Preston E. Peden Collection

Collection

Identifier: CAC-CC-044

Staff Only

The Peden Collection covers the period 1946-1948. Consisting of 8 cubic feet of material, the collection consists primarily of correspondence. Constituent correspondence, which is arranged geographically, includes such subjects as utility concerns, issues, and personal requests. General non-constituent correspondence, arranged alphabetically, includes letters on the Taft-Hartley Bill, taxes on oleomargarine, aid for public schools, veterans benefits, Alaska homesteading, and dams. The remaining correspondence, arranged by subject, is a good source for the issues of the day. Subjects include the Agriculture Department, Indian affairs, the Equal Rights Amendment, foreign affairs, the Marshall Plan, the Public Lands Committee, and socialized medicine. The subject files also contain pamphlets and bills to supplement the correspondence. In addition to correspondence, the collection contains Peden's newsletters. Subjects include labor, foreign relations, federal departments, Un-American Committee investigations, the Marshall Plan, communism, and agriculture. A small photograph collection is included in the collection.

Dates

1946-1949

Creator

Peden, Preston E., U.S. House of Representatives from Oklahoma's 7th district (1947-1949), 1914-1985 (Person)

Language of Materials

English

Conditions Governing Access

This collection, with the exception of oversize materials, is stored off-site and requires prior notice to access. If you wish to view these materials, please contact the Archives staff to arrange an appointment.

Conditions Governing Use:

The University of Oklahoma asserts no claim of copyright over photographs in this collection taken by private citizens. Any publication of such photographs requires the consent of the copyright holder.

Extent

18.25 Linear Feet (11 containers)

Additional Description

Biographical Information:

Preston Elmer Peden was born in Duke, Oklahoma, on June 28, 1914. His family moved to Altus in 1920, and he graduated from high school in 1932. Peden attended the University of Oklahoma, where he received his B.A. in 1936 and L.L.B. in 1939. He was admitted to the bar later that year. He established his law practice in Altus and served for three years as the attorney for the State of Oklahoma Insurance Fund. In 1942 Peden enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army and rose through the ranks to captain. He served in France, Belgium, and Germany as the forward observer for a field artillery unit. Shortly after V-E Day, Peden was assigned to the Allied Military Government for Germany and served as prosecutor and as judge in the Bavarian courts. He was discharged May 5, 1946.

While still overseas, Peden sent notification and declaration for the office of U.S. Representative to the state election board. Friends in the seventh Oklahoma district began his campaign two months before he arrived back in the country. He won the Democratic nomination and was elected to the 80th Congress defeating incumbent Victor Wickersham in a close race. Peden was unsuccessful in his bid for renomination in 1948.

In the House of Representatives, Peden served on the Public Lands Committee. He voted for the Taft-Hartley Labor Bill and also voted to override President Truman's veto of that bill. He voted against income tax reduction, but at the same time voted to sustain the presidential veto. Peden was also a supporter of the Marshall Plan.

After his unsuccessful bid for renomination, Peden served as a staff member on the Public Lands Committee until he was appointed counsel for the Bureau of Land Management in Alaska. He spent the bulk of his remaining professional years as the director of governmental affairs for the Chicago Association of Commerce and Industry. He died in 1985.

Arrangement of Materials:

This collection is arranged into 3 series. The Manuscripts series is split into two major sections: general constituent correspondence and general non-constituent correspondence. General constituent correspondence is arranged alphabetically by county. General non-constituent correspondence is arranged alphabetically by correspondent. The remaining materials are arranged alphabetically by subject. The Photographs series is arranged generally by date and grouped by photograph content or event. The Maps series is loosely arranged into groups by type of map content.