Warren O. Goodwin Papers
00157

Summary Information

Repository
Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections
Creator - Donor
Goodwin, Warren O., 1891-1980
Title
Warren O. Goodwin papers
ID
00157
Date [inclusive]
1893-1974
Extent
4.33 Cubic feet
Language
English

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: "Item title, Collection title, Collection Identifier, Michigan State University Archives & Historical Collections, East Lansing, Michigan."

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Biographical Note

Warren Otto Goodwin (1891-1980) was born in Steuben County, Indiana. Goodwin was a partner in his father's sawmill company until his father died tragically in an automobile accident in 1937. The accident resulted in Warren's rise to the position of owner of the sawmill. It also apparently raised his life-long interest in automobile safety.

The Warren O. Goodwin papers is not solely concerned with traffic safety. Rather, the collection is largely concerned with his allegations of corruption in state and national politics during the 1940s and 1950s. Goodwin's problems began with the general economic decline in lumbering during the 1930s and 1940s. He tried to sell his business in 1942, and failed, so he initiated a partnership with one of his employees, Robert Curlew. Problems with this arrangement led Goodwin to return from California.

During the early 1950s he began having trouble with the Workmen's Compensation Commission. This was due to an interpretation in the law which stated that firms regularly employing less than four employees did not have to register with the Commission provided individual insurance was carried on the employees.

Later in the 1950s, Goodwin began to have trouble with the I.R.S. It was during this time that many I.R.S. agents were dismissed for embezzlement. Goodwin was one of the victims and sought redress through his legislators in Washington, D.C. Failing in this, he contacted the F.B.I. He obtained no satisfaction from this organization, made allegations of corruption, and wrote to Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson.

Goodwin also had trouble collecting social security from the Social Security Administration. This caused him to include this organization in his continuing battle for "justice".

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Scope and Contents note

This collection is divided into three main series: Personal, Business, and Publications.

The Personal series is arranged into subgroupings: Confidentially U.S.A., The Muckraker, Correspondence, Corruption, Court Cases, and Clippings. These are followed by folders dealing with diverse subjects. The Muckraker and Confidentially U.S.A. were Goodwin's attempt to publish his saga of corruption in the federal government. The clippings were to be included in his monographs. Goodwin's attempts at publishing failed.

The Business series of the collection is subdivided into Conditions, Correspondence, Organizations, Court Cases, Taxes, Employee Labor Records, and Problems. The latter, divided by the year of writing, consists of correspondence pertaining to Goodwin's woes.

Publications are largely divided into Michigan and U.S. government. Two monographs of potential interest are the "Lumberman's Directory" for 1893 and a 1964 report by Norman Higgins, of Michigan State University Cooperative Extension Service, titled "Sawmill Study in the Southern Half of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan."

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Arrangement

Arranged into three series: 1. Personal 2. Business 3. Publications.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections May 1984

Conrad Hall
888 Wilson Road, Room 101
East Lansing , MI, 48824
517-355-2330
archives@msu.edu

Revision Description

  May 2016

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Legal Status

Copyright: Michigan State University. Property Rights: Michigan State University.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.

Custodial History

Gift of Warren O. Goodwin.

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Controlled Access Headings

Genre(s)

  • Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
  • Correspondence
  • Newspapers
  • Photographs
  • Publications
  • Speeches, addresses, etc.
  • Tax returns

Geographic Name(s)

  • Michigan -- Politics and government
  • United States -- Politics and government

Subject(s)

  • Lumbering -- Michigan
  • Political corruption
  • Social security -- Administration
  • Workers' compensation

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Collection Inventory

I. Personal 
Box

Confidentially U.S.A. 

 1
Box Folder

Part I undated 

 1 1

Part II undated 

 1 2

Part III undated 

 1 3

Correspondence 

 1
Box Folder

 1926, 1933, 1948, 1951-1953, 1955-1958, 1971, undated 

 1 4

Blind 1958, 1961, 1966, 1968, 1971-1972 

 1 5

Conservation 1951-1952, 1954-1955, 1957, 1961 

 1 6

Legislative Form Letters undated, 1958-1963 

 1 7

Staebler, Neil 1962 

 1 8

Real Estate 1955, 1957-1958 

 1 9

Traffic Safety 1950-1951, 1953, 1955-1956 

 1 10

Tri-State College 1962-1963 

 1 11

Corruption and Hooper 

 1
Box Folder

Warren Mruder undated 

 1 12

and Truman Administration undated 

 1 13

Government Officials and Organized Crime undated 

 1 14

Government Officials Tax Evasion and Watergate undated 

 1 15

Andrews, Mark, Judge undated 

 1 16

Creija, Joseph A. Workmen's Compensation Commission undated 

 1 17

Smeekens, John, Senator undated 

 1 18

Pfort, Neil, Sheriff undated, 1960 

 1 19

Court Case 

 1
Box Folder

Arizona Boys Colony 1957 

 1 20

Court of Claims 1958 

 1 21

Doen, Sam Lucas Estate 1953 

 1 22

Exhibits and Notes undated 

 1 23

Goodwin, Joseph Estate 1937 

 1 24

Hoyt, Isaac T. Estate 1956 

 1 25

Kilno, Lillian Goodwin Estate undated 

 1 26

Montgomery Ward undated 

 1 27

Norge 1954 

 1 28

Sears Roebuck & Co. 1942-1943, 1946, 1958 

 1 29

Security National Bank of Battle Creek 1940 

 1 30

Starr Commonwealth School for Boys 1961 

 1 31

The Muckrakers 

 1
Box Folder

Part I undated 

 1 32

Part II undated 

 1 33

Part III undated 

 1 34

Election 

 1
Box Folder

 1960 

 1 35

Bid for Representative Seat 1960 

 1 36

 1966 

 1 37
Box Folder

Indians undated, 1959-1960, 1972 

 1 38

Insurance 1942-1943, 1950, 1952-1953, 1955-1957, 1960-1963, undated 

 1 39

Notes undated 

 1 40

Palm Sunday. 1965 Tornado 

 1 41

Religion 1949-1950, 1953 

 1 42

Tuberculosis undated, 1942-1943, 1945, 1949 

 1 43
Box

Clippings 

 2
Box Folder

Agriculture undated 

 2 1

Americana undated 

 2 2

Automotive Accidents undated 

 2 3

Conservation undated 

 2 4

Editorials undated 

 2 5

Education undated 

 2 6
Box

Government Personnel 

 2
Box Folder

Coleman, Johnson undated 

 2 7

Williams and other Gubernatorial Candidates undated 

 2 8

Others undated 

 2 9
Box Folder

Housing Plans, etc. undated 

 2 10

Industry and Small Business undated 

 2 11

Insurance undated 

 2 12

Judicial Systems undated 

 2 13

Labor undated 

 2 14a

Lay Crime undated 

 2 14

Miscellaneous undated 

 2 15

National and International Level Politics undated 

 2 16

Political Broadsides undated 

 2 17

State Finances undated 

 2 18a

Social Issues undated 

 2 18

Taxes. Income Tax undated 

 2 19

Taxes. Others undated 

 2 20a

Tri-State College undated 

 2 20

Unsolved Murder Cases 

 2 21

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II. Business 
Box

Conditions 

 2
Box Folder

 1934-1935, 1938 

 2 22

 1940-1945 

 2 23

Correspondence 

 2
Box Folder

 1929-1939 

 2 24

 1933-1935 

 5 5

Office of Defense Transportation 1942 

 2 25

Office of Price Administration undated, 1943 

 2 26

Defense Supplies Corporation 1944 

 2 27

 1940-1949 

 2 28

4-H Cabin 1950-1952 

 2 29

 1950-1954 

 2 30

 1955-1959 

 2 31

 undated, 1961-1962 

 2 32

 1974 

 5 6
Box Folder

Organization. Northern Hemlock and Hardwood Manufacturers Association 1933-1942 

 2 33
Box

Establishment. Michigan Sawmill Operators Assoc. 

 2
Box Folder

 1941 

 2 34a

 1942, 1950-1951 

 2 34

U.S. Department of Commerce. Census of Manufacturers 1935, 1937-1939, 1939, 1947-1948, 1959-1963 

 2 35
Box Folder

Court Case. Sales Tax 1943, 1950, 1953-1955, 1959 

 2 36
Box

Tax 

 3
Box Folder

Gasoline 1941, 1950-1956 

 3 1

Local and Property 1946, 1951, 1954-1963 

 3 2

Income Tax Forms 

 3
Box Folder

 1939-1940, 1944, 1948-1949 

 3 3

 1950-1952 

 3 4

 1954-1957 

 3 5

 1958-1959, 1967 

 3 6
Box Folder

Chattel Mortgages 1950, 1952, 1959-1960, 1962 

 3 7a
Box

Employees 

 3
Box Folder

Labor Records 1951-1952 

 3 7

Camp, James 1951-1952, 1958, 1961 

 3 8

Cory, William W. 1952-1953, 1956, undated 

 3 9

Curlew, Robert 1940, 1942-1953 

 3 10

Davenport 1953-1954 

 3 11

Goodwin, Barry 1946, 1957 

 3 12

Goodwin, Warren O. 1933, 1937 

 3 13

Kemp, Walton 1946-1951 

 3 14

Mowry, Carroll 1946-1954, 1962, 1964 

 3 15a

Paradine, Kenneth 

 3 15

Spornhauer, Esther 1948 

 3 16

Stickney, James L. 1953 

 3 17

Wilson, Banner O. 1950-1952, 1956 

 3 18

Problems 

 3
Box Folder

 undated 

 3 19

Wage and Hour Division. Department of Labor 1939, 1941, 1944 

 3 20

Out of Business 1942 

 3 21

 1940-1943 

 3 22

 1946, 1948-1949 

 3 23

 1950 

 3 24

 January - May 1951 

 3 25

 June - December 1951 

 3 26

 January - June 1952 

 3 27

 July - December 1952 

 3 28

 1953 (Contains photographs) 

 3 29

 1954 

 3 30

 1955 

 3 31

 January - March 1956 

 3 32

 April - June 1956 

 3 33

 July - December 1956 

 3 34

 1957 

 4 1

 1958 

 4 2

 January - June 1959 

 4 3

 July - December 1959 

 4 4

 1960 

 4 5

 1961 

 4 6

 1962 

 4 7

 1963 

 4 8

 1964-1965, 1968 

 4 9

Insurance 1943, 1948, 1950-1951, 1953-1958, 1960 

 4 10
Box Folder

News Bulletin #18 March 28, 1934 

 5 7

Sales Volume May 7, 1935 

 5 8

News Bulletin #15 June 1, 1935 

 5 9

Action by Executive Committee July 15, 1935 

 5 10

"Association Objectives" Speech July 29, 1935 

 5 11

Sawmill Operators Association Convention Program October 19-20, 1950 

 5 12

N.R.A. [National Recovery Administration] Application to Employ Handicapped Workers Fall 1933 

 5 13

Lumber Code Authority Questionnaire 1933-1934 

 5 14

"Sawmill Study In the Southern Half of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan" - Norman C. Higgins 1964 

 5 15

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III. Publications 
Box Folder

American Forest Products Industries, Inc. 1951-1952, 1955 

 4 11

County undated, 1953, 1960 

 4 12

Elections undated, 1954 

 4 13

Goodwin Sawmill undated 

 4 14a

Housing Plans undated, 1954, 1960, 1963 

 4 14

Lumber Code Authority 1934 

 4 15

Lumbering. Miscellaneous undated, 1941, 1949-1954, 1962 

 4 16

Michigan State University 1952, 1962 

 4 17
Box

State of Michigan 

 4
Box Folder

Department of Conservation 1950-1951, 1953, 1965 

 4 18

Department of Economic Development 1947, 1951-1952, 1955-1957 

 4 19

Legislative Committee Membership 1953 

 4 20

Governor's Conference on Michigan Fiscal Policy 1961 

 4 21

Workmen's Compensation Commission undated, 1952, 1964 

 4 22
Box Folder

Traffic Safety undated, 1945, 1951 

 4 23
Box

Tri-State College 

 4
Box Folder

Bulletin 1955-1956, 1958, 1963 

 4 24

The Integral 1916 

 4 25

U.S. Government 

 4
Box Folder

Department of Agriculture 1940, 1943, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1954 

 4 26

Department of Commerce undated, 1945, 1953, 1959-1961 

 4 27

Conservation Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore 1964 

 4 28

Fair Labor Act of 1938 

 4 29

Federal Security Agency 1952 

 5 1

Post Office 1959 

 5 2

Social Security Administration 1945, 1951-1952, 1954, 1956, 1962 

 5 3

War Production Board 1942 

 5 4

Volume 1: Monograph. "Lumberman's Directory." 1893 

 5

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Photographs 
Box Folder

Photographs - Sawmills 

 4 30

Photographs - Sawmills and Hunting Cabin 1952, undated 

 4 31

Postcard - Bankers Sawmill in Hillsdale, Michigan undated 

 4 32

Postcard - Elect John F. Millikin undated 

 4 33

Oversized Materials 

 Drawer
3
Drawer

Newspapers 

 3