Biography or History
Emily Vance Pancake Smith was born on 10 November 1885 in Romney, WV. Married to Herbert McKelden Smith, she served as president of the Woodrow Wilson Birthplace Foundation from 1957 to February 1973 when she was named its first president emeritus. Emily Smith played a prominent roll in the establishment, development, and preservation of the Woodrow Wilson Birthplace through fundraising and attracting well-known national personalities to the Birthplace. In addition to her involvement with the Woodrow Wilson Birthplace Foundation, Smith was also involved in the Garden Club of Virginia and served as president of the board of King’s Daughters Hospital for a number of years. Emily Smith died on 6 March 1975.
Other Descriptive Data
Container List
Box 1 Outgoing Correspondence, 1934 – 1964
Folder
Outgoing Correspondence, February 1934 - December 1939
Outgoing Correspondence, October 1940 – December 1941
Outgoing Correspondence, January 1942 – July 1943
Outgoing Correspondence, January 1944 – November 1945
Outgoing Correspondence, January 1946 – December 1960
Outgoing Correspondence, October 1951 – December 1959
Outgoing Correspondence, January 1960 – December 1961
Outgoing Correspondence, January 1962 – February 1962
Outgoing Correspondence, March 1962 – October 1962
Outgoing Correspondence, November 1962 – December 1962
Outgoing Correspondence, January 1963 – June 1963
Outgoing Correspondence, July 1963 – November 1963
Outgoing Correspondence, December 1963
Outgoing Correspondence, January 1964 – March 1964
Outgoing Correspondence, April 1964 – June 1964
Outgoing Correspondence, July 1964 – October 1964
Outgoing Correspondence, November 1964 – December 1964
Box 2
Folder
Outgoing Correspondence, 1965 – 1974
Outgoing Correspondence, January 1965 – April 1965
Outgoing Correspondence, May 1965 – December 1965
Outgoing Correspondence, January 1966 – July 1966
Outgoing Correspondence, August 1966 – December 1966
Outgoing Correspondence, January 1967 – July 1967
Outgoing Correspondence, August 1967 – December 1967
Outgoing Correspondence, January 1968 – June 1968
Outgoing Correspondence, July 1968 – December 1968
Outgoing Correspondence, January 1969 – December 1969
Outgoing Correspondence, January 1970 – December 1970
Outgoing Correspondence, January 1971 – July 1971
Outgoing Correspondence, August 1971 – December 1971
Outgoing Correspondence, January 1972 – June 1972
Outgoing Correspondence, July 1972 – December 1972
Outgoing Correspondence, January 1973 – October 1973
Undated Outgoing Correspondence
Box 3 Incoming Correspondence,
Folder
Incoming Correspondence A, 12 August 1938 – 26 May 1972
Incoming Correspondence B, 6 December 1939 – 14 October 1959
Incoming Correspondence B, 27 May 1960 – 26 July 1972
Incoming Correspondence – Harry F. Byrd, 5 May 1941 – 21 September 1965
ncoming Correspondence – Harry F. Byrd, Jr., 7 October 1970 – 27 October 1971
Selected Incoming Correspondence – Boggs, Bolling, and Bullock, 1933 – 1965
Incoming Correspondence C, 17 March 1941 – 23 June 1972
Selected Incoming Correspondence – Catlett, Cheek, Cochran, Collins, 1958 – 1971
Incoming Correspondence D, 6 May 1940 – 7 February 1972
Selected Incoming Correspondence – Dalton, Dempsey, Dillon, Dodge, 1961 – 1972
Incoming Correspondence E, 30 October 1940 – 14 April 1972
Incoming Correspondence – Eisenhower, 15 October 1963 – 23 April 1969
Incoming Correspondence – C. M. Elder, 3 December 1958 – 6 September 1967
Incoming Correspondence – F, 4 November 1936 – 2 June 1972
Selected Incoming Correspondence – Fannin, Farrier, Faubus, Felts, Fugate, Fuller, 12 October 1959 – 19 March 1970
Undated Incoming Correspondence – A-F
Box 4
Folder
Incoming Correspondence – Lois Gilkeson, 4 November 1959 – 4 December 1962
Incoming Correspondence – Lois Gilkeson, 2 January 1963 – 17 December 1963
Incoming Correspondence – Lois Gilkeson, 15 January 1964 – 24 July 1964
Incoming Correspondence – Lois Gilkeson, 26 August 1964 – 28 December 1964
Incoming Correspondence – Lois Gilkeson, 7 January 1965 – 10 December 1965
Incoming Correspondence – Lois Gilkeson, 12 January 1966 – 1 May 1967, Undated
Incoming Correspondence – G, 17 July 1936 – 10 September 1965
Incoming Correspondence – G, 28 February 1966 0 30 September 1968
Incoming Correspondence – G, 17 January 1969 – 19 October 1972
Selected Incoming Correspondence – Gage, Glass, Gilliam, Godwin, Grayson, Groner, 1 August 1936 – 13 October 1971
Incoming Correspondence – H, 23 February 1934 – 14 November 1961
Incoming Correspondence – H, 8 January 1962 – 8 February 1967
Incoming Correspondence – H, 16 February 1968 – 26 November 1972
Selected Incoming Correspondence – Harrison, Holton, Hoover, Humphrey, 25 August 1958 – 29 March 1973
Undated Correspondence G – H
Box 5
Folder
Incoming Correspondence I – K, 16 January 1939 – 20 October 1972
Selected Incoming Correspondence – Lady Bird Johnson, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, John F. Kennedy, Otto Kerner, F. Ray Keyser, Jr., 24 January 1963 – 4 June 1968
Incoming Correspondence – L, 11 April 1941 – 8 November 1972
Incoming Correspondence – Arthur S. Link The Papers of Woodrow Wilson, 5 December 1960 – 18 January 1972
Incoming Correspondence –Elsie Cobb Little, 8 August 1940 – 27 February 9999, Undated
Incoming Correspondence – M, 22 January 1934 – 8 May 1950
Incoming Correspondence – M, 27 October 1958 – 20 December 1966
Incoming Correspondence – M, 19 January 1967 – 23 December 1970
Incoming Correspondence – M, 9 February 1971 – 11 December 1972
Incoming Correspondence – Robert L. L. McCormick, 20 July 1964 – 28 June 1965
Selected Incoming Correspondence – Maddox, Wilson-McAdoo, Moore, Morrison3 June 1955 – 3 October 1968
Incoming Correspondence – N, 7 November 1940 – 16 March 1972 - includes a signed letter from Donald Nutter
Incoming Correspondence – O, 10 November 1943 – 25 April 1972
Incoming Correspondence – P-Q, 18 January 1934 – 1 December 1972
Selected Incoming Correspondence – Paiewonsky, Parker, 11 September 1961, 1 October 1971, 30 September 1972
Incoming Correspondence – R, 11 December 1939 – 20 January 1972
Incoming Correspondence – Gale Richmond, 27 March 1956 – 14 July 1972
Incoming Correspondence – J. Kenneth Robinson, 2 April 1971 – 27 October 1971
Selected Incoming Correspondence – Reed, Rockefeller, Ronan, Root, Rosellini, 16 October 1959 – 15 August 1961
Undated Incoming Correspondence I – R
Box 6
Folder
Incoming Correspondence – S, 20 November 1940 – 10 December 1959
Incoming Correspondence – S, 12 January 1960 – 7 December 1964
Incoming Correspondence – S, 4 January 1965 – 28 November 1972
Selected Incoming Correspondence - Francis B. Sayre (Jr. and Sr.), Sanford, Smylie, Spencer, Spong, Stanley, Stettinius, Stotz, 12 April 1949 – 2 November 1971
Incoming Correspondence – T, 25 March 1941 – 7 August 1972
Selected Incoming Correspondence – Tawes, Truman, 12 October 1959 – 27 January 1973
Incoming Correspondence – U – includes Upshur, Uppercue, Ulster-Scot Historical Society, 6 November 1940 – 14 March 1968
Incoming Correspondence – V, 9 September 1941 – 7 June 1961
Incoming Correspondence – W, 28 October 1933 – 9 July 1959
Incoming Correspondence – W, 6 October 1961 – 3 April 1973
Incoming Correspondence – W, Selected Incoming Correspondence – Welch, Woodrow, 9 August 1961 – 2 August 1971, undated
Incoming Correspondence – Y-Z, 18 September 1958 – 12 June 1972
Undated Incoming Correspondence – S-Z
Unidentified Incoming Correspondence
Correspondence related to the Tribute Dinner Given in Honor of Emily Smith, 10 May 1968 – 24 July 1968
Miscellaneous typed or printed tributes to Emily Smith, 5 February 1959 – April 1973
Newspaper Clippings – Tributes to Emily Smith, 6 June 1968 – 19 February 1973
Miscellaneous Newspaper Clippings removed from Correspondence, c. 26 November 1961 – 2 April 1973
Miscellaneous Blueprints, Diagrams, and Plats
Miscellaneous Brochures
Manual of the Senate and House of Delegates Virginia, 1956
Scope and Content
The Papers of Emily Smith span the years 1933 through 1974. Composed principally of incoming and outgoing business correspondence relating to the administration of the Woodrow Wilson Birthplace Foundation, its founding, fund-raising, publicity and expansion, the collection contains nearly 3,000 (2,797) items. The bulk of the material originated between 1960 and 1974, the years in which Mrs. Smith was president or president emeritus of the Woodrow Wilson Birthplace Foundation and, in addition to correspondence, contains a miscellaneous grouping of testimonials, tributes, newspaper clippings, plats, diagrams, blueprints and brochures. Photographs have been removed and placed with the photograph collection of the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library. The collection displays the appeal and reverence for Woodrow Wilson and Edith Boling Wilson held by many Americans through the wide-range of correspondents which include eight United States presidents and/or their wives, governors, senators, ambassadors and numerous other public figures. The collection also contains a significant amount of unpublished, primary source material relating to the establishment of what would become the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum.