Political Papers of Frank Wayland Higgins

Chronological, except for Boxes 14 and 15, which are alphabetical.

Frank Wayland Higgins, Republican and 38th Governor of New York, was born on August 18, 1856. A successful owner of a grocery business, Higgins also had interests in timber and mineral properties in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Higgins was elected as New York State Senator to the 50th district in 1893. From 1896-1902, Senator Higgins served as Chairman of the State Finance Committee. In 1902, he was elected to the position of Lieutenant Governor, serving under Governor Odell. In 1904 Higgins was chosen as the Republican Party's nominee for Governor. During the campaign, Higgins struggled to distance himself from now unpopular Governor Odell and prove that he was not a political puppet.

After he was elected governor, Higgins worked to investigate life insurance business in New York and abolish direct state tax. He also established an "electric lighting plant" for the State Capitol and the Executive Mansion, actually saving New York money. Governor Higgins was friends with President Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt frequently sought Higgins' opinions and ideas while serving as Governor of New York and President of the United States.

Frank Wayland Higgins died on February 12, 1907, having just left the Office of Governor. Higgins had decided not to seek another term in office, due to his declining health. It is thought that Higgins died from a heart condition and kidney disease.

The papers relate to Frank Wayland Higgins' political career as New York State Senator, Governor, and Lieutenant Governor. The majority consist of newspaper clippings of articles and political cartoons, invitations to social occasions, correspondence, and telegrams housed in scrapbooks. Other materials include correspondence, photographs, and event programs. Some of the scrapbooks contain invitations, cards, newspaper clippings, and information on Higgins' retirement and death.

A significant portion of the records document Higgins' campaigns for office, as well as the struggle for power in the Republican Party. Correspondents of note include Theodore Roosevelt, Gov. Frank Black, Gov. Levi Morton, Thomas Platt, M. Linn Bruce, Timothy Woodruff, Melvil Dewey, Elihu Root, W. J. Houghton, Nicholas Murray Butler, Judge Gary of U.S. Steel, and Jacob G. Schurman.

High resolution images of selected original documents in this series are available in State Archives Digital Collections.

These records were a gift to the Syracuse University Manuscripts and Special Collections by the family of Frank Wayland Higgins in 1963. They were transferred to the New York State Archives in June 2006 and accessioned in the summer of 2007.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.