Frank P. Leslie was born in St. Paul, Minnesota on December 9, 1892, the son of John and Bessie McAfee Leslie. He was educated in Minneapolis schools and attended the University of Minnesota. He graduated from Princeton University in 1915. He joined his father's firm, the John Leslie Paper Company, and eventually became its president. During World War I he was commissioned in the 2nd Officers' Training Camp and served 15 months.
Leslie served as a member of the first Hoover Commission, serving as a deputy to Secretary of Defense James Forrestal (a fellow member of the Princeton class of 1915). He was a director of Northwestern National Bank, a trustee of Farmers and Mechanics Savings Bank, chairman of the board of the Title Insurance Company of Minneapolis, and a trustee of the Hennepin Avenue Methodist Church in Minneapolis. He was also active in the Republican Party in Minnesota.
Leslie married Ruth Hill in 1916. They had five children: Frank, Jr., Mary, Ruth, Anne, and James. He died May 1, 1972 in Minneapolis.
Correspondence and subject files include information on national and Minnesota politics, the Republican Party, the first Hoover Commission on which Leslie served, Princeton University (the class of 1915 and the rare book library), Hennepin Avenue Methodist Church (Minneapolis, Minn.), books and book collecting, history of printing, travel, and the Leslie Paper Company. The correspondence from 1932 to 1949 is mainly political. Later correspondence becomes more topically diffuse. It is apparent from the files that Leslie's correspondence with many people predates that found in the collection.
The general correspondence is in chronological order, while the subject files are in order by year only. The correspondence for 1932-1944 includes information on Minnesota state politics, the Republican Party, Leslie's fund raising activities for the Republicans in Minnesota, a recommendation of Stassen's appointment to the United States Navy (1942), and an exchange of letters between Leslie and Sydney Anderson regarding Governor Thye's veto of a bill regulating labor union practices.
Correspondence for 1945-1949 includes letters discussing Harold Stassen's campaign for the presidency, a letter from Leslie to Stafford King assessing King's chances of election in the Republican primary (1947), letters from Leslie to Warren Burger and Julian Baird censuring the critics of Republican campaign practices and office holders (1949), and information on the Republican national convention in 1948.
A series of letters between Leslie and Forrestal discuss Leslie's assignment to study the problems of civil defense. Others relate to Leslie's work on the Hoover Commission, including letters from Herbert Hoover, Clarence J. Brown, and Clarence Francis.
In addition to political correspondence with Hoover, there is a letter from Dwight D. Eisenhower about Leslie's memorial of Forrestal. Several letters during the 1950s from Wilton B. (Jerry) Persons, deputy assistant to President Eisenhower, discuss Republican politics. A letter from Leslie to Stassen comments on the political situation in Europe (1954), and one to Persons doubts that Eisenhower can convince the United States public of the advisability of entering the Indochina war (1954).
Later correspondence becomes more general and includes, in addition to his political interests, Leslie's book collecting, his photography of illuminated manuscripts and the presentation of these slides to colleges and universities, and his travels. There is little family correspondence.
See also: Frank P. Leslie,
Additional correspondence between Leslie and James Forrestal can be found in the Princeton University Archvies, Princeton, N.J.
An inventory that provides additional information about this collection is also available in the repository; filed in ALPHA notebooks under the heading: Leslie, Frank P.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should
Accession number: 11,312; 12,101; 12,982; 14,634
Processed by: Bonnie B. Palmquist, February 1993
PALS ID number: 09-00038369
Memoirs by Frank Leslie, birth and marriage dates for Leslie children and grandchildren, items from funeral services, and miscellaneous material.
The correspondence mainly concerns the Republican Party in Minnesota, Leslie's involvement as treasurer of the Republican State Central Committee, politics and the Earle Brown campaign for Governor (1932), as well as a report on a political trip taken by Edwin Lindell (Sept.-Oct. 1932). Includes a detailed description of a European trip written to Henry Ford (Dec.1, 1935); the resignation of Roy Dunn as Republican National Committeeman (1942); and a personal letter from Ruth Leslie about the trip with their son in August 1945. During this time there are many letters to newspaper editors in Minnesota and Montana and requests for Leslie to speak about the Hoover Commission to civic, cultural, and political organizations. Leslie became a deputy assistant to Secretary of Defense James Forrestal (Sept. 1948) in his work on the Hoover Commission for reorganization of the executive branch of the government.
Principal correspondents during this period are: John Crosby (1944-1954), Laurence Rossman (1932-1951), Harold Stassen (1942-1955), John Cowles (1946-1964), Luther Youngdahl (1947-1967), Warren Burger (1946-1954), Dan Whetstone (1946-1959), Herbert Hoover (1949-1960), Leva Marx (1949-1951), and Edward Thye (1946-1956). Other correspondents include Roy Dunn, John Pillsbury, Walter Judd, Peavey Heffelfinger, Albert Lindley, Nelson Rockefeller, and Harry Bullis.
The correspondence becomes more general in character and includes correspondence with members of his Princeton University class; his brothers John and Donald Leslie; newspaper editors; book collectors; travelers; educational institutions, particularly in Minnesota; the Committee of Minneapolis' Future: 100 Most Promising Young Men (1953), a survey conducted by Time magazine; and with others concerning his interest in photography and illuminated manuscripts, and the publication of his study of the Gutenberg Bibles.
Main correspondents are: James Reston (1953-1963), Stanley Marcus (1954-1972), Father Anselm Strittmatter (1956-1966), Wilton B. Persons (1955-1960), and Fred Seaton (1956-1960). Other correspondents include Sydney Anderson, Joseph Ball, Edward Devitt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Walter Ewing Hope, Harold LeVander, Sidney Alexander Mitchell, and Lucien Strong.
Correspondence is scattered and continues the subjects of travel, art, and opera.
Correspondence with rare book dealers and librarians, price lists, speeches, and receipts relating to Leslie's collection of fine printing and unique manuscripts.
Correspondence and newspaper clippings relating to the Leslie Paper Company's annual breakfast for editors of Minnesota newspapers, which featured prominent speakers. Included is Carleton College president John Nason's speech on private higher education (Nov. 4, 1965).
Mainly thank-you letters from recipients receiving copies of a
facsimile edition of
Correspondence, report, and legal papers relating to the National Paper Trade Association's reply to a Federal Trade Commission decision. The John Leslie Paper Company was named in the suit.
Correspondence with and about James Forrestal, his suicide (1949), and Forrestal biographies. Also includes letters from son Michael Forrestal and Marx Leva. Most of Forrestal letters are photocopies. Additional Leslie-Forrestal correspondence can be found in the Princeton University Archives. Leslie, who was a classmate of Forrestal's at Princeton, wrote a memorial for Forrestal after his death.
Photocopies of correspondence between Leslie and Galbraith relating to the effect of taxation on private capital.
Correspondence and membership lists of a club for book collectors. Includes itineraries of trips taken by members.
Correspondence with libraries, curators, religious leaders, and others relating to Leslie's book on the history and whereabouts of the surviving copies of the Gutenberg Bible. Includes a copy of the book.
Correspondence and printed material relating to Leslie's presentation to Harvard University of a letter of Lionel de Jersey Harvard (1893-1918).
Correspondence and printed material relating to Leslie's friendship with Hines, a basso with the Metropolitan Opera. Hines composed a religious opera, "I Am The Way" (1959).
History, correspondence, minutes, and financial information about the Church. Leslie was a life-long member and served on the board of trustees. The main correspondent is Bishop Richard C. Raines.
Correspondence, reports, minutes, notes, daily summaries of press analysis, news releases, radio scripts, and printed material of a twelve-person commission (4 appointed by President Truman, 4 appointed by President pro tem of the Senate Vandenburg, and 4 appointed by Speaker of the House Joe Martin, with Herbert Hoover as chairman). The purpose of the Commission was to study the growth of the federal government and the organization of its executive branch. Frank Leslie was an assistant to Commissioner James Forrestal and consultant on the Post Office Department. Leslie served from September 1948 to February 1949. Marx Leva and James Kearney were correspondents.
Correspondence, memoranda, and printed material from an organization dedicated to implementing recommendations of the Hoover Report (formal name: Citizens Committee for Reorganization of the Executive Branch of the Government, Inc.).
Business and legal papers, printed material, and 60th Anniversary (1954) information. Most of the papers are from the early 1900s.
A script for a public television program on opera, featuring Leslie and Dr. Charles [?] Rea.
Correspondence with Rusty Larcombe, publisher of the
Leslie displayed books from his private library explaining the art of printing and the "Golden Age of Book." Includes a catalog.
Correspondence and memorandum relating to the board of directors of the company and interests of its stockholders.
Correspondence and bulletins relating to the subject of broken package sales of paper.
Correspondence with President Robert Goheen and others.
Correspondence with members of the publication committee as well as class members for the book issued on the anniversary of the class of 1915.
Correspondence and pamphlet written about the class by Leslie.
Correspondence, agreements, and statements of men (26 pp.) [apparently members of private police squads] relating to the Truck Drivers and Helpers Union suit against the Minneapolis Employers of Truck Drivers and Helpers.
Correspondence relating to Leslie's donation of collectors' books to the university in honor of Professors Ralph D. Casey and Thomas Barnhart.
Correspondence and newspaper clippings relating to the traffic hazard posed by the viaduct.
Separate selections on: summary, family, politics, book collecting, church, the arts and music, and photography and travel.
The Leslies designed their own Christmas cards.
Photographs of Frank Leslie, Frank and Ruth Leslie, U.S.S.
The 1948-1950 diaries are photocopies of the originals.
The subtitle "Water Boy to the Elephant" appears on the title page.
An essay.
Minneapolis grammar school.
Republican National Committee, 1946; Hennepin County Historical Society, 1961.
Hoover Commission interview.
Hoover Commission interview [?].