Patrick James Cosgrave, 1871-1960 [RG3196.AM]

NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID

RG3196.AM:  Patrick James Cosgrave, 1871-1960

Papers:  1898-1962

Lincoln, Lancaster County, Neb.:  Lawyer, judge

Size:  3 boxes; 3.0 cu.ft.

BACKGROUND NOTE

P. James (Patrick James) Cosgrave was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on June 28, 1871. He graduated from Lincoln High School in 1889 and attended college at the University of Michigan where he received his LL.M. in 1891. He was a captain in the First Nebraska Regiment during the Spanish-American War and re-enlisted during the Philippine Insurrection. As the Fifth Division Judge Advocate during WWI, James was cited for bravery in combat. During his sixty-eight years of practice he was a police judge, county judge, third district court judge, and from 1940 a member of the Selective Service Board by presidential appointment. His organizational memberships included: American Legion, Spanish-American War Veterans, Military Order of World Wars, American Bar Association, Nebraska Bar Association and an honorary lifetime membership to the Lincoln Elks Lodge. His hobbies included rifle and pistol shooting, and he enjoyed being the chairman and keynote speaker at Republican Conventions. He died September 5th, 1960, in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Pearl-Joan Cosgrave, James’ daughter, was president of the Nebraska Writer’s Guild in the 1940s, president of the Lincoln Alumnae Association, and National Vice-president of the Midwest Region Gamma Alpha Chi National Advertising Fraternity.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

This collection is comprised of materials relating to P. James and Pearl-Joan Cosgrave, and to the Cosgrave Family. It is arranged in four subgroups: 1) Patrick James Cosgrave; 2) Pearl-Joan Cosgrave; 3) Cosgrave Family Materials; and 4) Miscellaneous.

Subgroup 1, Patrick James Cosgrave, consists of two series: Series 1, “Civilian Materials,” contains seven subseries: 1) Personal Correspondence; 2) Biographical Materials; 3) Academic Materials; 4) Professional Materials; 5) Newspaper Clippings; 6) Memorabilia, Obituary and Miscellaneous; and 7) Certificates. Series 2, Military Materials, contains four subseries: 1) Service in France; 2) Spanish American War Remembrances; 3) Journals; and 4) Wartime Printed Material.

Subgroup 2, “Pearl-Joan Cosgrave,” consists of four series: 1) Personal Correspondence; 2) Academic Material; 3) Newspaper Articles; and 4) Scrapbooks A-H. Of special interest are the scrapbooks, which contain newspaper clippings relating to various activities in which Pearl-Joan was involved. These included poetry writing, theatrical involvement, and involvement with the Nebraska Writer’s Guild.

Subgroup 3 contains Cosgrave Family Materials, correspondence between Pearl-Joan and her father, between family members and others, and small books collected by the Cosgrave family.

Subgroup 4, Miscellaneous, is not further subdivided, and includes newspaper clippings covering various daily-life topics.

Note:  Photos from the collection are housed with the photograph collections in RG3196.PH. The Nebraska History Museum holds artifacts relating to the Cosgrave family. Not all materials are on exhibit. Interested researchers should contact the Museum Collections department to schedule an appointment.

DESCRIPTION

Subgroup 1: Patrick James Cosgrave

Series 1 – Civilian Materials, 1874-1959

Subseries 1: Personal Correspondence, c.1898-1973

1. 1. Personal Correspondence, 1898-1899, 1919, 1936-1937, 1939, 1940-1944

1. 1. Personal Correspondence, 1945-1949

1. 1. Personal Correspondence, 1950-1962, 1973

Subseries 2: Biographical Materials, c.1874-1959

1. 1. Genealogy Envelope, 1918-1920, 1923, 1926-1927, 1929-1930, 1933-1935, 1938 [note photo filed under RG3196.PH]

1. 1. Drawings, Awards and Biographical Materials, 1874, 1900, 1902, 1920, 1955, 1958-1959, n.d. [note oversized filed in Folder A]

1. 1. Biographical Encyclopedia of the World and other Notes, 1902, 1952, n.d.

Subseries 3: Academic Materials, c.1891-1970

1. 1. The Nebraska Alumnus Newsletter, 1937, 1946

1. 1. The Michigan Alumnus Newsletter, 1911, 1947, 1970 [note oversized filed in Folder A]

1. 1. University of Michigan Materials, 1891-1893, 1907, 1913, 1941-1942

Subseries 4: Professional Materials, c.1905-1970

1. 1. Attorney Resources, 1926, 1958-1959

1. 1. Political Materials, 1911, 1947, 1970, n.d. [note oversized filed in Folder A]

1. 1. Business and Membership Cards, 1905, 1918, 1922, 1937, 1957-1958, 1960-1961

Subseries 5: Clippings, c.1916-1963

1. 1. Elks Club Christmas Parties, Clippings and Memorabilia, 1941, 1946, 1951, 1954, 1956-1958, 1960, n.d.

1. 1. 1888 Blizzard Club, 1952, 1958-1960

1. 1. Personal Mention Clippings, 1943, 1951-1952, 1954-1955, n.d.

1. 1. Law-Related Clippings, 1916, 1941-1943, 1950, 1954-1955, 1963

1. 1. Newspaper Clipping Scrapbook, 1937-1951 [see oversize]

Subseries 6: Memorabilia, Obituary, and Miscellaneous, c.1888-1960

1. 1. James Cosgrave Memorabilia, 1940, 1946, 1954, n.d.

1. 1. Cosgrave Meeting Agendas, 1952-1955

1. 1. Cosgrave Obituary, 1960, n.d.

1. 1. Cosgrave Miscellaneous Materials, 1888, 1927, 1935, 1937, 1942, 1945, 1953-1954, 1956, 1960, n.d. [note oversized filed in Folder A]

Subseries 7: Certificates, c. 1891-1960

1. 1. Selective Service, Military, and Law certificates, 1899, 1918-1919, 1960

1. 1. Oversized Law, State and Miscellaneous Certificates, 1891-1892, 1905-1907, 1909, 1916, 1920-1921, 1940, 1944, 1948, n.d. [see oversize]

1. 1. Oversized Military Certificates, 1898-1899, 1918-1919, 1931, 1943-1947, 1957, n.d. [see oversize]

Series 2 – Military Materials, c.1898-1960

Subseries 1: Service in France, c.1899-1960

1. 1. The Fifth Division: Life in Service 1916, 1918-1919, n.d. [note oversized filed in Folder B]

1. 1. Military Certificates, 1899, 1918-1919, 1960

1. 1. The Fifth Division: Correspondence, Photos and Postcards, 1918-1919

1. 1. The Military Order of the World War, 1937-1940, 1942, 1946, 1950, 1952-1953, 1955-1960, n.d.

Subseries 2: Spanish American War Remembrances, c.1936-1960

1. 1. Draft of Speeches: “Muster Day,” 1936, 1938, 1944, 1947, 1955, n.d.

1. 1. Spanish War Veterans (USWV), printed material, 1937-1938, 1940, 1947, 1949, 1951, 1955, 1957-1959, n.d.

1. 1. Spanish War Veterans (USWV), newspaper clippings, 1938, 1949, 1951-1952, 1955, 1957-1958, 1960, n.d.

Subseries 3: Journals, c.1898-1919

1. 1. Diaries, 1898-1899

1. 1. Diaries, 1918-1919

3. 3. Notebook, 1937-1938

Subseries 4: Wartime Printed Material, c.1919-1960

1. 1. Wartime Guidebooks, 1942-1943, n.d.

1. 1. Fifth Division Memorial Day Poster, 1919; patriotic literature 1957, n.d. [two filed in Oversized Folder C]

1. 1. State and Military Anniversary/Event Programs, 1922, 1931, 1949, 1954-1955, 1959

1. 1. Manila Bay/USS Olympia Clippings, 1955, 1957-1958, 1960, n.d.

1. 1. Cosgrave Military-Related Clippings, 1937-1938, 1945, 1948, 1950, 1959, n.d.

1. 1. Miscellaneous Military Newspaper Clippings, 1931, 1948, 1957, 1959-1960, n.d.

Subgroup 2: Pearl-Joan Cosgrave, c.1917-1965

Series 1 – Personal Correspondence, c.1922-1965

1. 1. Correspondence, 1922, 1934, 1937, 1940, 1946-1947, 1949-1951, 1958

1. 1. Correspondence, 1960-1962, 1964-1965, n.d.

Series 2 – Academic Material, c.1920-1948

1. 1. Thesis: “The Surnames of Lincoln, Nebraska,” 1928

1. 1. Nature Magazine/Prairie Schooner Articles, 1934, 1944, 1946

1. 1. Certificates, 1926, 1928, 1933-1934, 1945-1947, 1967-1974, n.d.

1. 1. Miscellaneous Academic Materials, 1920, 1923, 1926, 1928, 1948, n.d.

Series 3 – Newspaper Articles, c.1943-1954

1. 1. Gamma Alpha Chi Clippings, 1950-1952

1. 1. Nebraska Writer’s Guild, Meetings Clippings, 1946-1949

1. 1. Nebraska Writer’s Guild, Elections Clippings, 1947-1949, n.d.

1. 1. Food and Rationing Clippings, 1943, n.d.

1. 1. Miscellaneous Clippings Clippings, 1948-1949, 1952, 1954

Series 4 – Scrapbooks A-H, c.1917-1950

1. 1. Scrapbook A: Personal Mention, 1922, 1925, 1927-1928, 1947, 1949, n.d.

1. 1. Scrapbook B: Theatrical Notes, 1922, 1924, 1926-1928

1. 1. Scrapbook C: Society, Club and Church, 1923-1924, 1926, 1928, n.d.

1. 1. Scrapbook D: Poems of Merit, 1917-1923, 1927, n.d.

1. 1. Scrapbook E: Prose Merit, 1923-1926, 1928, n.d.

1. 1. Scrapbook F: Marriage Notices, 1923-1925, 1928

1. 1. Scrapbook G: Nebraska Writer’s Guild, 1944-1950, n.d. [see oversize]

1. 1. Scrapbook H: GAC, 1946-1949

Subgroup 3: Cosgrave Family Materials, c.1882-1974

1. 1. Correspondence between Pearl-Joan and P. James Cosgrave, 1918-1919, 1937, n.d.

1. 1. Family Correspondence, 1910, 1940, 1949, 1951, 1953-1955, 1958, 1960, n.d.

3. 3. Family Books, 1882, n.d.

3. 3. Family Books, 1973-1974, n.d.

3. 3. Family Newspaper Clippings, 1940, 1946, 1956-1957

Subgroup 4: Miscelleneous, c.1934-1962

1. 1. Miscellaneous Newspaper Clippings, 1934, 1937, 1948, 1951, 1954, 1961-1962

Cosgrave family

Cosgrave, Patrick James, 1871-1960

Cosgrave, Pearl-Joan

Nebraska Writer’s Guild

Philippine Insurrection, 1896-1898

Philippine-American War, 1899-1902

Spanish-American War, 1898 — Personal narratives

World War, 1914-1918 — Regimental histories — United States — 5th division

PJ/kfk   04-2003

JS/kfk   03-25-2004

Encoded TMM   03-16-2010