The Wilbur J. Cohen Papers at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin are a rich source for tracing the expansion of the Social Security system, especially the formulation and adoption of the amendments to the Social Security Act which established Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. They furnish considerable insight into the development of the social welfare policies of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. They also provide extensive evidence of Cohen's lifelong involvement in social welfare legislation and policy.
The papers thoroughly document Cohen's career from 1935 to 1979 as a government official; his role in state and federal advisory bodies; his activities as a consultant, writer, and speaker; and his participation in advocacy groups and professional associations. Two phases of Cohen's academic career, first as a professor from 1956 to 1960 and then as a dean at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1979 are extremely well represented. However, the Bentley Library in Michigan holds additional Cohen papers which document certain aspects of his work as a dean, his involvement in school desegregation cases in Michigan, and his participation in the Governor's Task Force on Prevention of Abuse in State Institutions.
Some of Cohen's activities after 1979, most notably his role in Save Our Security and his work for presidential commissions, also are well documented by the collection. Far less exhaustive are the records of his teaching career after 1979. Cohen's office files from the University of Texas which pertained to his professorship at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs were donated to the Lyndon B. Johnson Library. However, the collection here at the Wisconsin Historical Society does contain some correspondence regarding this position. Documentation of Cohen's career prior to 1935 is also fragmentary. Some memoranda, reports, statements, and personal accounts filed among the WRITINGS AND SPEECHES reflect his work for the Committee on Economic Security. In addition, Cohen's memoirs include some recollections of his experiences with the committee. The Edwin Witte Papers held by the SHSW also contribute insight into Cohen's role as Witte's research assistant during this period.
In addition to the Witte Papers, there are a number of other research collections held by the Wisconsin Historical Society which are closely related to the Cohen Papers. The papers of Arthur J. Altmeyer, Merlyn S. Pitzele, Nelson Cruikshank, and Elizabeth Wickenden contain correspondence from Cohen and in the case of the Cruikshank papers, material regarding Save Our Security. There is also a transcript of an oral interview with Cohen located in the Unemployment Compensation Oral History Project, and an audiotape of a speech Cohen gave on medical economics can be found with the records of the American Institute of the History of Pharmacy.
Records of the Experimental College, held by the Archives of the University of Wisconsin-Madison include several files on Cohen. These contain reports and papers he wrote as a student as well as detailed evaluations of his character, performance, and abilities written by faculty advisors. Most interesting is a highly introspective autobiographical paper in which Cohen described at length the environment of his youth in Milwaukee.
The collection is organized into three series, PERSONAL PAPERS, PROFESSIONAL PAPERS, and WRITINGS AND SPEECHES.
PERSONAL PAPERS
Appointment Books
The series PERSONAL PAPERS begins with appointment books which briefly list Cohen's daily engagements from 1940 to 1960 and from 1969 to 1979. A few also served as diaries and include newspaper clippings and longer narrative passages where Cohen expressed thoughts or described activities in more detail.
Biographical Information
Two folders of Biographical Information contain resumes, biographical sketches, clippings, award certificates, memorials and other materials which summarize Cohen's career and achievements. Also included here are a few scattered documents, such as grade reports, from Cohen's college years.
Correspondence
The bulk of Cohen's PERSONAL PAPERS consists of chronologically and alphabetically arranged correspondence. With the exception of a few letters dating from 1935, both files were created while he was assistant secretary of HEW and include incoming and copies of outgoing letters from friends and associates, cards, invitations, thank-you notes, and correspondence regarding articles, speaking engagements, and other non-official activities. While the two files of correspondence are similar in terms of subject matter, the chronological file contains relatively more incoming correspondence; the alphabetical file contains more outgoing mail. The outgoing correspondence, which was typed by a secretary, is relatively terse and formal; it provides little insight into Cohen's thoughts, activities, or personal relationships. Letters from friends and associates are more lengthy, and the letters from Arthur Altmeyer are especially detailed and informative. These have been filed separately and date from Altmeyer's departure from the Social Security Administration in 1953 until his death in 1972. They reflect Cohen's involvement with legislation, his role in the Social Security Administration, and his longstanding personal relationship with the former commissioner. A small quantity of correspondence regarding employment, family, and financial matters from 1962 to 1978 can be found under “Cohen, Wilbur J.,” the heading used by Cohen himself, but again, little is revealed here about Cohen's family or personal life. Also included among the personal correspondence are voluminous files of congratulatory letters and telegrams from family, friends, colleagues, congressmen, and government officials. Material relating to the Senate's confirmation of his secretarial appointment can be found here under the heading “Confirmation.”
Memoirs
The single richest source of information in the collection about Cohen's family history and personal life can be found among his memoirs. These consist of a series of hand and typewritten autobiographical fragments, anecdotes, and journal entries Cohen had arranged into chapters with a view towards eventual publication. Included are detailed recollections of his boyhood in Milwaukee, numerous accounts of professional and political experiences, and reflections on being a grandparent and growing older.
Oral History Transcripts
Additional biographical information can be found in the transcribed oral interviews conducted by presidential libraries. In these Cohen is asked to trace his career, to recount key political events, and to assess various individuals and administrations.
Sound Recordings
Two sound recordings are included in the PERSONAL PAPERS. One is a tape of a reception for Cohen held at HEW in January 1969 commemorating his service to the department, the other a ceremony at which his portrait was unveiled.
Yearbooks
Additional documentation of Cohen's boyhood and youth can be obtained from his Lincoln High School yearbooks. These record his extracurricular activities, and the inscriptions from classmates reflect something of his personal relationships and standing at the school.
PROFESSIONAL PAPERS
Cohen's office files from the Social Security Administration, HEW, the University of Michigan, and the Save Our Security (SOS) Coalition are grouped under the heading PROFESSIONAL PAPERS and are arranged chronologically by period.
Social Security Administration
The Social Security Administration files document Cohen's work as technical advisor to Arthur Altmeyer and as director of research and legislative liaison for that administration, as well as his work for the Wage Stabilization Board and the President's Commission on Universal Training. Although these papers date from 1935 to 1955, the period from 1940 to 1955 is best represented. With the exception of the correspondence files, Social Security Administration subseries have been arranged alphabetically by subject.
Correspondence
These files include incoming and copies of outgoing correspondence and memoranda arranged chronologically. The memoranda (blue copies) are primarily from Cohen (or prepared by Cohen for Altmeyer's signature) to others in the SSA. These files are the richest source of information in the collection about Cohen's activities and role in the SSA and are complemented by the Altmeyer correspondence listed with the PERSONAL PAPERS.
General Files
The Social Security Administration Correspondence files are followed by General files which contain memoranda to Cohen from others in the SSA, white copies of memoranda, some advisory committee minutes, reports, statistics, analyses of bills, legislative proposals, suggestions for testimony, and floor statements prepared for the Social Security Board/Administration or relating to the agency as a whole. The files are arranged alphabetically by record type or subject. Much of this material concerns the expansion of the social security system. Presidential messages and reports of the Social Security Board which Cohen helped to draft deal almost exclusively with this topic. Of particular interest in the files on legislation are proposals, specifications, and analyses of national health insurance bills from the 1940s. Records of the Advisory Council on Social Security to which Cohen was technical advisor are fragmentary and incomplete, consisting mainly of minutes from 1936 and 1937. (Cohen deposited most of his papers regarding the Advisory Council at Cornell.)
Office/Bureau Files
The Social Security Administration Office/Bureau files variously contain memos received by Cohen, reports, statistics, drafts of legislation, white copies of correspondence and memoranda, and advisory committee minutes pertaining to specific departments or programs within SSA. Topics include program evaluation, development, and coordination, coverage, costs, benefit levels, and legislation.
Social Security-Related Materials and Reports
Most of the files entitled “Social Security-related” consist of research reports Cohen generated or data he collected on various topics. Also included here is a record of the world trip he made to study social welfare. The file contains reports on social welfare in Japan, India, Pakistan, Thailand, and the Philippines based on Cohen's first-hand observations. Evidence here of Cohen's participation in the Inter-American Conferences on Social Security is fragmentary; the file is supplemented by accounts and reports found among the WRITINGS AND SPEECHES.
Other Agencies
Cohen's positions in two federal agencies outside the Social Security Administration--the Commission on Universal Training and the Wage Stabilization Board--are well-documented through correspondence, minutes, and reports. Records of the Pension, Health, and Welfare committees of the Wage Stabilization Board, which Cohen chaired, are especially complete.
University of Michigan, 1956-1961
Cohen's activities from 1956 to 1961 at the University of Michigan are documented through two interrelated sets of files. The first is alphabetically arranged correspondence containing incoming and yellow copies of outgoing correspondence. The second consists of “working files” arranged alphabetically by subject. Subjects treated include organizations, committees, and topics of legislation, and the files variously contain white copies of outgoing correspondence, some original incoming correspondence, reports, minutes, notes, legislative proposals, and course material. Since Cohen was not consistent in filing his incoming correspondence, it may be necessary to look at both sets of files. Together, the two sets of files reflect Cohen's teaching and research activities as a professor of public welfare at the University of Michigan, his role as a consultant and advisor to Congress and HEW, and his participation in various advisory committees and organizations including the Democratic Party. The correspondence here documents in particular Cohen's activities in developing and promoting social welfare legislation through his contacts with Congress. Prominent correspondents include Wilbur Mills, Lister Hill, Henry Jackson, Wayne Morse, Aime Forand, Henry Reuss, Leo Irwin, Burr Harrison, Hubert Humphrey, Robert Kean, Robert Kerr, Lester Johnson, and John F. Kennedy. Also of special interest are the files on the Task Force on Health and Social Security, which Cohen chaired. These records include drafts of Cohen's report to President Kennedy on national health insurance for the elderly and other social welfare reforms. Two separate files of letters from the public (“fan letters” and “Social Security letters”) offer examples of public opinion regarding Social Security. Many of the letters in the second file are detailed and often poignant appeals for Cohen's help in collecting benefits.
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare materials extensively document the three posts Cohen held in that agency from 1961 to January 1969. The records are arranged alphabetically by record type.
Correspondence
The HEW subseries begins with chronological correspondence which contains yellow copies of outgoing correspondence and memoranda from Cohen to others in the department. Also included here are separate files of “signer's copy” correspondence and memoranda prepared by others for Cohen's signature. Photocopies of incoming correspondence and attachments are sometimes found with the outgoing correspondence. An additional set of correspondence exists for the period Cohen served as secretary (March 1968 to January 1969). This file consists of copies of correspondence and memoranda filed by the office or division to which it pertained. Included here as “White House drafts” are Cohen's weekly reports to the President on significant developments in health, education, and welfare. The files designated as “White House general” consist of copies of memoranda and reports to the President or White House staff.
Departmental Files
HEW Departmental files are alphabeticallyarranged subject files which reflect Cohen's involvement with specific policy issues and the analysis, development, implementation, and coordination of HEW programs. They largely contain incoming correspondence, white copies of outgoing correspondence, memoranda (mostly to Cohen), reports, and statistical data, and are grouped according to the major types of programs administered by the department. In addition to the categories of health, education, and welfare, there are separate files on Social Security (including Medicare), civil rights, and poverty. Files regarding interdepartmental activities, subjects or policy issues concerning HEW as a whole, as well as budget and personnel matters are found under the heading Administration. The volume and completeness of the Departmental files varies greatly. Files regarding the implementation of civil rights legislation and the Medicare program are especially voluminous, while those on education are less numerous and more fragmentary. There is also some subject overlap between major groups of files. For instance, papers regarding the implementation of the Economic Opportunity Act are found under Poverty (because it established anti-poverty programs), as well as Administration (because the programs involved interdepartmental cooperation).
Legislation
The most complete and substantial files in the HEW subseries are those regarding legislation. These have been organized into two groups--bills and planning--although there is some overlap between the two. Bill files concern the drafting, sponsorship, presentation, hearings, and movement through Congress of specific pieces of legislation, and they variously contain drafts, analysis, specifications, cost estimates, bill summaries, comparisons, sample testimony, memoranda, and incoming and white copies of outgoing correspondence. Files on individual bills or types of bills are arranged chronologically by year, and within each year, by subject.
Planning files document the annual development, coordination, and assessment of the department's overall legislative program. Included here are legislative proposals gathered from the various divisions, reports on policy issues, and white copies of reports on bills made to members of Congress and the Bureau of the Budget, all filed by year. Also included are Cohen's confidential reports to Secretary Celebreeze for 1964, weekly reports to the White House outlining the department's legislative activities, schedules of congressional hearings and schedules and agendas for meetings with White House staff. Congressional relations files document Cohen's meetings with members and committees.
Memoranda
These files mostly contain memos to Cohen from others in the department which apparently were never filed. The majority date from 1967 to January 1969 and concern policies, programs, issues, and legislation.
Non-HEW Activities
Files found here reflect some of Cohen's activities outside of the department. The majority concern the publication of articles and include correspondence, drafts, and final copies of the articles.
Phone Calls
A typewritten daily log of incoming phone calls and visitors to Cohen's office can be found in the Phone Calls file. The log lists the name of the caller and their message or the subject of their call, and often includes a brief note about the action taken or Cohen's response. As a result this serves as an unusually complete and detailed source of information about communications which typically go unrecorded.
Presidential Messages
Cohen was involved in drafting presidential messages to Congress and speeches for occasions such as bill signing ceremonies which commemorated the passage of significant legislation; the presidential message files detail this involvement. They contain handwritten and typed drafts, background material, and suggestions for language, and often include lists of people to be invited and suggestions on the timing and location of signing ceremonies. The files are arranged chronologically by year, then alphabetically by subject.
Task Forces
During his tenure at HEW, Cohen participated in task forces and committees that advised the department and the President on matters of policy and legislation. The task force files variously include incoming correspondence, memoranda, drafts of reports and recommendations, occasional minutes, and lists of potential members. The documentation is most exhaustive for those task forces Cohen chaired, such as education, health care, health insurance for the aged, income maintenance, older Americans, and public assistance. The files are arranged alphabetically according to subject. Copies of findings and final reports of these groups may also be found in the departmental and legislation files.
University of Michigan, 1969-1979
Cohen's position as Dean of the School of Education and his activities from 1969 to approximately 1981 are documented in these University of Michigan materials. The series is composed of two interrelated sets of files, both reflecting (to varying degrees) his work as administrator, professor, consultant, and writer; his public appearances; and participation in various organizations.
Alphabetical Files
The Alphabetical files contain incoming and white copies of outgoing correspondence, as well as memoranda, reports, papers, clippings, printed material, and drafts of articles. The file headings here include individual correspondents, organizations, and subjects, and there is considerable overlap and inconsistency in the way Cohen filed this material. For instance, although a file may exist for a particular individual, additional correspondence with that individual may also be found in the general alphabetical correspondence, or it may be filed with the organization they represent. Prominent correspondents here include congressmen such as Edward Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey, Wilbur Mills, Russell Long, George McGovern, Claude Pepper, Jacob Javits, Walter Mondale, Daniel Rostenkowski, John Dingell, and Carl Perkins; federal officials such as Sargent Shriver, Joseph Califano, Alice Rivlin, Arthur Flemming, and Robert Ball; and friends such as J. Douglas Brown, Nelson Cruikshank, and Elizabeth Wickenden. A sound recording of Cohen discussing President Nixon's welfare proposals is listed under the heading “Welfare Bill.”
Chronological Correspondence
The chronological correspondence files contain yellow copies of outgoing correspondence and memoranda, although from 1969 to 1970 some incoming correspondence was also included. These files reflect relatively more about Cohen's role as an academic administrator than the alphabetical files, while the alphabetical files more thoroughly document his other activities. That portion of Cohen's alphabetical files which relate to his work as a dean (which presumably document more thoroughly such activities as budgeting and faculty appointments) was donated to the Bentley Historical Library in Michigan. Papers concerning Cohen's involvement in school desegregation cases in Michigan during this period and his participation in the Governor's Task Force on Prevention of Abuse in State Institutions are also housed at the Bentley.
Save Our Security Coalition
SOS records provide substantial insight into Cohen's role as co-chairman of this organization from 1979 to 1984, and thoroughly document its functions and activities from 1981 to 1984. Correspondence files include incoming and drafts and copies of outgoing correspondence and memoranda, largely with coalition members, congressmen, and government officials. Weekly financial reports contain detailed breakdowns and analysis of contributions and fund raising campaigns as well as annual statements of receipts and disbursements. Minutes are mainly those of the Executive Committee but also include occasional minutes of the SOS Education Fund and other committees. Reports and congressional testimony, position papers, informational brochures, and publicity materials such as press releases and newspaper advertisements can be found in the files of printed material.
WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
Copies of virtually all of Cohen's speeches and written works from 1934 to 1979, both published and unpublished, can be found in the WRITINGS AND SPEECHES series. Cohen himself compiled this material, arranged it chronologically in two sets of volumes, numbered the items, and created a table of contents citing the title, number, date, and place submitted, published, or delivered. A copy of this table of contents has been appended to this finding aid and serves as an index to the two sets of volumes. The first set of volumes, Articles and Addresses, contains approximately 1232 items and includes articles, speeches, congressional testimony, statements, reviews, press releases, conference papers, transcripts of interviews, pamphlets, and reports from 1934 to 1979. The second set, Memoranda and Reports, contains 88 items and includes memoranda, reports, minutes, testimony, statements, and proposals from 1947 to 1969. Although there is some overlap in genre between the two sets, specific titles are not duplicated. Many of the items, however, can also be found elsewhere among Cohen's professional papers. Not duplicated are the annual reports of the School of Education from 1969 to 1979, the minutes of American Public Welfare Association meetings, congressional statements and testimony Cohen gave as a member of APWA's Welfare Policy Committee during the 1950s, and reports he wrote as a delegate to the Inter-American Conferences on Social Security. Also filed among WRITINGS AND SPEECHES are several folders of drafts and miscellaneous reports, testimony, and articles dating primarily from 1975 to 1987, which do not appear in the compiled volumes. Copies of Cohen's Daily Cardinal articles from 1931 to 1933 and his college thesis have also been included here.
