The one hundred or so Young letters in this collection, mostly signed “Mother,” are from Mrs. Young chiefly to her daughter Matilda, who was apparently in Europe serving as secretary to Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt II. Although a great many of Mrs. Young's letters are not dated by year, in general they cover the period from 1932 through 1933. They contain frequent personal references to Senator La Follette; to his wife Rachel; and to less extent, to his brother, Governor Philip F. La Follette. The letters give interesting, sometimes rather penetrating, observations on the family personalities in relation to the current political issues. There are a few letters of particular interest, such as the one of January 24, 1933, describing Bob's visit to President Roosevelt at Warm Springs, Georgia, to discuss a cabinet post for Philip, who was then in Europe.
In addition to the letters from Mrs. Young, and a few from her daughters and a friend, there are thirty or so letters addressed to Mr. Ludwick C. Young from members of the Young family. These are concerned almost entirely with genealogical information on the Young family and ancestry, and are dated from 1907 through 1925. Copies of Young family documents date 1748-1814.
