Thomas W. Miller speech
Creation: 1916 June 20Abstract
Thomas Woodnutt Miller (1886-1973) served as Delaware's Congressman in the 64th Congress (1915-1917) and spent the majority of his career in Republican Party politics, serving primarily in non-elected roles. This item is a carbon copy of Miller's speech to the 1916 Republican National Convention entitled "Remarks of Thomas W. Miller, Representative in Congress from Delaware, placing the name of General T. Coleman du Pont of Delaware in nomination for the Presidency." T. Coleman (Thomas Coleman) du Pont (1863-1930) was president of the E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company from 1902 to 1915, a gunpowder manufacturing firm.
Dates
- Creation: 1916 June 20
Creator
Extent
1 item(s)
Physical Description
1 typescript, carbon : 5 pages.
Biographical Note
Thomas Woodnutt Miller (1886-1973) served as Delaware's Congressman in the 64th Congress (1915-1917). He was born in Wilmington, Delaware, on June 26, 1886. He graduated from Yale University in 1908 and spent the first years of his working life as a steel roller at Bethlehem Steel and in mining operations in Nevada. In 1910, he became a secretary to Congressman William H. Heald (1864-1939) of Delaware and studied law, beginning a career in Republican Party politics. He was secretary of state of Delaware in 1913-1915 and was Delaware's Congressman in the 64th Congress (1915-1917). Failing at reelection, he joined the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF), rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel and receiving the Purple Heart for action in France. After the war, he was a founder and official of the American Legion and was appointed by President Warren Harding (1865-1923) to several commissions. Around 1934 he moved to Nevada, where he founded the state park system there. He died in Reno on May 5, 1973.
Scope and Contents
This item is a carbon copy of Miller's speech entitled "Remarks of Thomas W. Miller, Representative in Congress from Delaware, placing the name of General T. Coleman du Pont of Delaware in nomination for the Presidency." T. Coleman (Thomas Coleman) du Pont (1863-1930) was President of the E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company from 1902 to 1915. E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company is a chemical company, more commonly referred to as the DuPont Company, which began as a manufacturer of gunpowder in 1802. Du Pont became a member of the Republican National Committee in 1908.
The carbon is dated June 20th; however, the speech Miller gave at the 1916 Republican National Convention was on June 9th. The convention was held in Chicago, Illinois, between June 7th and June 10th. He spoke of du Pont's rise from a coal miner in Kentucky to one of the leading businessmen in the United States.
There were initially over twenty names put forward as candidates for President; among them were Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), Charles Warren Fairbanks (1852-1918), John Wanamaker (1838-1922), Warren G. Harding (1865-1923), William Howard Taft (1857-1930), and Henry Ford (1863-1947). Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes (1862-1948) received the nomination after the third ballot. Hughes lost the 1916 election to incumbent President Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924).
Access Restrictions
No restrictions on access; this collection is open for research.
Language of Materials
English
Related Names
Subject
- Du Pont, T. Coleman (Thomas Coleman), 1863-1930 (Person)
- Du Pont family (Family)
Finding Aid & Administrative Information
- Title:
- Thomas W. Miller speech
- Author:
- John Beverley Riggs
- Date:
- 1965
- Description rules:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description:
- English
- Script of description:
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 2025: Laurie Sather
Repository Details
Repository Details
Part of the Manuscripts and Archives Repository
