Samuel Francis Hobbs papers

This collection is made up of correspondence, memoranda, pamphlets, government publications and other materials concerning Samuel Francis Hobbs's career as the U.S. Congressman (1934-1951) from the 4th district of Alabama.

The collection is comprised of six series, the primary one being the correspondence, both incoming and outgoing, during his eight terms in Congress. While in Congress, Hobbs was a member of the House Judiciary Committee and served as lead prosecutor during the impeachment trial of Judge Halstead L. Ritter. (On 2 March 1936, the U. S. House of Representatives voted to impeach Ritter by 181 votes to 146 on seven articles of impeachment. The seven articles were: (1) ordering the payment of "exorbitant" legal fees with intent to embezzle; (2) showing favoritism in bankruptcy cases; (3) two charges of practicing law while a judge; (4) two charges of tax evasion; and (5) bringing the judiciary into disrepute. Although the House voted to impeach Ritter, the Senate acquitted him of all but the last account. Ritter was removed from office on 17 April 1936.) The correspondence is in roughly alphabetical order by subject, depending mainly on what Hobbs determined was the subject matter.

The other series include miscellaneous bills and reports, miscellaneous newspaper clippings, notebooks and scrapbooks, as well as some mineral artifacts. Approximately 156 photographs, snapshots and studio portraits, were separated from the collection and moved to the Photograph Unit.

The miscellaneous bills and reports are arranged chronologically and most do not have readily recognizable related material in the correspondence series. The miscellaneous newspaper clippings consist mainly of articles that either dealt with bills before Congress or were of personal interest to Hobbs. The majority of the articles are not organized in any manner. Also most are not identified as to the newspaper or date published. Three of the folders (numbers 0682.0546/23, 0682.0546/24, and 0682.0546/25) cover the Hobbs Anti-Racketeering bill that was signed into law in 1951. Other than these, the clippings are not organized in any manner.

The materials from Hobbs's various pocket notebooks cover a wide range of topics and appear to have been used to collect speech outlines and notes, Sunday school class lectures, poems, jokes, letters, and newspaper clippings. With one exception - the law notes (folder 0682.050/001) - there does not appear to be any real rhyme or reason to what is in each notebook. Because of the randomness within the notebooks, the folders are in no particular order.

The scrapbooks in the fifth series were created by Sarah John (Mrs. Henry William) English, of Jackson, Illinois (Mrs. English was a friend of the Hobbs). Apparently she created the scrapbooks about George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln and gave them to Hobbs.

The final series is a collection of small vials of sand and minerals from plants in Alabama. There is also a rock with mica in it. Because the six vials of sand are only closed with glass stoppers, all ten of the vials and the rock were removed from the correspondence dealing with mines and minerals (box 0682.030).