The Roy P. Wilcox Papers cover the period from 1890 to 1925 and deal primarily with his political activities. They are organized into three categories: papers relating to political campaigns and his term of office as a state senator, speeches, and subject files.
Materials on his political campaigns and activities as a state senator are arranged chronologically. Wilcox first ran for public office in 1916; papers from that campaign include nomination papers, lists of supporters, publicity materials, and the tabulation of election results. Also included are pamphlets and letters from the Guardians of Liberty, an anti-Catholic organization, and correspondence, principally letters of congratulation and solicitations of support.
Except for a file of newspaper clippings and a notebook listing supporters, papers from the 1917 and 1919 legislative sessions consist entirely of routine correspondence from constituents concerning legislation, appointments and other political favors. A few items of personal correspondence are also included. Correspondence from N-Z for the 1919 session is missing.
Materials documenting Wilcox's 1918 gubernatorial campaign are missing completely and are meager for the 1920 campaign. The latter consists of a single file of letters and newspaper clippings plus a scrapbook of newspaper clippings.
The 1925 campaign is documented by nomination papers, incomplete financial reports, campaign literature, and four groups of correspondence. Out-of-state correspondence and general correspondence, arranged by county, consist of letters of congratulation plus offers and solicitations of support. The correspondence files of Frank G. Smith and C. P. McAssey, Milwaukee supporters and campaign managers, are especially revealing of the daily inside operations of the campaign and of relationships with party leaders. Finally, there are the papers relating to Wilcox's withdrawal after his primary defeat and refusal to run as an independent.
The second series, speeches, documents Wilcox's popularity as a Public speaker whose services were in demand for a great variety of functions. The collection includes the texts, arranged chronologically, of many commencement addresses, speeches to civic and fraternal groups and in behalf of the Liberty Loan Drive as well as campaign and other political speeches. Patriotism, civic duty, and support of the war effort were frequent topics.
The Wilcox Papers also include a small group of subject files: on city commission government documenting Wilcox's long advocacy of that governmental form; on the Industrial Insurance Commission of 1911 and its activities in behalf of workman's compensation legislation; and a group of miscellaneous legal papers of uncertain origin.
