Scope and Contents
The Tyler Gatewood Kent Papers concern the case of Tyler G. Kent, a code clerk in the United States Embassy in London, who was tried and convicted in Great Britain in October, 1940, for violating the Official Secrets Act. Kent made and kept copies of secret communications between President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty. Kent was arrested by the British and charged with espionage, although he was finally jailed for the lesser charge of theft of goverment documents. Charles Parsons, a conservative polemicist and ideologist, became involved in the attempts of Mrs. Ann H.P. Kent (mother of Tyler Kent) to bring the case before the public. Most of the papers in this collection are related to their efforts to publicize the case and to Tyler G. Kent's later attempts to explain his actions.
The papers consist of correspondence, a transcript of the British trial, newspaper clippings, photographs of Parsons and Kent, notes, legal papers related to Kent v. United States, and printed matter spanning from 1940-1963. The correspondence is in chronological order but there is an index at the back of this register. The papers are also available as microfilm HM 20, and copyflo from the latter part of the film (corresponding to the January 1972 addition to the papers) is in folders 17 and 18.
The Tyler G. Kent papers were given to the Yale University Library by Charles Parsons. For further information, see the register of the Charles Parsons papers, Manuscript Group No. 387.
Dates
- 1940-1963
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
The entire collection is available on microfilm. Patrons must use FILM HM 20 instead of the originals.
The materials are open for research.
Existence and Location of Copies
Papers relating to Tyler Kent's conviction under the British Official Secrets Act are available on microfilm (500 frames on 1 reel, 35mm.) from Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library, at cost. Order no. HM20.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright status for collection materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Charles Parsons.
Extent
0.5 Linear Feet (1 box)
Language of Materials
English
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Abstract
Tyler Kent, a code clerk at the American embassy in London, was tried in 1940 by the British government for violation of the Official Secrets Act. The papers, assembled by Charles Parsons, include correspondence, a transcript of the British trial, newspaper clippings, photographs, notes, legal papers related to Kent v. United States and printed matter.
Index to the Tyler G. Kent Correspondence
- Bethune, Mrs. Nagene C. --- form letter to Congressmen --- 1945 Jun 9
- Brewster, Owen --- Charles Parsons --- 1944 Aug 18, 1945 Sep 27
- DeLand, Maude S. --- Charles Parsons --- 1945 Jun 21
- Doherty, Frank P. --- Charles Parsons --- 1944 Aug 3
- Fish, Hamilton --- Charles Parsons --- 1946 Feb 29
- Gearhart, Bertrand W. --- Charles Parsons --- 1944 Aug 5, 1944 Aug 19, 1944 Aug 29, 1945 Sep 27, 1945 Nov 24, 1945 Nov 30, 1946 Mar 14
- Hanks, Homer G. --- Charles Parsons --- 1945 Dec 8
- Harlan, Don Mahone --- Charles Parsons --- 1944 Nov 14
- Harlan, Don Mahone --- Ann H.P. Hart --- 1945 Jul 12
- Harlan, Don Mahone --- Charles Parsons --- 1945 Aug 22
- Hoopes, Mary Howard --- H.R. Ennis --- 1944 Oct 2
- Hoopes, Mary Howard --- public form letter --- 1944 Sep 13
- Hoopes, Mary Howard --- Charles Parsons --- 1944 Oct 2
- Hoopes, Mary Howard --- ________ Sargent --- 1944 Nov 19
- Hoopes, Mary Howard --- Charles Parsons --- 1945 Aug 30
- Kaufman, Reginald Wright --- Charles Parsons --- 1945 Oct 9
- Kent, Ann H.P. --- Charles Parsons --- 1944 Jul 29, 1944 Aug 9, 1944 Aug 14
- Kent, Ann H.P. --- John Foster Dulles --- 1944 Aug 31
- Kent, Ann H.P. --- Charles Parsons --- 1944 Sep 1, 1944 Sep 1
- Kent, Ann H.P. --- Cordell Hull --- 1944 Sep 4
- Kent, Ann H.P. --- Charles Parsons --- 1944 Sep 4
- Kent, Ann H.P. --- Ethel May Pierce --- 1944 Sep 8
- Kent, Ann H.P. --- Charles Parsons --- 1944 Oct 16, 1944 Oct 25, 1945 Jan 5
- Kent, Ann H.P. --- George Seldes --- 1945 Jan 26
- Kent, Ann H.P. --- Patrick McCarran --- 1945 Feb 2
- Kent, Ann H.P. --- Charles Parsons --- 1945 Feb 23
- Kent, Ann H.P. --- "Fellow Americans" --- 1945 Feb
- Kent, Ann H.P. --- Kenneth Magruder --- 1945 Mar 24
- Kent, Ann H.P. --- Charles Parsons --- 1945 Mar 24, 1945 Jul 8
- Kent, Ann H.P. --- Chet Shaw --- 1945 Jul 21
- Kent, Ann H.P. --- Don Harlan --- 1945 Jul 22
- Kent, Ann H.P. --- Charles Parsons --- 1945 Jul 22, 1945 Aug 1, 1945 Aug 11, 1945 Aug 22, 1945 Aug 23, 1945 Aug 27, 1945 Sep 21, 1945 Sep 30, 1946 Jan 3, 1946 Feb 21, 1946 Apr 10, 1946 Jul 4
- Kent, Tyler Gatewood --- Ann H.P. Hart --- 1944 Dec 8, 1945 Jun 10
- Kent, Tyler Gatewood --- "My Friends…" --- 1946 Jan 12
- Kent, Tyler Gatewood --- Charles Parsons --- 1946 Feb 8, 1946 May 4, 1946 Jun 22
- Loughran, Clayton D. --- Charles Parsons --- 1944 Jul 22, 1944 Jul 25
- McGehee, Dan R. --- Charles Parsons --- 1944 Dec 6
- Magruder, Kenneth Dann --- Charles Parsons --- 1944 Sep 20, 1944 Nov 1, 1944 Dec 7, 1945 Mar 4
- Magruder, Kenneth Dann --- Ann H.P. Kent --- 1945 Mar 26
- Magruder, Kenneth Dann --- Charles Parsons --- 1945 Mar 29, 1945 Apr 7, 1945 Jun 6, 1945 Jul 2, 1945 Jul 7, 1945 Jul 29
- Magruder, Kenneth Dann --- Ann H.P. Kent --- 1945 Aug 13
- Magruder, Kenneth Dann --- Charles Parsons --- 1945 Aug 27, 1945 Sep 15
- Merriman, Augustus S. --- Charles Parsons --- 1944 Aug 4
- Moran, Francis P. --- Charles Parsons --- 1946 Jan 20
- Parsons, Charles --- James Babb --- 1946 Sep 18
- Post, Katherine --- Charles Parsons --- 1945 Sep 19
- Scholl, Phoebe K. --- Charles Parsons --- 1945 Jun 27, 1945 Aug 14
- Strom, Frances --- Charles Parsons --- 1945 Jun 12, 1945 Dec 4
- Strom, Frances --- "Fellow Citizen" --- 1946 Apr 5
- Tittman, A[lfred] O[tto] --- Charles Parsons --- 1945 Mar 28
- Townsend, Ralph --- Charles Parsons --- 1946 Jul 16
- Under Secretary of State, Great Britain --- Ann H.P. Kent --- 1945 Aug 23
- Walker, Mrs. M.L. --- Mary Howard Hoopes --- 1945 Aug 19
- Title
- Guide to the Tyler Gatewood Kent Papers
- Status
- Under Revision
- Author
- compiled by Staff of Manuscripts and Archives
- Date
- June 1979
- Description rules
- Finding Aid Created In Accordance With Manuscripts And Archives Processing Manual
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Part of the Manuscripts and Archives Repository
Yale University Library
P.O. Box 208240
New Haven CT 06520-8240 US
(203) 432-1735
(203) 432-7441 (Fax)
beinecke.library@yale.edu
Location
Sterling Memorial Library
Room 147
120 High Street
New Haven, CT 06511