The Groves Papers consist of five series: Biographical Material, Correspondence, a Subject File, Notes of general research and lectures, and Miscellany. The brief BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL file contains a newspaper clipping about the Groves family by Miles McMillan of the Madison Capital Times, November 1963, a short biography, vita, magazine profile, a personal history, an interview with Groves on September 23, 1969, an outline of Groves' will, and miscellaneous items.
Nearly one-third of the collection is CORRESPONDENCE. The series is arranged alphabetically by the names of persons with whom, and about whom, Groves corresponded, and the organizations and subject matters about which he wrote. Under each subject heading the correspondence is arranged in chronological order. In cases of two-way correspondence, this is based on the dates of Groves' replies. A letter is filed under the name of the correspondent unless it pertains to activity in a particular organization or concerns a specific subject, in which case it is filed under the name of the organization or subject. Letters of reference written by Groves are found under the name of the person about whom the letter is written unless there is no file for the individual, in which case they are filed under the general heading “Recommendations, Letters of.” Other correspondence with persons for whom separate files have not been established are filed in general alphabetical files, such as “A-General.” All correspondence in the Groves Papers, even in cases where subject files exist on various topics, is found in the Correspondence series. The Monona Terrace Correspondence contains extensive correspondence of Helen Groves because of her active involvement in the project. Also included is correspondence with Frank Lloyd Wright. Letters of Wright unconnected with the project are filed separately under his name except for those relating to the building of the Unitarian Church, which are filed under that subject heading. Other notable correspondents are: Richard Goode, John Gronouski, Walter Heller, Harry Kahn, Henry Kissinger, Joseph Pechman, and William Proxmire.
The SUBJECT FILE, the largest segment of the collection, is subdivided into the following categories: Academic, Cooperatives, Financial Records, Legal Matters and Testimony, Monona Terrace Project, Organizations and Committees, Photographs, Political Papers, World Travel, Writings, and Writings by Others. The Academic file contains all papers stemming from Groves' position as professor except for notes. Included are minutes and reports of University organizations and committees, filed alphabetically by name of organization or committee; research project summaries and financial data; and student papers, filed by author.
The files on Cooperatives and Financial Records are small. The cooperatives file consists primarily of writings and reports on Madison cooperatives in the 1930s. Financial Records include miscellaneous personal invoices and receipts, which are incomplete and not ordered.
The Legal Matters and Testimony file is the result of Groves' expertise on taxation and taxation law. Papers documenting his involvement in the Southern Railroad and Chicago and Northwestern Railroad tax cases are found here. The file also contains material relating to Congressional testimony on bills and amendments, and other miscellaneous legal files. Legal information pertaining to the Monona Terrace project is found in the file for that project.
The Monona Terrace Project file is one of the most complete sections of the collection. Through the years of debate on the project (1953-1969), Harold and Helen Groves worked on various committees, gave speeches, wrote articles and letters, and sought political and financial support for the project. These archives are documented here. Files are arranged by subject. Selected magazines articles on the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright are filed here, as are retrospective writings about the project.
Papers relating to Groves' participation in various organizations are found in the Organizations and Committees file, which is arranged alphabetically by organization. The file contains primarily minutes, newsletters, and reports. However, the most complete source of information on Groves' participation in such groups is the correspondence files relating to them. One organizational file of note here attests to Groves' involvement in the Unitarian Church as treasurer of the Unitarian Society, chairman of the building committee, Sunday school teacher, and occasional speaker.
Photographs and transparencies include images of Harold Groves, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Olgivanna Wright. Also present are images of a model of Wright's Monona Terrace Convention Center and views of Law Park, site of the convention center.
Information on Groves' political career is very sparse. The Political Papers file contains only an article written by Groves as a state senator from 1934 to 1936 and campaign fliers from his senatorial campaign and his campaign for 13th ward alderman in 1963.
The World Travel folders contain preparation notes, itineraries, travel documents, and collected material relating to Groves' Australian, New Zealand, and European trips from 1949 to 1952. Notes on comparative taxation taken on these trips are filed in the Notes file. No information on Groves' Canadian trip is found here.
The Writings section, an extensive part of the collection, is arranged alphabetically by subject, and contains published and unpublished articles, abstracts, book reviews by Groves, comments on his writings, Groves' autobiography “In and Out of the Ivory Tower,” and memorials written by Groves. Also, the manuscripts of several of Groves' books are here. For some, the complete development from rough draft to finished form is available; for others the record is less complete. For example, the only material for Financing Government, Groves' extensively-used textbook, is a summary of a revision. For Jobs, Production, and Taxes, a 1946 CED study, newspaper clippings related to it are the only items available here. The most complete representation of Groves' writing process is preserved for Philosophers and Philosophies of Taxation.
Bulletins, newsletters, publications, general writings by others, pamphlets, and reports are found in the Writings by Others file. Publications by organizations are arranged alphabetically by organization; writings by individuals are arranged alphabetically by author.
NOTES include lecture notes, research notes, notes on readings, and notes and outlines of writings. These are filed in a single alphabetical file under “General Notes.” Notes on Canada and Australia, cooperation, philosophers and philosophies of taxation, and doctrines of the classical economists are filed by title in a separate category because of their volume. The remainder of the notes are untitled, undated, and are labeled as miscellaneous notes.
The MISCELLANY series includes scattered material, among which is an undated list of residents of the 13th ward of Madison, a release on “The Schools in Wartime,” and an industrial locations questionnaire.
