Defense Housing
5. 2nd Omnibus Claims Bill
6. Increase Naval Academy
7. Export & Import Bank
8. National Farm Policy
9. Indians
10. $150,000,000
11. Soldiers & Sailors Relief Act
12. Stolen Property Act
13. Indian Act
14. Mt. Vernon Highway
15. Water Conservation
16. 3rd Deficiency
17. Assign Claims on Public Contracts
18. Refugee Children
19. Defense of the US Tax Act
20. Vessels & Neutrality Act
21. Sugar Bill
22. Monroe Doctrine

Box 16
Folder

1. Farm Acts
2. National Defense Appropriations
3. Legislative Branch, Appropriation
4. R.F.C. Amend
5. Boulder Dam
6. National Defense
7. Navy Expansion
8. Mexican Claims
9. Naval Shipbuilding
10. Naval Air Craft
11. War Department Appropriations
12. Immigration & Naturalization
13. 2nd Supplemental, Defense Appropriation
14. Alien Registration
15. Federal Reserve Act

Box 17
Folder

1. War Claims
2. Wages & Hours
3. T.V.A.
4. Dept of Agriculture
5. Commodity Cadet Conference
6. 2nd Deficiency Bill
7. Agriculture Appropriation
8. Administrative Rules
9. Labor Appropriations
10. Promotion List, Army Officers
11. Agriculture
12. Reorganization Plan # IV
13. Labor Bill
14. Hatch Resolution
15. Smith Resolution to Invest NLRB
16. New York World’s Fair
17. Transportation
18. Lend-Spend
19. Housing

Box 18
Folder

1. Third Deficiency
2. Crop Insurance
3. District of Columbia Revenue
4. Bloom Neutrality
5. WPA Appropriations
6. Mexican Claims, Expenses
7. District of Columbia Appropriations
8. Stabilization Extension
9. River & Harbor
10. Department of State, Justice, Commerce
11. Social Security
12. District of Columbia
13. TVA
14. Hyde Park Library
15. Tax Revision
16. “Hot Oil”

Box 19
Folder

1. Supplemental Military Bill
2. Ind. Offices Bill
3. Legislative Appropriations Bill
4. Agricultural Appropriations Bill
5. Labor Appropriations
6. National Defense
7. 1st Deficiency Bill
8. H. Res. 26, Dies
9. Tax on Compensation of Public Officers
10. P.O. Retirement Bills
11. Election Com Bills
12. Additional Work Relief
13. Second Deficiency

Box 20
Folder

1. Dept of Interior
2. RFC, Com. Cr. Cor, Export-Import
3. Naval Building Bill, Guam
4. Treasury & P.O. Appropriation Bills
5. Military Establishment

Series 7 – Campaign and Election Data, 1930-1940

6. Election, Data Votes, Maps
7. 1940 Graduates
8. Reorganization
9. County Teachers Mailing List
10. Box Holders, Rural Only
11. Grain Dealers, First District
12. Lawyers, First District

Series 8 – Printed Matter, 1939-1940

Box 21
Folder

1. “Capitol Hill,” by J.H. Sweet, a weekly press release, 1939-1940
2. Republican National Committee Literature, 1938-1939
3. Veterans Administration
4. Speeches, 1939-1940

Box 22
Folder

1. Booklet prepared for Congressmen concerning Railway bills
2. Newspaper clippings
3. Conscription Bill, newspaper clippings
4. Railroads, Transportation

Subject headings:

Butler, Hugh Alfred, 1878-1954
Communist Party (Lincoln, Neb.)
Corn Belt Liberty League
Curtis, Carl Thomas, 1905-2000
Flint, Isaac Braxton,
Hazelrigg, Rex
Heinke, George Henry, 1882-1940
Hull, Cordell, 1871-1955
National Voice of Christian Economics (Wahoo, Neb.)
National Youth Administration
Nebraska Consolidated Mills Company (Omaha, Neb.)
Neutrality
Military service, compulsory
Sweet, John Hyde, 1880-1964
United States. Congress. House of Representatives
United States. Works Projects Administration
Weaver, Arthur Jerard, 1873-1945
Wickard, Claude Raymond, 1893-1967

Revised 10-26-2009 TMM