Collection Summary
Henry M. Robert Papers
1853-1937
(bulk 1880-1923)
1853-1937
(bulk 1880-1923)
MSS37952
Robert, Henry M. (Henry
Martyn), 1837-1923
5,000
items
8 containers
3.6 linear feet
8 microfilm reels
English
Collection material in
English
Manuscript Division, Library of
Congress
Washington, D.C.
Army officer, engineer,
and parliamentarian. Diaries, memoranda books, correspondence, letterbooks,
subject files, and other papers relating mainly to Roberts service as an
engineer and parliamentarian.
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Collamer, Newton R.--Correspondence.
Denton, Mary Innis--Correspondence.
Frazer, Persifor, 1844-1909--Correspondence.
Hardie, James Allen, 1823-1876--Correspondence.
Haupt, Lewis M. (Lewis Muhlenberg), 1844-1937--Correspondence.
Humphreys, A. A. (Andrew Atkinson), 1810-1883--Correspondence.
Judson, Edward, 1844-1914--Correspondence.
Mendell, George H. (George Henry), 1831-1902--Correspondence.
Robert, Henry M. (Henry Martyn), 1837-1923.
Robert, Henry M. (Henry Martyn), 1837-1923. Pocket manual of rules of order for deliberative assemblies. 1876.
Robert, Henry M. (Henry Martyn), 1837-1923. Robert's rules of order. 1876.
Robert, Joseph Thomas, 1835-1925--Correspondence.
Totten, Joseph Gilbert, 1788-1864--Correspondence.
Townsend, Edward T.--Correspondence.
Wilson, John M. (John Moulder), 1837-1919--Correspondence.
Organizations
S.C. Griggs & Co.--Correspondence.
United States. Army. Corps of Engineers.
Subjects
Baptists.
Engineering--Cumberland River (Ky. and Tenn.)
Engineering--Delaware River Valley (N.Y.-Del. and N.J.)
Engineering--Massachusetts--New Bedford.
Engineering--Mexico--Frontera.
Engineering--Texas--Galveston.
Engineering--Washington (D.C.)
Engineering--Wisconsin--Milwaukee.
Military engineering.
Parliamentary practice.
Occupations
Army officers.
Engineers.
Parliamentarians.
Provenance
The papers of Henry M. Robert, army officer, engineer, and
parliamentarian, were given to the Library of Congress by Mrs. Henry M. Robert,
Sr., in 1950 and Mrs. Henry M. Robert, Jr., in 1951.
Processing History
The papers of Henry M. Robert were processed in 1951 and prepared for
microfilming in 1986. The finding aid was revised in 2009.
Copyright Status
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Henry M. Robert
is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Access and Restrictions
The papers of Henry M. Robert are open to research. Researchers are
advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many
collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these
items for research use.
Microfilm
A microfilm edition of these papers is available on eight reels.
Consult reference staff in the Manuscript Division concerning availability for
purchase or interlibrary loan. To promote preservation of the originals,
researchers are required to consult the microfilm edition as available.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the
following information: Container or reel number, Henry M. Robert Papers,
Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Biographical Note
Date
Event
1837, May 2
Born, Robertville, S.C.
1856
1857
Acting assistant professor, United States Military Academy,
West Point, N.Y.
1857
Graduated, United States Military Academy, West Point,
N.Y.
1860
Explored military route from Vancouver, British Columbia, to
Puget Sound
Married Helen M. Thresher
1861
Engineer on defenses of Washington, D.C.
1861
1865
In charge of defenses of Philadelphia and New Bedford,
Pa.
1865
1867
In charge of Department of Practical Engineering, United
States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.
1867
1871
Chief engineer, Military Division of the Pacific
1871
1895
In charge of various lighthouse districts and of improvements
of rivers and harbors
1876
Published
Pocket Manual of Rules of Order for Deliberative
Assemblies
. Chicago: S. C. Griggs
1890
1891
Engineer commissioner, District of Columbia
1894
1901
Member, Philadelphia Harbor Line Board
1895
1901
President, United States Board of Engineers for
Fortifications
Member, New York Harbor Line Board
1897
1901
Supervising engineer for twelve engineering districts from
Pittsburgh, Pa. to Galveston, Tex.
1901
Promoted to brigadier general and appointed chief of
engineers; then retired
Married Isabel Livingstone Hoagland
1901
1915
Designed and supervised the building of a seawall, bridge, and
causeway for Galveston, Tex.
1915
In charge of improvement of the Port of Frontera,
Mexico
1921
Published
Parliamentary Practice, an Introduction to Parliamentary
Law
. New York: Century
1923
Published
Parliamentary Law
. New York: Century
1923, May 11
Died, Oswego, N.Y.
Scope and Content Note
The papers of Henry Martyn Robert (1837-1923) span the years
1853-1937, with the bulk of the material concentrated in the period 1880-1923.
The collection has been organized into
[
Diaries and
Memoranda Books
](diaries),
[
General
Correspondence
](gencorr),
[
Letterbooks
](letterbooks),
[
Subject
File
](subject), and
[
Miscellany
](misc).
The
[
Diaries and
Memoranda Books
](diaries) include engineering notes on New Bedford, Massachusetts,
in the 1860s, the Delaware River in the 1880s, and the Cumberland River in the
1890s. There are also membership rosters of Baptist congregations in Milwaukee
and Philadelphia in the 1880s.
Much of the
[
General
Correspondence
](gencorr) consists of letters about
Robert's Pocket Manual of Rules of Order for Deliberative
Assemblies
, commonly referred to as
Robert's Rules of Order
. There are letters from the
publisher, S. C. Griggs & Company, and numerous letters of inquiry about
points of order. Officials of many organizations, including women's
organizations, wrote to Robert for guidance on parliamentary procedure. For the
years that Robert served as engineer commissioner of the District of Columbia,
1890-1891, there are papers relating to the enforcement of laws pertaining to
gambling, prostitution, and saloon-keeping. Among the engineering projects
represented are the Delaware breakwater, chiefly in the 1880s, the seawall,
causeway, and bridge at Galveston, Texas, principally 1906-1910, and the Port
of Frontera, Mexico, about 1911-1914. Corps of Engineer officers from whom
Robert received letters include William P. Craighill, about 1895-1901 and John
M. Wilson, about 1897-1901, both of whom served as chief of engineers.
Beginning about 1899 are letters from Robert to his son Henry M. Robert,
Jr.
The
[
Letterbooks
](letterbooks) contain copies of letters sent. Items
concerning rivers and harbors in the Corps of Engineers Milwaukee District are
in the letterbook for 1875-1876; items revealing efforts to locate a site for a
deep-water harbor on the northwest coast of the Gulf of Mexico are in the
letterbook for 1889-1901. Transcript letterbooks dating 1885-1889 pertain
largely to harbors on the Texas coast. In the letterbook for 1890-1899 are the
constitution and bylaws of the Berean Baptist Church, West Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.
Additional material on the Baptist Church, the government of the
District of Columbia, and
Robert's Rules of Order
is in the
[
Subject
File
](subject). The
[
Miscellany
](misc)
includes reviews of
Robert's Rules of Order
, clipped from newspapers, as well
as biographical information, maps, and photographs.
Correspondents include Newton R. Collamer, Mary Innis Denton, Persifor
Frazer, James Allen Hardie, Lewis M. Haupt, A. A. Humphreys, Edward Judson,
George H. Mendell, Joseph Thomas Robert, Joseph Gilbert Totten, Edward Thomas
Townsend, John M. Wilson, and S.C. Griggs & Co.
Arrangement of the Papers
This collection is arranged in five series:
-
[
Diaries and
Memoranda Books, 1862-1908
](diaries)
-
[
General
Correspondence, 1853-1927
](gencorr)
-
[
Letterbooks, 1873-1901
](letterbooks)
-
[
Subject
File, 1870-1915
](subject)
-
[
Miscellany,
1853-1937
](misc)
Catalog Record: [https://lccn.loc.gov/mm79037952]
Container List
Available on microfilm. Shelf no. 19,363
Container
Reel
Contents
1
1
Diaries and Memoranda
Books,
1862-1908
1862-1908
Volumes that include diary entries as well as miscellaneous
financial accounts and engineering notes.
Arranged chronologically.
1
1
1862-1880
1862-1880
(4
vols.)
1
1
1883-1908
1883-1908
(6
vols.)
1
1
1888-1897
1888-1897
(4
vols.)
1
1
1893-1899
1893-1899
(6
vols.)
1-4
1-3
General
Correspondence,
1853-1927
1853-1927
Mainly letters received, including military memoranda, reports,
and other material.
Arranged chronologically.
1
1
1853-1886
1853-1886
(8
folders)
2
2
1887-1899
1887-1899
(11
folders)
3
2
1900-1920
1900-1920
(12
folders)
4
3
1921-1927, undated
1921-1927, undated
(4
folders)
4-7
3-7
Letterbooks,
1873-1901
1873-1901
Copies, mainly typewritten, of letters sent.
Arranged chronologically in two sets.
4
3
Personal letters,
1873-1896, Feb. 12
1873-1896, Feb. 12
4
3
Corps of Engineers, United States
Army
4
3
1875, May 10-1876, June 29
1875, May 10-1876, June 29
5
4-7
1889, Apr. 1-1901, May 4
1889, Apr. 1-1901, May 4
5
4-7
Includes charter of Berean
Baptist Church, West Philadelphia, Pa.
1890, May 14-1899, Sept. 12
1890, May 14-1899, Sept. 12
5
4-7
1898, Dec. 31-1901, Jan. 22
1898, Dec. 31-1901, Jan. 22
5
4-7
1899, Oct. 28-1901, Apr. 26
1899, Oct. 28-1901, Apr. 26
5
4-7
Transcripts, handwritten,
1885-1889
1885-1889
(2
folders)
6-7
7
Subject File,
1870-1915
1870-1915
Material concerning the Baptist Church, the Army Corps of
Engineers, and Robert's Rules of Order.
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
6
7
Baptist Church
6
7
District of Columbia, business
6
7
Engineering, United States Army
6
7
Galveston, Tex., seawall
6
7
Rivers and harbors
6-7
7
Robert's Rules of Order
(4
folders)
7
7
(2 folders)
7-8
7-8
Miscellany,
1853-1937
1853-1937
Scrapbook and scrapbook clippings, accounts, photographs, maps,
and other material.
The scrapbook and clippings precede the rest of the series, which
is arranged alphabetically.
7
7
Scrapbook,
1876-1922
1876-1922
7
7
Bound volume
7
7
Clippings
8
7-8
Corps of Engineers account book,
and notes on rules of order,
1878-1889, undated
1878-1889, undated
8
7-8
Biographical file,
undated
undated
8
7-8
Insurance contract,
1937
1937
8
7-8
Maps,
1866-1891, undated
1866-1891, undated
(2
folders)
8
7-8
Photographs,
1853-1901
1853-1901
8
7-8
Plans and diagrams,
1866-1904
1866-1904