Conservative Party Archive: Private papers: R.A. Butler

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Although R.A. Butler's private papers are in Trinity College, Cambridge, because of his role as Chairman of the Conservative Research Department (1945-61) and Chairman of the Conservative Party Organisaion (1959-61), the CPA contains a small collection of his papers. The bulk of the collection is from his years as President of the Board of Education (1941-44) and Minister of Education (1944-5). This includes correspondence and files on the Education Act of 1944. Other papers from this period include correspondence on India.

The collection includes boxes (CPP/RAB/6-20) of outgoing correspondence (1946-61) which has been arranged chronologically, and finally a box of speech notes from his period as Home Secretary (1956-61). The Education files, the India files and speech notes contain detailed contents lists at the beginning of each file. Also see CRD 2/32/1-18 for the Post-War Problems. Sub-Committee on Education.

Dates

Creation: 1937-1967

Extent

46 shelfmarks

Language of Materials

English

Preferred Citation

Oxford, Bodleian Libraries, Conservative Party Archive [followed by shelfmark, e.g. CPP/RAB/1/1].

Please see our help page for further guidance on citing archives and manuscripts.

Full range of shelfmarks:

CPP/RAB/1-21

Collection ID (for staff)

CPA CPP/RAB

Additional Description

Abstract

Papers of R.A. Butler, Chairman of the Conservative Research Department (1945-61) and Chairman of the Conservative Party Organisation (1959-61), 1937-1967.

Biographical / Historical

Richard Austen Butler, Baron Butler of Saffron Walden (1902-1982) was Chairman of the Conservative Research Department, 1945-61, and Chairman of the Conservative Party Organisation, 1959-61. Details are given in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

Custodial History

The archive of the Conservative Party was established as a source for academic study at the Bodleian Library in 1978 by an agreement made between the University of Oxford and the Conservative Party, and brought together surviving historic papers of the Party previously held in various locations including Newcastle University Library and the former Conservative Central Office in Smith Square, London. Since 1996, ownership of the archive has been vested in the Conservative Party Archive Trust. The archive includes records from all three areas of Party organisation: parliamentary, voluntary and professional.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The Conservative Party.

Related Materials

R.A. Butler's private papers are held by Trinity College, Cambridge.

Other papers relating to Butler in the Bodleian Library are as follows:

Correspondence with J.C.C. Davidson, 1932-35

MS. Eng hist c. 577 fols 47, 54, 111
MS. Eng hist c. 559 fols 786-c, 136
MS. Eng hist c. 561 fols 62-4, 70b-72, 112-3, 116-20, 190-1, 196-7, 199-201
MS. Eng hist c. 562 fol 109

Letters to and from Lionel Curtis, 1932-53

MSS. Curtis 55 fols 150-1
MSS. Curtis 73 fol 118
MSS. Curtis 84 fols 184-5, 189

Copies of letters from William Rea, 1933-4

MSS. Curtis 86 fol 48
MSS. Curtis 87 fols 89-92

Letters to and from, 1938-42

MSS. Gilbert Murray 236 fols 16, 22
MSS. Gilbert Murray 239 fols 24, 135, 139
MSS. Gilbert Murray 333 fols 104, 163, 165
MSS. Gilbert Murray 365 fols 21-8, 32-3, 39-42, 213-6, 219-21

Correspondence with the 3rd Earl of Selborne, 1942-5

MSS. Eng hist c. 985 fols 15-284 passim
MSS. Eng hist c. 1016 fols 15-21

Copies of letters to and from, 1942-8

MSS. Eng hist c. 985 fols 26-7, 51, 89-93, 106-10, 138, 169
MSS. Eng hist c. 1016 fol 154b

Lettters to and from Lord Simon, 1942-51

MSS. Simon 92 fols 50, 52, 60-1 MSS. Simon 93 fol 35
MSS. Simon 97 fol 76
MSS. Simon 100 fol 1

Correspondence with Lord Woolton, 1944-61

MSS. Woolton 16 fols 9, 24, 104, 130-1 193-5
MSS. Woolton 25 fol 40
MSS. Woolton 26 fols
MSS. Woolton 28/1 fols 2-3, 121-2
MSS. Woolton 77 fols 226-9

Note of Conversation with Lord Pethwick-Lawrence, 1945 - MSS. Attlee dep 27 fol 255

Quotation from 1947 - MSS. Attlee dep 61 fol 125

Letters to and from Attlee 1948

MSS. Attlee dep 73 fols 153b-5, 176-8
MSS. Attlee dep 74 fols 4-5

Letters to Lady Emmet, 1948-55

Copy of memo from Lady Emment, 1964
MSS. Eng hist c 1055 fols 42, 48, 73, 75, 93-4
MSS. Eng hist c 1058 fols 1-6

Letters to Sir George Hamilton, 1951-3 - MSS. Eng lett c. 271 fols 104-6

Photograph of Encaenia, 1952 - MS. Top Oxon c. 635 fols 6-7

Letter to O.G.S. Crawford, 1957 - MS. Crawford 56 fol 131

Letter to Dr. Frank Hardie, 1966 - MS. Eng lett c. 460 fol 53

Letter to and from Walter Moncton, n.d. - Index available from the Special Collections Reading Room (SCRR)