This report on the Lissner Collection includes a summary of the work done on the collection between September 1, 1936, and June 6, 1937, and in addition an estimate of work which should be done to render the collection usable. A statement on the collection as a whole is included.

The report prepared by Mr. Harry N. M. Winton on August 13, 1936, provided the basis for such rearrangement of the files as was undertaken. Mr. Winton had rearranged the folders within the various files, with the result that in September, 1936, they were in general alphabetical order within the chronological subdivisions. Extensive refiling was indicated and all letters were arranged alphabetically within the letter folders. The correspondence of Meyer Lissner occupies seven filing drawers, labeled as follows: 1903-1909, 1910-1911, 1912, 1913, 1914-1915-1916, and two drawers 1917-1921. In addition, two drawers are devoted, respectively, to California Outlook correspondence and the Johnson-for-President Campaign of 1920; neither of these files have been touched by the writer. A small amount of 1914 correspondence is filed with the 1915-1916 correspondence, though the bulk is, presumably, in the California Outlook file. All used folders in the files through 1916 have been replaced by new, clearly labeled folders.

Calendar cards have been made for each of the letters in the five cases running from 1903 to 1916. The cards are filed in chronological order and are located in the following places: File 1 -- Drawers 5, 6; File 2 -- Drawers 1, 2; File 3 -- Drawers 1, 2; File 4 (cardboard box); File 5 (cardboard box). Additional files for 3 x 5 cards are needed.

These cards, whose preparation consumed the bulk of time during the year, contain all essential information about each letter, including the date of writing, names of writer and addressee, and a synopsis of the contents. The cards are filed under the name of the person with whom Lissner corresponded and are filed in chronological order. Combined use of the alphabetical letter files and chronological calendar cards should provide an effective index to the correspondence.

Calendar cards must be made for the two drawers of 1917-1921 correspondence, and the California Outlook - and Johnson-for-President materials. The indexing and reorganization of the remaining correspondence, and of the reference files will probably require nine or ten months of fulltime work.

In addition to indexing the correspondence, the Lissner reference materials have been filed in Cabinet 3 in Room 404 of the Library and may be located on the Shelf List. The Lissner clipping scrapbooks were placed on top of Cabinet 3 as they were too large to be placed inside. The seven drawers of Reference Materials have not been opened. Drawer 8 of the Reference Materials contains mounted clippings from the first crate of clippings. These have been pasted on bond paper, the size of this page, and filed in chronological order to correspond with the calender card files. There are four unopened crates of clippings which should be mounted if possible.

It is difficult to evaluate the materials that compose the Lissner Collection, materials ranging from letters to pamphlets, and bearing on California politics from 1903 to 1921, with emphasis on the period from 1907 to 1917. The period of Meyer Lissner's influence in state politics ended with his appointment, in June, 1921, to the United States Shipping Board.

Meyer Lissner seems less important as an actor in California politics, than as a motivator. If ever a man was a power behind the scenes of state governor, that man was Meyer Lissner. He was ridiculed and criticized by the newspapers of his time, accused of all political misdemeanors; today his name is a memory only to those few people who knew him intimately. His name is not mentioned in accounts of state politics written since his death, yet his influence was far-reaching. The campaigns with which he was connected were those which made California of great political importance some twenty years ago.

Certain policies interested Meyer Lissner throughout his life. They were first, activities aiming at the improvement of municipal government -- such as the Good Government Organization of Los Angeles, the National Municipal League, and the Municipal Conference of 1913. From 1906 until 1920 Lissner participated in uncounted campaigns for nonpartisanship in local and state government; during the same period he was in the vanguard of partisan campaigns in national politics.

Lissner's second group of activities were directed at progressive government. A Republican in his early years, he was instrumental in founding the Lincoln-Roosevelt Republican League. In 1912 a member of the Progressive National Committee, by 1920 a Regular Republican, his course was typical of his era. Lissner's associates were contemporaries, young men thirty years ago. Unfortunately Lissner died at an early age but his companions are still leaders in California and the nation. A casual list of friends supports this contention: Hiram Johnson, former Governor, owed much to Lissner, even the Senatorship which he has held these twenty years. Chester Rowell worked with Lissner in the Lincoln-Roosevelt League, campaigned with him for their then close, mutual friend Johnson, progressed during Lissner's active years in the state from the Fresno Republican to the San Francisco Chronicle, from editorial reputation only, to political leadership.

E. A. Dickson, third member, with Lissner and Rowell, of the spearhead of Lincoln-Roosevelt League organization, in 1907 an impecunious college graduate and newspaperman, is today a civic leader in Los Angeles, a Regent of the University of California. Others with whom Lissner engaged in politics were Friend Richardson, State Printer and later Governor of California; U. S. Webb, then nd now State Attorney General; John Francis Neylan, then member of the State Board of Control, now active in the Hearst enterprises; Max Thelen, former president of the State Railroad Commission; Philip Bancroft, Franklin Hichborn; Dr. John Randolph Haynes; and many others.

Many of Lissner's fellow-workers in the progressive movements are now deceased. Among the leaders were John Eshleman, brilliant attorney and onetime Lieutenant-Governor; Harris Weinstock of Sacramento; C. D. Willard, writer, secretary of the L. A. Municipal League, publisher of the old Pacific Outlook; A. J. Pillbury, Industrial Accident Commissioner, publisher of the California Weekly; Lincoln Steffens; Fremont Older, crusading editor of the San Francisco Bulletin; E. T. Earl, Los Angeles publisher; and scores of others.

Lissner's contacts with national figures were as important as those with California leaders, and there are extensive files of correspondence with Clinton Rogers Woodruff, longtime secretary of the National Municipal League; with Theodore Roosevelt (originals of which are in Los Angeles in possession of the Lissner family); Sen. Robert M. La Follette of Wisconsin; Medill McCormick of Illinois; Senator Joseph M. Dixon; Joseph Fels; and others.

The Lissner correspondence is rich with material bearing on California politics -- there is basic material for a history of the Lincoln-Roosevelt League, earliest Progressive group to attain statewide power. There is material for a study of Los Angeles politics from 1907 to 1913 in detail, and considerable information bearing on civic organizations throughout the state, and pressure groups such as the Direct Legislation League of California. There is adequate data for the life of Meyer Lissner which should some day be written, and material for an annotated list of California politicians of the present century, a list that should be prepared and which would be of reference value to all students in the period.

Of primary interest are the stories of the Hiram Johnson gubernatorial and senatorial campaigns, and the material bearing on the 1916 presidential election and Hughes' visit to California. There is much data on the organization of various state departments, and a plenitude of material demonstrating the manner in which appointments were made in the Johnson administration, including the workings of the unofficial advisory board of Lissner, E. A. Dickson, E. T. Earl, and others whom Johnson consulted.

But the Lissner collection alone is inadequate. Renewed effort should be made to secure the papers of Chester Rowell and E. A. Dickson. Because of the nature of the Lincoln-Roosevelt League Organization these three collections complement each other -- without them the full picture cannot be drawn. The Hichborn and Haynes papers would be invaluable. Other persons whose correspondence would be desirable include A. J. Pillsbury, George Perkins, George Pardee, Daniel A. Ryan, Edgar A. Luce (for the San Diego records), Harris Weinstock, and lastly the papers of Alexander McCabe, Martin Madsen, and Mrs. Harriet Odgers French, secretaries to Governor Hiram Johnson. Most valuable of all would be the Hiram Johnson papers. Some are in possession of the Borel Collection, a great many are in possession of the Lissner family in Los Angeles. In the event of Johnson's death, these could probably be secured, but an effort should be made to secure the papers which Johnson has, and his general correspondence.

It is Utopian to dream of securing all of these collections, but it would seem well worth while to have a research assistant, some time in the near future, devote considerable time to systematically contacting all surviving members of the political groups of ten, twenty and thirty years ago, and the heirs of those who are deceased. To this end continuation of attempts to publicize the Borel Collection is essential. Press releases are inadequate as there is no guarantee of publication. The campaign, for it must be that if the collection is to be increased, should consist of interviews, personal letters, and the publication of a brochure explaining the purpose of the collection. The fact should be emphasized at all times that a study of recent state politics belongs outside of a state university and can be properly and fairly dealt with in such a private university as Stanford.

In the opinion of the writer the future program for the Lissner Collection should include: completion of the calendar; indexing of all reference materials; attempts to increase the collection; and opening of the collection to graduate students and faculty from Stanford and other universities. The Lissner Collection can properly become the corner stone of a superb collection of California political materials.

June 6, 1937

-- Elinor Kahn

The Lissner Papers were brought to the library packed in two three drawer filing cabinet, in one six-drawer filing cabinet, and in three packing cases. The Lissner correspondence---- most of which was contained in the packing cases and in one cabinet----was rearranged in the six-drawer filing cabinet, only one small lot remaining over. The correspondence had been bound into bundles and indentified by slips of paper. These bundles were untied and placed in the filing cabinet, each category being separately filed.

The Lissner correspondence, after being unpacked and placed in the cabinet, was examined drawer by drawer, the folders checked for orderly filing and completeness and replaced when too badly damaged for further use. The folder contents were straightened out and cleaned when necessary. Some files were in bad shape because of exposure to moisture and mice, although, fortunately, but few documents were damaged seriously. Many letters were, however, badly rumpled and discolored.

Only two of the files (Lincoln-Roosevelt Republican League 1907-1909, and California Outlook Correspondence 1911-1914) were examined and rearranged beyond the gross alphabetization of folders. These two files were carefully gone over and extensive refiling done, so that order, chronological, alphabetical and logical prevails----according to the examiner's lights. This process will be required for the remaining files, since there is a great deal of inconsistent filing.

For these remaining files cleaning, checking and ordering as far as gross alphabetization of the folders were the principal tasks. In the last respect there was little to be done, since nearly all file folders were already arranged in orderly succession.

Within each folder, however,----except for the two files mentioned above----further ordering is necessary. This was too extensive a job for the present undertaking, since it can properly be carriedout only with an understanding of the desired final arrangement of the whole collection according to definite plan, complementary to which will be the indexing of the contents.

The correspondence, as now filed, is contained in lettered folders as originally filed or as now supplied. One bundle had been supplied with alphabetical dividers only, the letters resting between theseupon the bottom of the drawer; folders were here provided. On the other hand, all dividers were removed, to reduce bulk, while the marked folder-tabs serve as convenient guides. In some instances several folders were combined when the slimness of their contents warranted.

In the subsequent description of the gross contents of the correspondence these two terms will be used in the following sense:

(1) MISSING----papers not contained in the files, but which ought, apparently, to be there, a presumption based on the file label, the gaps in the sequence of letter folders, or the inclusion of empty labeled folders. In the latter instance it is reasonable to suppose that most such file-folders were empty because there was no correspondence to be filed therein in certain alphabetical categories (under Q, for instance).

(2) LACKING----papers not contained in the files which are apparently not embraced in the descriptive file labels, but which may be supposed to have been preserved by Lissner and are yet to be acquired, unless they have been lost or destroyed.

JOHNSON FOR PRESIDENT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE... 1920