1830-1964; bulk: 1907-1964
Guide to the Collection
Abstract
This collection consists of the papers of Benjamin L. Young of Weston, Mass., selectman of Weston, representative and speaker to the Mass. House. The papers include correspondence, genealogical notes, an account book, and a microfilm of nine scrapbooks.
Biographical Sketch
Benjamin Loring Young (1885-1964) of Weston, Mass. graduated from Harvard College in 1907 and from the Harvard Law School in 1911. Following nine years of legal practice with the Boston firm of Ropes, Gray, and Gorham, Loring retired from the law to devote himself to politics. In 1910, he was elected a selectman of the town of Weston, a position he held for thirty-six years. He was elected as a Republican from the town of Weston to the Mass. House of Representatives in 1915 and served from 1916-24, including terms as the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and, from 1921-24, as the Speaker of the House. In 1928, he ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senator. He was chairman of the State Board of Probation from 1927-42, a U.S. referee in bankruptcy from 1925-41, and a member of the Harvard Board of Overseers from 1922-28.
Loring married Mary Coolidge Hall in 1908; they divorced in 1935. They had four children: Barbara, Charlotte Hubbard, Lorraine, and Benjamin Loring, Jr.
Collection Description
Papers of Benjamin L. Young of Weston, Mass., selectman of Weston, representative and speaker to the Mass. House. The papers contain a small amount of loose correspondence, genealogical notes, and a speech on the Boston Elevated Railway (1922); an account book of personal income and expenses (1913-17); honors and awards. Nine vols. of scrapbooks (on microfilm only) contain clippings documenting Mass. politics and Young's political career from 1916-29.
Processing Note
Note: Due to their fragile condition, the scrapbooks have been microfilmed on two reels and the originals have been discarded. The microfilm can be found at P-494.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Charlotte (Young) Salisbury, November 1995; additions, September 1996
Detailed Description of the Collection
Papers, 1917-1964
Contains loose papers, 1917-1964, including a letter from Franklin D. Roosevelt of 20 March 1933 thanking Benjaming Loring Young for the backing of the Harvard Class of 1907 and a letter from William Cardinal O'Connell to Benjaming Loring Young of 4 Jan. 1935, thanking him for tribute; a speech to the Mass. House of Representatives on the Boston Elevated Railway, 17 May 1922; loose genealogical notes; clippings, 1914-64 (including obituaries); and misc. printed material.
Account book, 1913-1917
Account book, personal income and expenses, 1913-17.
Honors and awards, 1830-1964
Scrapbooks, 1916-1929
ON MICROFILM ONLY, P-494, 2 REELS
Primarily clippings related to Young's work with the Hughes Alliance.
Topically arranged: Elevated investigation, education, misc., budget, Constitution, administration of justice, banks and banking, direct primary, national news, Irish question, Americanization
Clippings on general Mass. politics and women in juries.
Topically arranged: Warren Fuller, Boston Elevated, Maternity Bill, Pierce investigation, state administration, legislative sessions.
Topically arranged: women's rights, coal, prisons, equal pay, height of buildings, Elevated, Magazine St. Bridge, Harvard St. Bridge, pensions, prohibition, League of Nations, Bank tax, Amherst Aggie, Gasoline Tax, Maternity Bill, Ku Klux Klan, Budget, Misc.
Materials Removed from the Collection
Artifacts
The following artifacts have been removed to the MHS museum collection:
Gavel (Inscription: Hon. Benjamin Loring Young - Speaker of the House of Representatives, 1921-1924), n.d.
Medal. Hereditary Order of the Descendants of Colonial Governors, awarded to Charlotte Wright Hubbard Young.
Quill pen used by Gov. Samuel W. McCall to sign an act authorizing the establishment of County Industrial Farms on 16 May 1917.
Quill pen used by Gov. Joseph B. Ely to authorize the town of West to use a loan balance to lay water mains, presented to Benjaming Loring Young, c. 1933.
Baton used by Benjaming Loring Young as Chief Marshal of the Harvard Commencement, 1932. Inscribed with Young's name on it.
Printed Material
For a list of printed materials removed from this collection, see Curator of Manuscripts.
Photographs
The following photographs have been removed to the MHS photograph collection:
Calvin Coolidge (Inscribed: To Benjamin Loring Young With Best Wishes Calvin Coolidge), n.d.
Benjamin Loring Young (Inscribed: To Samuel C. Bennett from his friend Benjamin Loring Young), n.d.
Unidentified group portraits, n.d. (2)
Unidentified Harvard group, n.d.
Photomechanical of painting of Dr. Alexander Young (1800-1854), n.d.
Harvard track meet, [1904-1907]
Mass. House of Representatives, Ways and Means Committee, 1919
Channing H. Cox (Inscribed: To Hon. Benjamin Loring Young. With deep appreciation of his true friendship and strong support in an endeavour to serve Massachusetts. Channing H. Cox 12/4 '24), 1924
Harvard commencement (Benjaming Loring Young Chief Marshall), 1932
Harvard Class of 1907 Fiftieth Reunion, 1957
Photomechanical
The following item has been removed to the Photomechanical reference collection:
Rev. Alexander Young, photomechanical of a painting. Verso reads: "Rev. Alexander Young, D.D. Born in Boston, Sept. 22, 1800. Pastor of Church on Church Green, 1825-1854. Died, March 16, 1854."
Preferred Citation
Benjamin Loring Young papers, Massachusetts Historical Society.
Access Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.