A Guide to the Morris Sheppard Papers, 1894-1953

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Descriptive Summary

Biographical Note

Scope and Contents

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Index Terms

Administrative Information

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A Guide to the Morris Sheppard Papers, 1894-1953


Descriptive Summary
	Creator:	Sheppard, Morris, 1875-1941
	Title:	Sheppard (Morris) Papers
	Dates:	1894-1953
	Abstract:	The Morris Sheppard Papers, 1894-1953, reflect Sheppard's contributions as a U.S. Congressman and Senator, as well as his literary efforts.
	Extent:	14 ft.
	Language:	Materials are written in English.
	Repository:	Dolph Briscoe Center for American History,The University of Texas at Austin

Biographical Note

Morris Sheppard (1875-1941) was born May 28, 1875, in Wheatsville, Texas. He received his AB degree from the University of Texas in 1895 and his LLB in 1897. He also earned an LLM degree from Yale University, before beginning his law practice in Pittsburgh and Texarkana. In 1902, Sheppard was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives to fill the space left vacant by his father’s death. He served until 1913 when he became a U.S. Senator, a post he would hold until his own death in 1941.

Among his notable legislative achievements, Sheppard introduced the law that would become the Eighteenth Amendment, outlawing intoxicating beverages and ushering in the era of Prohibition. He also assisted Andrew J. Volstead in writing the Prohibition enforcement law. Sheppard served as chairman of the expenditures committee for the Department of Agriculture and in 1932 became chair of the military affairs committee. Among his other committee assignments were commerce, irrigation and reclamation, appropriations, and manufactures.

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Scope and Contents

The Morris Sheppard Papers, 1894-1953, reflect his contributions to national politics as well as his literary efforts. Included are political speeches written by Sheppard on a wide range of topics, as well as a large collection of speeches devoted to the Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Association.

Another large component of the papers consists of material relating to Sheppard’s work What Shakespeare Says About It: Comments of Shakespeare on Over Four Thousand Subjects. This includes typescripts, manuscript notes, typeset proofs, and galley proofs. The manuscript was created in the 1930s and published posthumously in 1953. The edited typescript includes a 25-page introductory biography of Sheppard condensed from the biography written by his daughter, Lucile Sheppard Keyes.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research use.

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Index Terms

	Subjects (Persons)
		Sheppard, Morris, 1875-1941 -- Archives.
		Rayburn, Sam, 1882-1961.
		Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945.
	Subjects (Organizations)
		United States. Congress. House -- History -- 20th century.
		United States. Congress. House -- Election districts -- Texas.
		Democratic Party (Tex.) -- History -- 20th century.
		Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Association.
	Subjects
		Legislators -- United States -- History -- 20th century.
		Legislators -- Texas -- History -- 20th century.
		Prohibition -- United States -- History -- 20th century.
		Speeches, addresses, etc., American -- 20th century.
		Politicians -- Texas -- History -- 20th century.
		Lawyers -- Texas -- History -- 20th century.
	Places
		United States -- Politics and government -- 20th century.
		Texas -- Politics and government -- 20th century.
		Shreveport Waterway (La.)
		Corpus Christi Bay (Tex.)
		Houston Ship Channel (Tex.)
		Trinity River (Tex.)
		Red River (Tex.)

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Morris Sheppard Papers, 1894-1953, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Lynn Bell, August 1982.

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Detailed Description of the Papers

Inventory

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3N187

Speeches and addresses:

Agriculture, 1935

Business and economic policies, 1923-1940, undated

Commerce and shipping, 1922-1939, undated

Congressional career, 1936

Democratic Party, 1924-1934, undated

Education, 1927, undated

Fraternal and service organizations, 1919-1928

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3N188

Fraternal and service organizations, 1931-1940, undated

Military affairs, 1922-1939, undated

New Deal, Franklin Roosevelt, and Sam Rayburn, 1934-1941, undated

Prohibition, 1930-1935, undated

Religion and religious beliefs, 1930-1934, undated

Southern patriotism, 1897, undated

Women’s Suffrage Amendment, 1918

Remarks about Morris Sheppard, 1936-1941, undated

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3N189

Printed Material:

Hearings and Reports of the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds of the House of Representatives, 1st Session, 62nd Congress, embossed with Sheppard’s name, 1911

Report of the Mississippi Valley Committee of the Public Works Administration, annotated by Sheppard, 1934

“We Still Need a Bill of Rights,” by Raymond L. Wise, reprint from The Nation, March 11, 1939

“The Twenty-third Amendment,” by Raymond L. Wise, undated

Literary Productions:

Galley proofs: What Shakespeare Says About It, undated

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3N190

Typescript (edited): What Shakespeare Says About It, compiled by Morris Sheppard

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3N191