Title: Byron R. Newton Papers, 1832-1945

ID: RG 30/379

Extent: 2.6 Linear Feet

Predominant Dates: 1832-1938

Byron Rufus Newton (1861-1938), descendant of Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727), first Assistant to the United States Treasury, journalist, and a noted aviation expert, was born on 4 August 1861 in Wirt (Alleghany County), New York to Laurens C. and Irene (Scott) Newton. The son of a farmer from south central New York, Newton attended Friendship Academy in nearby Friendship, New York. His outside interests included playing the violin, golfing, and writing poetry. It appears the Newton family left their family-owned farm to move to 352 E. 65th Street in New York City about the time Byron attended the Oberlin College Preparatory School from 1882 to 1884.

While a junior preparatory student in the classical course at Oberlin, Newton was unable to predict that he would hold prestigious political posts later in life, having recorded in his daily journal that “politics are poison.” Oberlin was, for Newton, his first exposure to a geographically diverse student body that included women and minority students. Debates over the rights of women and minorities at Oberlin were a microcosm of the national political scene of which he would later play a central role in influencing American public opinion under Woodrow Wilson.

Newton began his career in journalism as editor of the Wellsville Daily Free Press (1885-1886), where Asahel Nichols Cole (1821-?,“Father of the Republican Party,” anti-slavery activist, and friend of Horace Greeley) had served as publisher and editor. At age 16 he published his first poem, “The Toad and the Sparrow,” which appeared in The Christian Observer on 24 April 1886. It was not until moving to Buffalo, New York around 1887 that Newton began to work as a reporter for the Buffalo Evening News. It was here his newspaper career took off. Five years later, Newton found himself as the newspaper’s assigned legislative correspondent in Washington D.C. and Albany, New York, both of which served as political capitols. This experience led Newton to develop his taste for politics and led to political connections (1892-1900). He also took on special assignments, such as covering the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, and then the British-American Joint High Commission session (designed to resolve border disputes over the state of Alaska) held in Quebec, Canada, in 1898. In April and May of 1898, Newton served as war correspondent for the Associated Press. He traveled to Cuba to cover the harbor blockades of Havana and Santiago during the Spanish American War. Newton’s poem, “Roosevelt’s Dinner–1898” documents his encounter with Theodore Roosevelt while in Santiago. Apparently, he sent this poem to Roosevelt who responded with a letter inviting him to visit the Republican Headquarters. Just three years later, Newton held his first political post. He served as Secretary of the New York State Commission at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo and delivered his report to the New York State Legislature in January 1902.

Newton earned a name as a famous journalist and an aviation expert as a reporter for the New York Herald (1835-1924). He was one of the few reporters present to cover the first flight of Orville and Wilbur Wright at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on 17 December 1903. Newton’s first-person account of the flight is found in his personal journal. In it, he wrote that the Wrights “established definitely for the first time that human flight was a reality and not an idle dream” and that he witnessed the taking of the “first actual photograph of a flying machine in the air reproduced in a newspaper.” Following his news accounts, Newton wrote an article for the American Magazine of Aeronautics called “Watching the Wright Brothers Fly.” Newton noted in his journal that after his coverage of the flight, the New York Herald promoted him to Aeronautic Editor, probably resulting in him being “the first man to take charge of a department devoted to that subject in America.” Over time, Newton befriended the Wright brothers and their sister, Katharine Wright (1874-1929). She was an Oberlin College graduate of the class of 1898 and College Trustee (1924-1929).

Not content to simply write about aviation history, Newton’s strong interest also led him to become part of it. On 19 January 1910 in Los Angeles, California, Newton flew with French pilot Louis Paulhan (1884-1963) just before famous newspaper baron William Randolph Hearst. According to Newton’s diary, he believed himself to be the “first newspaper man in this country” and possibly “the first non-aviator in America to make an extended flight.” It came as no surprise that after this experience Newton left the newspaper industry to become involved in the field of aeronautics and the new sport of air racing. He served as secretary of the Executive Committee and Director of Publicity of the Aero Club of America at a salary of $150 a week, under General Manager Roger E. Tarbull, and later on served as Secretary to the Second International Air Meet on 23 October 1910 held at the Belmont Park Race Track in Belmont, New York. The meet hosted American and European fliers, such as British aviator Claude Grahame-White (1879-1959), who won the Gordon Bennett Cup. Newton met a number of other influential figures and aviation pioneers including Glenn H. Curtiss.

Newton entered the national political scene as William G. McAdoo’s (1863-1941) secretary in 1910. In a short time, Newton had elevated himself to Woodrow Wilson’s publicity director during the National Democratic Campaign of 1912. In his journals, Newton notes that “Probably no work of my life has ever taken a deeper hold upon my interest than my association (of the last 14 months) with the presidential campaign for Woodrow Wilson and certainly no period of my life’s activities has ever brought a greater measure of anguish and concern.” This concern was due to his association with William Frank McCombs (1875-1921) about whom Newton wrote he held differing professional opinions. McCombs, who had served as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee in 1911 and later authored Making Woodrow Wilson President (New York, 1921), eventually involved Newton in a political scandal.

Notwithstanding, given Newton’s distinguished career as an aviation expert, President Wilson appointed him as a founding member of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). “The NACA was created by President Woodrow Wilson in an effort to organize American aeronautical research and to ‘direct and conduct research and experimentation in aeronautics, with a view to their practical solution.’ ” (from the NACA charter). The NACA was chartered on 23 April 1915 and operated from 1917 until 1958 when it was replaced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). After serving with NACA, Newton was subsequently appointed editor of the serial U.S. Air Services which operated from 1919 through 1956 in Washington D.C.

Newton’s service to his party resulted in personal advancement. He became the private secretary to McAdoo and, subsequently, was appointed the first Assistant Secretary of the United States Treasury on 1 October 1913. In this position, which paid only $5,000 annually, Newton gained a reputation for saving money and fighting political “pork” projects. His efforts led to the defeat of projects designed to build post offices, saving the federal treasury in excess of $40 million in pork money during the Great Depression. Following this position, he received several patronage appointments in the state of New York. He served as Collector of Customs for the Port of New York (1917-1921), and he represented the city against the St. Lawrence ship canal project and the anthracite coal operators (1923-1926). In 1933 Newton assumed the position of director of the fusion ticket against Tammany Hall, which ultimately led to reducing this powerful political entity to a county organization during the presidential administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Further, he was instrumental in the broad-coalition election of Mayor Fiorello Henry LaGuardia (1882-1947) under the crusade against government corruption and inefficiency. LaGuardia rewarded the politically nimble Newton through an appointment to the Board of Taxes and Assessments for the Borough of Queens, New York at an annual salary of $12,000.

Newton married Winifred Cattle on 3 October 1900 and they had three children: Irene, John C., and Margaret C. Newton. None of the children attended Oberlin College. Byron R. Newton died of a stroke at age 76 on 20 March 1938 while residing at 218-15 Fortieth Avenue, Bayside, Queens, New York, and is buried in Flushing Cemetery.

Sources Consulted

Baker Papers.

Era Magazine, v. 12, pp. 485-86, Nov. 1903.

Link, Arthur S. The Papers of Woodrow Wilson. Vol. 68. Princeton: Princeton UP, 1993, page 388.

McAdoo, W.G. Crowded Years.

McAdoo Papers. Letter from Byron R. Newton to McAdoo, 31 July 1915.

McCombs, William F. Making Woodrow Wilson President. New York: Fairview Publishing Co., 1921.

Mott, Frank Luther. A History of American Magazines, 1741-1930. p. 13, 337.

Newton, Byron R. Oberlin College Archives Alumni Records (Student) File.

Newton, Byron R. “Watching the Wright Brother’s Fly,” American Magazine of Aeronautics. June 1908.

Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society. Vol. 129.2 (June 1985), pp. 173-210.

Scientific Notes and News. Science. New Series. Vol. 41. No. 1060 (23 Apr. 1915) pp. 604-7.

Who Was Who in America: Volume 1, 1897-1942. (Chicago, 1943).

Wright Brothers National Memorial. 6 December 2005.

http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/hh/34/hh34n.htm

Author: Shannon Bohle

Forms of Material (links to similar genres)

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Administrative Information

Scope and Contents:

The Bryon R. Newton Papers document his involvement in local, state, and national political appointments between the years of 1910 and 1938. The most well-documented part of his life is his success as a publicist for political campaigns and the political connections he was able to establish. Included among them were President Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), Secretary of the Treasury and Chairman of the Federal Reserve William G. McAdoo (1863-1941), and New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia (1882-1947). The papers also document the success of his 23 years as a journalist and legislative correspondent for major news organizations, such as the Buffalo Evening News and the New York Herald. This career, which helped to lead him into politics, is equally well-documented. Finally, the papers offer glimpses into Newton’s participation and record of historic events in aviation history, including the flight of Wilbur and Orville Wright, the early air races, one of the first passenger airplane flights, and the formation of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA).

The collection is divided into ten series: Series 1. Biographical File; Series 2. Correspondence (incoming); Series 3. Daily Journals; Series 4. Newspaper Clippings; Series 5. Newton Family Genealogy; Series 6. Printed Matter; Series 7. Writings and Talks; Series 8. Photographs; Series 9. Artifacts; and, Series 10. Ephemera.

The bulk of the collection consists of Newton’s daily journals, which record his daily activities from 1877 through 1938. Missing from his journals are the years 1878-1882, 1886-87, and 1893-1907. The years 1908 through 1913 are written as a summary recollection. The journals document Newton’s roles as Oberlin College student, journalist, and political figure. Specifically, the journals reveal Newton’s impressions on issues such as African-American students at Oberlin College and women’s suffrage, as well as provide an insider’s perspective on Woodrow Wilson’s publicity campaign for president of the United States. The founding meetings for the formation of NACA are documented in his journals. Finally, the journals relate Newton’s professional relationships and personal friendships with McAdoo, Wilson, the Wright Brothers, and other early aviators. Some information exists on the virtual revolution in the management of the nation’s money supply and the growing power of the federal government.

With the exception of notations that may be found in his daily journals, information that is not well documented or found in this collection includes: biographical information about Newton’s immediate family and his national political contributions. A complete title list of his newspaper and poetical publications is also absent.

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Series 1. Biographical File, 1934, 1938, 1945 (0.01 l.f.)

This series contains six published obituaries concerning Byron R. Newton’s death and photocopies of materials from Newton’s Oberlin College student file.

Series 2. Correspondence (incoming), 1924, 1933, 1937 (0.01 l.f.)

Consists of four letters to Byron R. Newton from correspondents R. Carreau Johnson, R.C. Nuttcutt, R. Bush, and General [?] Derby. The letters reflect his genealogical, literary, and professional interests. Arranged chronologically.

Series 3. Daily Journals, 1877, 1883-85, 1888-92, 1908-38 (2.0 l.f.)

Includes twenty-eight (28) journals that consist of Newton’s daily accounts of his personal and professional life from age 21 until his death in 1938. Newton recorded his student days at Oberlin College, events relating to his personal and family life, his work relating to his earliest newspaper publications and editorial coverage of aeronautical events, and the activities relating to his professional and political life. Also included is unpublished poetry [dates]. The journal dated 1913-18 includes a synopsis of the years 1908 through 1913, including commentary on his first-hand account the first flight of Orville and Wilbur Wright at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, 17 December 1903, and his selection for the position of Assistant Secretary of the United States Treasury in 1913. Arranged chronologically.

Series 4. Newspaper Clippings, 1913-14, 1916-17 (0.075 l.f.)

Contains two folders of newspaper clippings concerning Bryon R. Newton’s professional and political activities. Includes a political cartoon c. 1913-17, featuring Newton’s ability to save money by eliminating political “pork” projects. Arranged chronologically.

Series 5. Newton Family Genealogy (1601-1904), 1871, 1878, 1931-33, n.d. (0.04 l.f.)

This series consists of research notes and correspondence relating to Newton’s research of his family genealogy. A family record, created by his ancestors, and a small printed volume of Sir Isaac Newton’s (1643-1727) family history are also found in this series. (A journal entry for 10 June 1915 describes how he obtained the volume and how it established his family line “directly back through Richard Newton who came to Massachusetts in 1628 to Sir Isaac Newton’s family.”) Arranged chronologically.

Series 6. Printed Matter, 1832, 1904 (0.05 l.f.)

Series contains two pieces of printed matter, including an elementary spelling book (1832) and a Bible (1904). See the inventory for more details.

Series 7. Writings and Talks, 1902-03, 1917-18, 1923, 1928, n.d. (0.075 l.f.)

This series consists of nine items, including four typed manuscripts with hand-written notations, four published articles, one privately printed book, and transcripts of two talks of Byron R. Newton. Of particular note is his commentary on the First World War found in his pacifist poem “Why?” in which he condemned Germany’s 1914 invasion of France. The poem reportedly gained worldwide acclaim and was translated into 20 languages. A complete listing of his writings and talks can be found in the inventory. Included here also is a Democratic rally poster announcing Newton’s speech on Wilson’s policies (oversize). Arranged chronologically.

Series 8. Photographs, c. 1880-1930 (0.30 l.f.)

Consists of personal and professional photographs, including photographs of Newton family members (i.e., Col. Rufus Scott, maternal uncle of Byron R. Newton) and friends, a photo album, as well as professional images taken of Newton while serving as Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Treasury.

Series 9. Artifacts, c. 1913 (0.04 l.f.)

Ink pen with appended note that reads, “This is the Pen with which Pres. Wilson and Mr. G. McAdoo signed my commission as Asst. Sec. Of the treasury.” Byron R. Newton signed the note.

Series 10. Ephemera, c. 1922 (one flat item)

Comprises one poster for a Democratic rally for the 26^th of October, ca. 1922.

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