Search

Personal, administrative, political, and investigative files of Nickerson. The papers deal almost entirely with his eight years as County Executive, and consist of correspondence, memoranda, manuscripts of speeches, notes, press releases, photographs, and clippings. Among the major correspondents are James A. Farley, Hubert H. Humphrey, Robert F. Kennedy, Edward I. Koch, and Percy E. Sutton. The Investigation Files, which amount to nearly half the collection, document investigation into corruption and mismanagement in numerous Long Island businesses and governmental departments. These investigations, instigated and overseen by Nickerson, were carried out largely by the Commissioner of Accounts, Milton Lipson, and later by Samuel Greason, the first governmental ombudsman in the United States. These files consist primarily of memoranda, transcripts of hearings, payroll and financial accounts, notes, and tape recordings.

The Oral Histories collection is made up of audio recordings, videotapes, and transcripts of interviews conducted by Foundation members. The oral histories document the life and activities of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Taliesin Fellowship. Interviewees include apprentices, clients, family, friends and acquaintances, scholars, associates, and other architects.

Correspondence, manuscripts, and memorabilia of the American poet, Hart Crane, range in date over most of his active life. This collection includes over 500 letters written by Crane to members of his family and close friends and received by him from his family and contemporary authors including Eugene O'Neill, Sherwood Anderson, T. S. Eliot, Alfred Stieglitz, Waldo Frank, and Allan Tate. Among these is a group of letters written to Mrs. Crane upon Crane's death. There is correspondence and documents relating to his books, THE BRIDGE, WHITE BUILDINGS, and THE COLLECTED POEMS. Also present are most of the original manuscripts of Crane's major works ("The Bridge" "White Buildings" "West Indies Poems" etc) with corrections and additions in Crane's hand. Included here are a number of drafts of poems of his earlier period. The is also a copy of the 16mm motion picture "In Search of Hart Crane."

The bulk of the collection relates to awards, honorary degrees, and other honors bestowed on I. I. Rabi during the latter half of his career. It contains correspondence, manuscript drafts, pamphlets, lectures, articles, interviews, reports, panel discussions, transcripts, books, and conference materials about Rabi's work. Includes photographs, VHS recordings, audiocassettes, scrapbooks, and press clippings related to his career. Subjects include science, atomic energy and weapons, peace, education, NATO, history, government, world affairs, and honors. Also includes awards, honorary degrees, certificates, medals, and other memorabilia. In addition, correspondence regarding his estate, the awards established in his honor, and related memorials. These were the materials that I.I. Rabi's widow, Helen Newmark Rabi, did not donate to the Library of Congress but kept as her own mementos.