The Winston Churchill collection contains 11 items related to various aspects of Churchill's life, written by Churchill, his wife, and a few of their acquaintances. The earliest item in the collection is a letter by Churchill's father, Randolph Spencer Churchill, relating to a request for a speech (July 11, 1889). The remainder of the items deal directly with Winston Churchill's life, including a letter written by Churchill to James B. Pond about Churchill's anticipated visit to North America in 1900 (September 11, 1900). Other material pertains to political and personal affairs, including two letters regarding historic plates sent to the Churchill family. Churchill's typed notes, with manuscript annotations, used for a commencement address he made at Miami University on February 26, 1946, concerning the U.S.-British cooperation during World War II, the importance of secondary education, and the education of servicemen returning from the war. Other items related to Churchill's activities in Miami include a printed copy of his address and two photographs of Churchill during the event. Also of interest is a letter written by architect Leo Sylvester Sullivan, who attended school with Churchill in the early 1900s. Sullivan recalled Churchill's extensive oral preparations, and remembered, "Every stuttering sentence was repeated over & over again & was altered to avoid the stutter" (July 6, 1956). The collection includes a copy of The New York Times from January 25, 1965, with two copies of a Special Supplement regarding the life and death of Winston Churchill. See the box and folder listing below for a detailed inventory of the collection.
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was born at Blenheim Palace, England, on November 30, 1874, to Lord Randolph Henry Spencer Churchill, later British Secretary of State to India, and his wife, Jeanette Jerome; he had one brother, John Strange Spencer-Churchill. Churchill attended Harrow School and completed his military training at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst; after his graduation, he joined the 4th Hussars, and received his commission as 2nd lieutenant. In this capacity, Churchill traveled widely, and he eventually gained fame as a war correspondent. His literary exploits during the Boer War in South Africa became particularly well known, and in 1900, he successfully won his first parliamentary seat. His political stock continued to rise throughout the following years; he served as President of the Board of Trade and as Home Secretary. In October 1911, Churchill became First Lord of the Admiralty, a post he held until forced to resign in 1915, after the disastrous battles at Gallipoli during the First World War. Throughout the 1930s, Churchill became a vocal advocate for arming the British military in light of developments within Nazi Germany. He returned to the war cabinet shortly after the outbreak of World War II. On May 10, 1940, Churchill became prime minister of Great Britain, a post he held until July 26, 1945. He continued his political career after the war, serving as a leader of the Conservative opposition and returning as prime minister from October 26, 1951-April 5, 1955. At this time, Churchill bowed out of politics and fell into a physical and mental decline until his death on January 24, 1965.
