Silverman, Irwin Papers

Chief Counsel, Division of Territories and Island Possessions and Office of Territories, Department of the Interior, c. 1945-1953

The papers of Irwin Silverman relate mainly to his involvement with Hawaii and Alaska statehood and the establishment of self-government for Puerto Rico and Guam. Included is Silverman's diary of events recorded between August 1, 1947 and June 22, 1948, as well as letters from Silverman to his wife written during his travels on official business.

[Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List]

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ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Size: 5 linear inches (about 800 pages).
Access: Open.
Copyright: The donor gave her copyright interest in these papers to the U.S. Government. Documents created by U.S. Government employees in the course of their official duties are in the public domain. Copyright interest in documents that do not fall into these two categories presumably belongs to the creators of those documents, or their heirs.
Processed by: Deborah Keating (2011).

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Dr. Irwin Silverman earned his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1930 and his doctor of law degree in 1933. He married Fay Silverman on October 29, 1933 while still a student, and had two daughters, Carol Silverman Linker and Sue W. Silverman. Dr. Silverman served in the U.S. Government under Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman. His main position was as Chief Counsel for the Division of Territories and Island Possessions in the Department of the Interior. After leaving public service in 1953, Silverman pursued a career in banking and finance. He founded the CAGUAS Federal Savings Bank, which in 1983 was the second largest bank in Puerto Rico.

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COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

The Papers of Irwin Silverman consist of letters, memoranda, photographs and printed materials relating to his work as Chief Counsel of the Division of Territories and Island Possessions (later known as the Office of Territories) in the Interior Department during the administration of Harry S. Truman. Included are letters from Silverman to his wife, written during his travels on official business. An original diary kept by Silverman from August 1, 1947 to June 22, 1948, and a transcribed copy of the diary, are also included in the collection.

The printed materials mostly consist of newspaper articles and Congressional reports and hearings. The photographs relate to Silverman's travels during his years in the Interior Department.

Silverman's papers document the efforts of the Truman administration to promote statehood for Alaska and Hawaii and to establish the full rights of citizenship and self-government for the inhabitants of Guam and Puerto Rico.

Other collections at the Truman Library that pertain to United States territorial policy include the Papers of Harry S. Truman, Stephen Spingarn and Oscar Chapman.

[ Top of the page | Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List ]

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