Cushing Memorial Library and Archives – Texas A&M University
Location:
Cushing Memorial Library and Archives – Texas A&M University
5000 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843
Phone:
979-845-1951
Web site: Cushing Memorial Library and Archives
Institution Type: Library, Archive, College/University
Collections
Description: The Cushing Memorial Library houses the papers of Thomas H. MacDonald, who served as chief of the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads from 1919 until 1953, overseeing the planning and development of the country’s national roads system during the critical 34-year period that stretches from before the designation of Route 66 to the beginning of the Interstate system during the Eisenhower administration. The papers contain a variety of records, including official correspondence with regional and federal agencies and departments, state-level commissions and agencies, and professional organizations such as the American Association of State Highway Officials. The records address a wide spectrum of topics, including federal aid to states, the condition of roads in different sections of the country including annual “statements of progress,” highways and national defense, roads through “Indian lands,” and the construction of a national highway system. There are several boxes devoted to assessments made by MacDonald during trips to the Western states and the southwest from the 1920s onwards, and one box of postcards covering New Mexico. The collection is fully cataloged and indexed.
Regions Covered: Entire Route 66
Type of Materials: Correspondence, Reports, Postcards
Time Periods: 20th Century
Access
Facility Hours:
Monday-Friday 8am-6pm, Saturday by appointment.
Online Resources and Finding Aids: