Because of their wide ranging legal and political interests, the Anna Mae and Robert H. Davis' papers have broad research potential. The collection consists of two series: the ANNA MAE DAVIS PAPERS and ROBERT H. DAVIS PAPERS. The Anna Mae Davis papers are more extensive than her husband's papers. It is likely that a substantial body of Robert's papers were destroyed because of his early death. His papers primarily document work as a probation officer during the late 1930s and early 1940s, while records of his participation in the Wisconsin Socialist Party, the Farmer-Labor Progressive Federation, and the Madison Consumers Cooperatives, and his years as a student of John R. Commons are largely documented by handwritten notes. Anna Mae Davis' papers document her law practice; her interests in women's rights, cooperatives, and left wing politics; and her education and research in economics. Archival collections of 20th century law offices are rare and the records of Davis' law practice are unusually complete. Taken together, the collection provides useful insights into the left wing response to the Great Depression and World War II in Wisconsin.
The ANNA MAE DAVIS PAPERS consist of General Correspondence, Subject Files, Educational Files, Legal Files, and Photographs. The General Correspondence, arranged chronologically, consists of personal exchanges with relatives and friends, together with occasional letters concerning business and professional matters. Several members of the Campbell and Davis families have separate files. Much of the incoming correspondence dating from the second decade of the century consists of letters from Ernest D. Wilson, an admirer who served in World War I. Incoming correspondence dating from the late 1950s through the 1970s primarily consists of holiday and birthday greetings. The personal letters in the collection written by Anna Mae primarily date from the years 1920-1921, 1932, and the 1960s. Her earliest outgoing letters were addressed to Ellery Reed (apparently a boyfriend who later returned the letters) while she was working as a social worker in Kansas City; the second group were written to her family in Madison during her research in England; the third group consists of letters to her son during the 1960s. Carbons of outgoing holiday letters can be found scattered throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Although intended as personal, Anna Mae's outgoing letters include commentary of broader research interest.
The Subject Files, arranged alphabetically, embrace virtually all of her social and political interests. Although Davis' responsibility in the Women's Division of the Wisconsin Civil Works Administration (CWA) was subordinate to that of Irma Hochstein, Hochstein's collection at the Historical Society contains little information on the CWA. Fortunately Anna Mae Davis kept her exchanges with Hochstein and other leaders, as well as policy and planning materials and information on various women's projects. Because she served as secretary for the Dane County Socialist Party, the Madison Consumer Cooperative, and the Farmer-Labor Progressive League, her files contain secretary's minutes, correspondence, and policy papers for these organizations. The Socialist Party records also contain correspondence, speeches and information for political campaigns, lists of members, publicity, and some financial records. There are many exchanges with Andrew Biemiller (then editor of the Wisconsin Leader), Norman Thomas, Walter Uphoff, and Frank Zeidler. Davis also had custody of the minutes and membership books of the Madison socialists predating her membership. Her drafting file on the Wisconsin Production Authority (also known as the Kiefer Bill), a Socialist sponsored bill, is also included.
Anna Mae Davis' feminist interests appear in the subject files on the Wisconsin Committee on Women's Employment (for which she was also secretary), and in the original research she did on married women in state service during the 1930s. One folder documents her lobbying to defeat legislation that would have barred the employment of married women whose husbands also worked for the state. There are files here that complement the Case Files within the Legal Files, particularly for her legal representation of Jehovah's Witnesses and other conscientious objectors during World War II. Other subject files include mailings from peace organizations such as the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors and National Service Board for Religious Objectors and correspondence about Win the War Now and Wisconsin Committee against Peacetime Conscription.
The Educational Files include Research Files, and Class and Degree Work. The Research Files include material pertaining to her association with John R. Commons, and typed transcriptions of original documents made in London. The Commons-era materials contain legal cases, complete and draft writings, handwritten notes, class materials, and correspondence. Unfortunately the relationship of the files with Commons is not always indicated. This is particularly true with regard to Davis' contributions to Institutional Economics. Only occasionally is the direct evidence of Common's input clearly documented by clearly stated authorship or handwriting. Neither is the intended product always noted. As a result, many drafts could be identified only by chapter title or subject. Commons is also documented by letters from E.W. Morehouse and other economists scattered through the files, mimeographed handouts, syllabi, and other instructional materials. Of special interest is the English translation by Davis and Ruth Berendsohn of an article about Commons by German economist Hermann Kroner.
The second section of Davis' research files consists of typed transcriptions of British documents arranged alphabetically by subject. There is no evidence in the collection that this project was ever completed, nor is there even a preliminary manuscript, although some unidentified drafts in the Commons-era materials described above may represent work for this project.
The Class and Degree Work Files of general education materials consists of papers she wrote both as an undergraduate and graduate student, together with a copy of her master's thesis and doctoral dissertation (neither of which is held by the University of Wisconsin Memorial Library) and a few items pertaining to her legal studies at Kansas City Law School. As a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin during the 1920s Anna Mae Davis took her lecture notes on 5 x 8 sheets of paper. These notes generally identified the course title and date. They are thought to represent classroom instruction by Commons and several other members of the Economics Department. When they could be so identified, notes on readings were not retained.
The Legal Files contain good information not only on the various legal issues with which she dealt, but also on the management of her small legal office. One carton of financial ledgers detail receipts and expenditures from 1938 until her retirement and postings for individual clients. The legal reference materials include an alphabetical subject file of typed and handwritten notes and sample documents on a host of judicial rulings, statutory references, and procedures that she apparently found useful. The case files, arranged alphabetically, form the largest part of the Davis Papers. Only a few files pertain to her partnership with Glenn Turner. Because of their routine and potentially confidential nature, income tax files have been removed. However, the files of a few prominent individuals, primarily members of the various legal issues with which she dealt, but also on the management of her small legal office. One carton of financial ledgers detail receipts and expenditures from 1938 until her retirement and postings for individual clients. The legal reference materials include an alphabetical subject file of typed and handwritten notes and sample documents on a host of judicial rulings, statutory references, and procedures that she apparently found useful. The case files, arranged alphabetically, form the largest part of the Davis Papers. Only a few files pertain to her partnership with Glenn Turner. Because of their routine and potentially confidential nature, income tax files have been removed. However, the files of a few prominent individuals, primarily members of the UW History Department such as William Hesseltine and William Appleman Williams have been retained. The remainder of Davis' practice included divorce, wills and estate probate, collections, property, incorporations, labor issues, and automobile injuries. Researchers can identify cases by general type using a card index which covers the later years of her career, and a list of earlier inactive cases. For the most substantial files, the type is also identified in the contents list. The inactive list includes a separate list of divorce cases. In addition to the standard documents and pleadings, the divorce cases often include transcripts of testimony and correspondence with the litigants. Another theme in Davis' practice is cases involving members of two international cleaners unions. These cases probably developed from her association with fellow Socialists Dalton Clarke and Sam Mintz who were both employed in that business. The Mintz file even includes financial records of the Madison local of the Laundry Workers and Cleaners International Union. The largest case Davis handled was that of George W. Hartmann v. Acme News, a libel suit brought against Acme, the distributors of Life Magazine, for the magazine's depiction of the Peace Now movement during World War II.
The ROBERT H. DAVIS PAPERS are primarily useful as evidence of probation and parole practices during the 1930s and 1940s. This section consists of official files that were stored at Davis's home when he died in 1953. Although incomplete, when compared with the absence of similar documentation about probation officers elsewhere in archival custody, Davis' files provide useful insights into the operations of the Wisconsin probation and parole system. Some routine files such as the case load and earning reports have been heavily weeded. More useful are files containing correspondence with individual parolees, bureau memoranda, and some basic demographic information about the parolees in Davis' district. There is more information about a few individuals. The most extensive records are Davis' daybooks which contain a chronological record of every parolee he visited, together with notes about individual cases. Although the notes are brief and cryptic, they have research potential when combined with information in his summaries and with the microfilmed parole case files in Series 2084. His documentation on the 1930s is particularly valuable because Series 2084 does not cover that decade. Davis was also involved in bureau reorganization, and toward that end he collected correspondence and notes that document internal management and personnel problems. Davis' records contain no psychological, medical or juvenile information and can be considered open for research.
Robert Davis' personal files are disappointingly incomplete. Although some individual items in his wife's files, particularly those regarding relief, may actually be his, the total quantity is still small. His papers about the Wisconsin Socialist Party consist of occasional handwritten meeting notes and an investigation concerning two Madison socialists, one of whom was fired by the University. From his graduate study there are a few class papers, but not the master's thesis he wrote under Commons' direction (which is not held by the University of Wisconsin Memorial Library.) There is, however, extensive correspondence about his frustrating search for a teaching position during the 1920s and training materials used as an Aetna Life Insurance salesman while the couple lived in Baltimore. A few files contain limited information about left wing organizations of which Davis was a member: the American Labor League, the Unemployed Workers League of Dane County, and the Wisconsin Workers Alliance/Committee. There are also files on several political and public welfare conferences that he attended.
Photographs, consisting of snapshots of Anna Mae and Robert Davis and a few images relating to their Socialist Party associations. There is also one file pertaining to the Niemann-Tower family. Davis handled the estate of Karl Niemann of Madison who was killed during World War II, and these photographs may have been in a savings deposit box Davis opened during probate. Another file contains snapshots taken by Leonard Van Bossche, a client and former Socialist Party associate, who moved to California.
