Dates: 1947-1948
The papers of A. L. M. Wiggins consist of journal entries written during his tenure as Under Secretary of the Treasury from January 1947 to July 1948. Each day Wiggins recorded his observations on meetings, progress on Treasury projects, personnel issues, and other pertinent Treasury Department business, along with (frequently) his opinion on the proper course of action that should be taken. His entries purposely do not include any information on confidential government conversations or decisions.
Size: Less than one linear foot (about 800 pages).
Access: Open.
Copyright: The donor gave to the United States his copyright interest in the writings in this collection.
Processed by: Erwin J. Mueller (1974).
Updated by: Lani M. Kirsch (2007) as part of the Truman Library Internship Program.
Supervising Archivists: Randy Sowell and David Clark.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
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1891 (April 9) |
Born, Durham, North Carolina |
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1913 |
A.B., University of North Carolina |
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1913-1953 |
At various times: advertising manager, officer and director of J. L. Coker and Company |
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1915 (April 28) |
Married Pauline Lawton |
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1930-1946 |
Member, Regional Advisory Committee, Reconstruction Finance Corporation |
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1931-1932 |
President, South Carolina Bankers Association |
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1941-1957 |
Lecturer, Graduate School of Banking, Rutgers University |
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1947-1948 |
Under Secretary of the Treasury |
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1947-1949 |
Director, American Cancer Society |
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1948-1953 |
Special Assistant to Secretary of the Treasury John W. Snyder |
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1969 |
Published Autobiography of A. Lee M. Wiggins |
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1980 (July 7) |
Died |
The A. L. M. Wiggins collection consists entirely of daily log entries detailing his day-to-day appointments and duties as Under Secretary of the Treasury under President Harry S. Truman from January 1947 until July 1948. Following this assignment he continued to serve Secretary of the Treasury John W. Snyder as his special assistant for almost five additional years, but the events of those years are not included in this journal.
Secretary Snyder considered Wiggins his partner in the work of the Treasury Department and Wiggins's journal entries reflect the many responsibilities he carried as second-in-command in the Department. His journal begins with the swearing-in ceremony and a description of the process of acquainting himself with the workings and personnel of the Treasury Department. Secretary Snyder had created a committee to conduct management studies of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and enlisted Wiggins for the job. Recognized and honored as an astute and honest businessman, he brought a great deal of practical knowledge to his position. His primary interest was the revamping of taxation, and he studied the topic in great detail with the goal of making changes and having an impact on tax policy during his term as Under Secretary.
Mr. Wiggins used his journal as his own reference source for whom he met and when he met with government officials, what issues he encountered and at what time, his opinion on many of those issues, and an account of social events. His first dinner at the White House is one such event, described in detail. He was impressed with the homey atmosphere of the gathering and the cordiality of President and Mrs. Truman.
As Under Secretary his job encompassed a wide array of duties, including personnel issues, cultivating a working relationship with Senators and Representatives, the postal system, the Treasury Department budget, a Port Patrol conflict, morale issues in the Customs Service due to personnel cuts, funds for the Coast Guard, labor racketeers, farm problems, and his main interest, tax problems and revisions. In recording these events his policy was not to include any confidential government conversations or actions.
Additional information on A. L. M. Wiggins can be found in the following Truman Presidential Library holdings: an oral history interview with John W. Snyder (Secretary of the Treasury, 1946-1953), the President's Secretary's Files: Chronological Name File, and the President's Personal File (PPF 3579).
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Container Nos. |
Series |
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1 |
DAILY LOG FILE, 1947-1948 Journal entries by A. L. M. Wiggins. Arranged chronologically. |
Box 1
- 1947: January
- 1947: February
- 1947: March
- 1947: April
- 1947: May
- 1947: June
- 1947: July
- 1947: August
- 1947: September
- 1947: October
- 1947: November
- 1947: December
- 1948: January
- 1948: February
- 1948: March
- 1948: April
- 1948: May
- 1948: June
- 1948: July