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Guide to the Orville Francis Grahame Papers

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Collection Overview
Date Span: 1931-1971
Creator: Grahame, Orville Francis (1904-1989)
Extent: 22.50 linear feet.
Collection Number: MSC0318
Repository: University of Iowa Special Collections
Summary: Vice-president and general counsel of Paul Revere Life Insurance Company of Worcester, MA. Subject files, correspondence, speeches, articles, etc., relating to his involvement in Republican politics (both nationally and in Massachusetts) and the insurance business. There are files on the Health Insurance Association of America, the new York Young Republicans, and the Securities Exchange Commission.

Access: This collection is open for research.

Use: Copyright restrictions may apply; please consult Special Collections staff for further information.

Acquisition: These papers were donated to the University of Iowa Libraries by Mr. Grahame in 1975.

Preferred Citation: Orville Francis Grahame Papers, The University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa City, Iowa.

Repository: University of Iowa Special Collections
Address: Special Collections Department
University of Iowa Libraries
Iowa City, IA 52242
Phone: 319-335-5921
Curator: Greg Prickman
Email: lib-spec@uiowa.edu
Website: http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/sc

Orville Francis Grahame (1904-1989) was born near Palo, Iowa. He attended public schools in Shellsburg and graduated from the University of Iowa in 1925. Grahame then received his law degree from the University of Iowa's College of Law in 1929. He began his legal career in New York City as an officer of the Guardian Life Insurance Company. In 1939, Grahame moved to Worcester, Massachusetts, and took a job with the Paul Revere Life Insurance Company and its parent company Avco Corporation. He served as its vice-president and general council. In the 1940s, Mr. Grahame was an active participant in the writing of Public Law 15, which concerns the regulation of the insurance industry. He served on several of the industry's committees that worked on the legislation.
 
An active Republican, Grahame was involved with the Young Republicans while in New York. In Worcester, Massachusetts, he helped with the Elliot Richardson political campaign. Grahame served on two White House Conferences on Aging. He also was on two study committees of the Massachusetts state legislature, one dealing with public pensions and the other concerned with updating equity insurance investments.

he papers of Orville F. Grahame are arranged in two topical series, Politics and Insurance. The Insurance series is the larger of the two. Series contents are arranged chronologically within an alphabetical sequence. The first series, Politics, contains subject files relating to Grahame's work for the Republican Party and specific candidates. There is correspondence and other material relating to his work for the New York Young Republicans in the 1930s. His work for the Elliot Richardson campaigns for the offices of Attorney General of Massachusetts and Governor of the state is documented with correspondence, campaign worker's materials, and fund raising information. He was also involved in the presidential campaign of Thomas Dewey.

The Insurance series is made up of subject files, speeches, articles, bills, and correspondence. There are eleven folders concerning the Health Insurance Association of America which include legislative committee materials such as correspondence, minutes, and reports. Many of the files relate specifically to insurance issues, policies, and legislation in Massachusetts. Other topics found within this series concern variable annuities, settlement options, the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Insurance Economics Society of America (IESA). Finally, there are two boxes on the White House Conference on Aging, with reports, laws and correspondence

Correspondence is found throughout the papers. There are letters from Bailey Aldrich, Thomas E. Dewey, Guy M. Gillette, Christian Herter, Edward M. Kennedy, Thomas E. Martin, Elliot Richardson, and John Volse.

Index to Notable Letters
(Topic, Name of folder in which to find information on this topic.)
Aldrich, Bailey. Letters and notes. 1952-1954, Bailey Aldrich (Box 10)
Anderson, Clinton P. 1965, Bills. H.R. 6675. Correspondence (Box 14)
Bennett, Wallace. 1965, Bills. H.R. 6675. Correspondence (Box 14)
Boggs, Hale. 1965, Bills. H.R. 6675 (Box 14)
Brownell, Herbert, Jr., Dewey Candidacy. Correspondence. 1940-1944 (Box 1); New York Young Republican Club. Correspondence, 1931-1933, 1934-1935, 1936-1937 (Box 2); Politics. Correspondence, 1947-June, 1948, 1952, 1953-1954 (Box 3)
Byrd, Harry F. 1965, Bills. H.R. 6675. Correspondence (Box 14)
Curran, Thomas J. 1937, New York Young Republican Club Correspondence (Box 2)
Dewey, Thomas E. 1938-1948. Letters, notes, photos. New York Young Republican Club Correspondence (Box 2), Politics-Correspondence; Dewey Candidacy (Box 1)
Dirksen, Everett M. 1965, Bills. H.R. 6675. Correspondence (Box 14)
Ervin, Sam, Jr. 1965, Bills. H.R. 6675 (Box 14)
Gallup, George. 1939, New York Young Republican Club Correspondence (Box 2)
Gillette, Guy M. 1940, Dewey for President Club (Box 1)
Hartke, Vance. 1965, Bills. H.R. 6675. Correspondence (Box 14)
Herter, Christian. 1952-1953, Mass. Retirement Controversy; Christian Herter (Box 1)
Humphrey, Hubert H. 1965, Bills. H.R. 6675. Correspondence (Box 14)
Kennedy, Edward M. 1961-1965, Politics, 1960 (Box 4); Bills. H.R. 6675. Correspondence (Box 14)
LaGuardia, Fiorello. 1933, New York Young Republican Club. Correspondence (Box 2)
Lodge, Henry Cabot, Jr. 1950, Politics-Correspondence, July-December, 1948 (Box 3)
McCarthy, Eugene. 1965, Bills. H.R. 6675. Correspondence (Box 14)
McCormack, John. 1962-1965, King-Anderson Bill (Box 29); H.R. 6675. Correspondence (Box 14)
Martin, Thomas. 1946-1954, Politics-Correspondence (Box 3)
Powell, Adam Clayton, Jr. 1938, New York Young Republican Club (Box 2)
Richardson, Elliot. 1961-1966, Elliot Richardson Folders (Boxes 4,5,6); Politics, 1965 and 1966 (Box 3); Mass. Bills H976 (Box 31)
Volpe, John.

Browse by Series:
Series 1: POLITICS
Series 2: INSURANCE

  • Series 1: POLITICS
  • Box 1:
  • Brooke, Edward
  • Campaign Literature - 1933-1952
  • Dewey Candidacy. Correspondence - 1940-1944
    2 folders
  • Dewey Candidacy. News clippings, articles - 1940-1944
    2 folders
  • Dewey for President Club. Correspondence - 1940
  • Grahame, Orville. A Successful Failure, in Iowa Literary Magazine, December - 1926
  • Herter, Christian. Correspondence, news clippings - 1952-1953
  • The Iowa Liberal. Vol. 1: No. 1 May. Orville Grahame and Pauline Grahame, Editorial Board - 1925
  • Kennedy Library. Correspondence, news clippings - 1964
  • La Guardia, Fiorello
  • Miscellaneous about Pauline Grahame
  • National Republican Club. Correspondence - 1936-1939
  • New York Young Republican Club
  • Box 2:
  • New York Young Republican Club. Correspondence - 1931-1938
    6 folders
  • Box 3:
  • New York Young Republican Club. Correspondence - 1939
    2 folders
  • New York Young Republican Club. Notes, lists
  • Politics. Correspondence - 1945-1952
    4 folders
  • Box 4:
  • Politics. Correspondence - 1953-1967
    9 folders
  • Politics. Dinners and Luncheons. Correspondence - 1960-1965
  • Politics. News clippings - 1952; 1954
  • Republican Platform - 1956
  • Richardson, Elliot. Atty. General of Mass. Correspondence - 1966-1967
  • Box 5:
  • Richardson, Elliot. Campaign for Atty. General. Correspondence - 1957-1962
  • Richardson, Elliot. Campaign for Lt. Governor of Mass. Correspondence - 1964 -1905
    2 folders
  • Box 6:
  • Richardson, Elliot. Campaign for Lt. Governor of Mass. Campaign Worker's Materials - 1964
  • Richardson, Elliot. Fund Raiser. Correspondence - 1965
    2 folders
  • Volpe, John. Gubernatorial Campaign Mass. - 1964-1965
  • Whittier, Sumner. Correspondence - 1951-1956
  • Whittier, Sumner. Finances. Correspondence - 1952
  • Whittier, Sumner. News clippings - 1952-1955
  • Whittier, Sumner, Political Meeting, February 20. Invitation acceptances, non-acceptances - 1952
  • Box 7:
  • Notebooks 5; voter lists cards for New York Young Republican Club - 1930-1939
  • Box 8:
  • Notebooks 2; Mass. Retirement Systems; Study Commission Report
  • Series 2: INSURANCE
  • Box 9:
  • Accident and Sickness Policy Provision Law. Correspondence - 1950-1952
    8 folders
  • Box 10:
  • Accident and Sickness Policy Provision Law. General - 1950-1953
    2 folders
  • Advisory Committee to the Atty. General Mass.. Correspondence - 1964-1969
  • Advisory Committee to the Atty. General Mass.. Reports
  • Aldrich, Bailey. Judgeship Appointment. Correspondence - 1952-l955
  • Box 11:
  • American Bar Association. ABA Insurance Status Committee. Correspondence, January -October - 1946
  • ABA Insurance Status Committee. Correspondence, November - 1946-1950
    2 folders
  • American Life Convention. Questionnaire Responses and Correspondence
  • August-October - 1936
    2 folders
  • American Life Convention. Correspondence - 1962-1969
  • American Management Association. Articles and Correspondence - 1968-1969
  • Articles. Accident and Health Insurance Under the New Tax Law. Correspondence - 1954
  • Articles. Company Practice and the Insurance Trust. Includes correspondence - 1932-1937
  • Box 12:
  • Articles. Dispositions Under Supplementary Contracts. Correspondence - 1936-1937
    2 folders
  • Articles. How to Integrate Law Department with other Departments? Correspondence - 1964
  • Articles. Insurance Decisions. Correspondence - 1933-1936
  • Articles. Life Insurance Trusts or Non-Testamentary Depositor. Correspondence - 1930-1934
    2 folders
  • Articles. Management of the Diversified Multi-Market or Conglomerate Company. Correspondence, April-December - 1969
  • Box 13:
  • Articles. Noncancellable and Guaranteed Renewable Accident and Health Insurance. Correspondence - 1956-1957
    2 folders
  • Articles. Prepayment of. First Premium. Correspondence - 1947-1953
    2 folders
  • Articles. Some Observations on Insurance Holding Companies. Correspondence clippings - 1968-1969
    2 folders
  • Articles. Spendthrift Clause. Correspondence - 1952
  • Articles. The Testamentary Question Under Some Lift Insurance Settlement Options. Correspondence - 1934-1936
  • Articles. What is Expected of a Corporate Law Department? Correspondence - 1962-1963
  • Box 14:
  • Best, Alfred M. Company. Correspondence - 1930-1939
  • Bills. HR 5710. Correspondence - 1967-1968
  • Bills. HR 6675. Correspondence - 1965
    4 folders
  • Bills. HR 6675. Health Insurance Association of America HIAA. Correspondence, clippings, reports - 1965
    3 folders
  • Box 15:
  • Bills. HR 6675. Statements, reports - 1965
  • Clayton Anti-Trust Act. Correspondence - 1945-1950
  • Connecticut 65 Extended Health Insurance. Correspondence - 1961-1964
    2 folders
  • Correspondence - 1932-1933
  • Box 16:
  • Correspondence. Foreign - 1934-1965
    5 folders
  • Correspondence - 1934-1935
  • Exemption. Correspondence - 1933-1939
  • Exemption Recodification. Correspondence - 1936-1937
  • Box 17:
  • Health and Accident Underwriter's Conference. Correspondence - 1944-1950
    4 folders
  • Health and Accident Underwriters' Conference. Executive Committee
  • Correspondence - 1954-1956
  • Box 18:
  • Health Insurance Association of America HIAA. Committee on Cancellation. Correspondence - 1958-1964
    3 folders
  • HIAA. Committee on Cancellation. Reports (4)
  • HIAA. Committee to Study Insurance Regulation. Correspondence, January-July - 1964
  • Box 19:
  • HIAA. Committee to Study Insurance Regulation. Correspondence, August - 1944-1950
    2 folders
  • HIAA. Correspondence - 1955-1959
    5 folders
  • Box 20:
  • HIAA. Correspondence - 1963-1965
    3 folders
  • HIAA. Joint Committee on Social Security end Health Care. Correspondence - 1958-1961
    2 folders
  • Box 21:
  • HIAA. Joint Committee on Social Security and Health Care. Correspondence - 1961-1965
    3 folders
  • HIAA. Legislative Committee chairman. Correspondence - 1961-1965
  • HIAA. Legislative committee. Correspondence - 1958-1961
    3 folders
  • Box 22:
  • HIAA. Legislative Committee. Minutes - 1957-1962
  • HIAA. Legislative Committee. Meetings; correspondence - 1961-1963
    6 folders
  • Box 23:
  • HIAA. Legislative Committee Meetings; includes correspondence - 1963-1966
    6 folders
  • Box 24:
  • HIAA. Legislative Committee Meetings; includes Correspondence - 1966
    2 folders
  • HIAA. Reports, studies, correspondence - 1963-1964
    3 folders
  • Box 25:
  • HIAA. Reports, studies, correspondence - 1964-1965
    3 folders
  • HIAA. Subcommittee on adjustable Premium Policy Nomenclature. Correspondence - 1956-1957
    3 folders
  • HIAA. Subcommittee on Advertising. Correspondence - 1956
  • Box 26:
  • HIAA. Subcommittee on FTC Jurisdiction. Correspondence - 1956-1959
    8 folders
  • Box 27:
  • HIAA. Subcommittee on FTC Jurisdiction. Correspondence - 1962-1963
  • HIAA. Subcommittee on FTC Jurisdiction. Nebraska Case. Correspondence - 1958
  • HIAA. Subcommittee on FTC Jurisdiction. Pending Cases - 1955-1958
  • HIAA. Subcommittee on FTC Jurisdiction. Seymour Brief. Correspondence - 1956
  • HIAA. Traveler's Health Case. Correspondence - 1959-1961
    3 folders
  • Box 28:
  • HIAA. Subcommittee on Zones. Correspondence - 1956
  • Incontestability. Correspondence and Paper - 1932-1934
  • Insurance Economics Society of America IESA. Correspondence - 1951-1963
    7 folders
  • Box 29:
  • IESA. Confiscation Without Compensation paper - 1958
    2 folders; includes Canadian responses
  • IESA. Correspondence - 1958-1959
  • IESA. Miscellaneous
  • IESA. Speech. Capitalism Plus - 1955
    includes correspondence, news clippings
  • IESA. Washington Representative. Correspondence
  • Insurance Society. Correspondence - 1938-1939
  • International- Association of Insurance Counsels. Correspondence - 1945-1954
  • King-Anderson Medical Bill HR 4222
  • Correspondence - 1961-1962
    2 folders
  • Box 30:
  • Massachusetts. Bills. H71. Correspondence - 1950-1952
  • Massachusetts. Bills. H185. Correspondence - 1954
  • Massachusetts. Bills. H430. Correspondence - 1963
  • Massachusetts. Bills. H976. Correspondence - 1961
  • Massachusetts. Bills. H1230. Correspondence - 1962-1963
  • Massachusetts. Bills. H2140 and H1890. Correspondence - 1952-1954
  • Massachusetts. Committee on Retirement Systems and Pensions
    2 folders
  • Box 31:
  • Massachusetts. Legislator's Retirement Fund Controversy. Correspondence - 1953-1955
    2 folders
  • Massachusetts. Legislator's Retirement Fund reports - 1954-1955
  • Massachusetts. Retired Teacher's Association. Correspondence, support for Pension Bill - 1953-1954
  • Massachusetts 65 Plan. Correspondence - 1961-1964
  • Mutuality. Correspondence, February-May - 1939
  • Mutuality. Correspondence, June-December - 1939
  • Box 32:
  • Mutualization. Correspondence - 1959-196l
    2 folders
  • Notes, drafts - 1938-1939
    2 folders
  • Objectives Review Committee. Correspondence commissions - 1966-1967
    2 folders
  • Box 33:
  • Objectives Review Committee. Correspondence - 1967
  • Objectives Review Committee. Group Insurance. Correspondence - 1965-1967
  • Objectives Review Committee. Retirement Plans Subcommittee. Correspondence - 1966-1967
  • Objectives Review Committee. Subcommittees
    2 folders
  • Securities and Exchange Commission SEC. Correspondence - 1936-1940
  • SEC. Report on Insurance Companies
  • Box 34:
  • SEC. Questionnaire and Supplement
    2 folders
  • Settlement, Options. Correspondence - 1932-1946
    6 folders
  • Box 35:
  • Settlement Options - 1946-1954
  • Settlement Options
    2 folders
  • Settlement Options. Letters - 1936-1940
  • Social Security. American Life Convention. Correspondence
  • Social Security. Correspondence - 1935-1939
  • Social Security. Pamphlets
  • Speeches. Are the Courts Destroying the Double Indemnity and Accidental Death
  • Death Benefit? Correspondence, March-April - 1951
  • Box 36:
  • Speeches. Are the Courts Destroying the Double Indemnity and Accidental Death Benefit? Correspondence, March-July - 1957
    2 folders
  • Speeches. How Life Insurance Gets to the Public. Correspondence - 1936-1939
  • Speeches. Insurance Morale - 1938
  • Speeches. Life Insurance hooks at the Clayton Act. Correspondence - 1945-1952
  • Speeches. Paging Mr. Beverridge. Correspondence - 1954
  • Speeches. What is Expected of a Corporate Law Dept? Correspondence - 1937
  • Standard Provisions Subcommittee. Correspondence - 1947-1950
    2 folders
  • Standardization of State Insurance Dept. Filing Requirements. Correspondence - 1942-1944
    2 folders
  • Box 37:
  • Standardization of State Insurance Dept. Filing Requirements. Correspondence, February - 1944-1947
  • Testamentary Question. Correspondence, article - 1948-1949
  • Uniform Laws Committee. Correspondence - 1957-1960
  • Box 38:
  • Variable Annuities Committee. Correspondence - 1962-1965
    2 folders
  • Variable Annuities. Correspondence - 1954-1959
    5 folders
  • Box 39:
  • Variable Annuities. Correspondence - 1960-1968
    5 folders
  • Variable Annuities. Correspondence George L. Johnson - 1965
  • Variable Annuities. Correspondence with Life Companies - 1958-1965
    2 folders
  • Variable Annuities. Correspondence with State Insurance Departments - 1958
  • Box 40:
  • Variable Annuities. Court Cases
  • Variable Annuities. Insurance company Reactions
    2 folders
  • Variable Annuities. Investment-Company Incorporation Papers - Precedents
  • Variable Annuities. Legislative Committee Mass. Correspondence - 1956-1958
  • Variable Annuities. Massachusetts Hearings, April 20 - 1957
  • Box 41:
  • Variable Annuities. Pamphlets, reports
    3 folders
  • Paul Revere Life Company. Correspondence - 1964-1965
  • Box 42:
  • Variable Annuities. Paul Revere Life Company. Correspondence, December-December - 1965-1966
    2 folders
  • Variable Annuities. Policyholder's Voting Rights. Correspondence - 1963-1964
  • Variable Annuities. SEC Reports - 1938
  • Variable annuity Bills. H430 Mass.. Correspondence - 1957-1964
    2 folders
  • Box 43:
  • White House Conference on Aging - 1971
  • White House Conference on Aging. Correspondence - 1971-1972
    2 folders
  • White House Conference on Aging. Massachusetts Activities - 1970-1971
  • Box 44:
  • White House Conference on Aging. Reports, laws (22)
  • Box 45:
  • Withdrawals. Correspondence - 1931-1939
  • Binders, reports (5)

This collection is indexed under the following subject terms.


Corporate Names:
Health Insurance Association of America
Insurance Economics Society of America
Paul Revere Life Insurance Co.
Republican Party (New York City)
United States. Securities Exchange Commission
White House Conference on Aging (1971 : Washington, D.C.)
Young Republicans of New York

Topics:
Insurance, Health
Insurance, Life
Variable annuities

Geographic Names:
Worcester, Mass.

Genre/Form of Materials:
Speeches

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