Parke M. Banta (1891-1970), Papers, 1918-1970 (C3844)

1.2 linear feet, 2 card boxes

INTRODUCTION

Papers of a Republican U.S. Representative from Missouri, 1947-1949, and general counsel for the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, 1953-1961. The papers consist of correspondence, subject files, and miscellaneous material.

DONOR INFORMATION

The Parke M. Banta Papers (Accession No. 4889) were donated to the University of Missouri by his daughters: Doris Banta Pree, December 12, 1988; Mary Beth McHaney, December 31, 1988; and Carol Banta Brewer, January 25, 1989.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Parke M. Banta was born in Berryman, Crawford County on November 21, 1891. He attended William Jewell College at Liberty, and received his law degree from Northwestern University Law School, Evanston, Illinois, in 1914. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War I, he returned to Missouri, practiced law at Potosi and Ironton, and was active in community life and local Republican politics. From 1941 to 1945 he was administrator of the Missouri State Social Security Commission. He served as U.S. Representative from the Eighth Congressional District, 1947-1949. When he was not reelected he resumed his private practice in Ironton. In 1953 he was named general counsel for the newly organized Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. He was general counsel until 1961 when he retired and returned to Missouri. He died in Cape Girardeau on May 12, 1970.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The Parke M. Banta Papers consist of correspondence, subject files, newsclippings, photographs, speeches, and miscellaneous material arranged into three series:

The Correspondence series, arranged chronologically, dates from 1928 to 1970 and documents Banta's participation in community affairs and local Republican politics. Also included is correspondence with national politicians during Banta's years in Washington and retirement in Missouri.

The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare series, the largest series of the collection, consists of subject files on only two issues and is not a complete record of Banta's career at the department.

These subject files have been removed from loose leaf notebooks but were kept in their original order. The files consist of correspondence, memos, newsclippings, press releases, and notes and are in a rough chronological order.

The loyalty subject files discuss the question of loyalty oaths for scientists who received government grants for unclassified research during the early 1950s. These files reflect the concerns of many during the 1950s that Communists and Communist sympathizers not have access to sensitive scientific information.

The polio subject files show the efforts of the government, medical groups, and others to distribute the new Salk polio vaccine as fairly as possible before the onset of the polio season in 1955.

The Miscellaneous series, arranged alphabetically by type of material, is comprised of campaign material, newsclippings, photographs, speeches, and notecards. The campaign material is from Banta's 1946 and 1948 congressional campaigns. The bulk of the photographs also document his campaigns. Most of the newsclippings concern Banta's appointment as administrator of the Missouri Social Security Commission in 1941. While the majority of the speeches were made as general counsel, also included are speeches made at local Republican meetings. Two boxes of notecards detail Banta's days as general counsel during 1956 to 1960. Many are only reminders of appointments or meetings, but others include Banta's comments on the event. Also included in this series are miscellaneous service papers of Banta's from World War I.

FOLDER LIST

Correspondence Series

f. 11928, 1940
f. 21941 January-May
f. 31941 June-August
f. 41941 September-1947
f. 51948
f. 61949
f. 71950
f. 81951-1952
f. 91953
f. 101954-1955
f. 111956-1958 April
f. 121958 June-1959
f. 131960
f. 141961
f. 151962-1963 September 4
f. 161963 September 4-December
f. 171964-1965
f. 181966-1968
f. 191969-1970

Department of Health, Education, and Welfare Series

f. 20-33Loyalty, 1954-1956
f. 34-64Salk polio vaccine, 1955

Miscellaneous Series

f. 65Campaign material, 1946, 1948
f. 66Desk diary, 1953
f. 67Newsclippings, 1941-1963
f. 68-70Photographs, 1940s
f. 71Photographs, 1950s
f. 72Speeches, 1937-1953
f. 73Speeches, 1954-1958
f. 74Speeches, 1959-1960, n.d.
f. 75Miscellaneous, 1918-1964
Box 1Note cards, 1956-1957
Box 2Note cards, 1958-1960

INDEX TERMS

These index terms are the subjects, people, places, etc. under which this collection is listed in all available indexes at The State Historical Society of Missouri-Columbia. If you are interested in a specific index term, please contact the reference staff.