Benjamin V. Cohen papers
MSS.108
This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit
September 10, 2013
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Ball State University Archives and Special Collections
Alexander M. Bracken Library
2000 W. University Avenue
Muncie, Indiana, 47306
765-285-5078
libarchives@bsu.edu
Benjamin V. Cohen papers MSS.108
Table of Contents
Summary Information ................................................................................................................................. 3
Biographical Note.......................................................................................................................................... 4
Scope and Contents....................................................................................................................................... 4
Arrangement...................................................................................................................................................4
Administrative Information .........................................................................................................................5
Related Materials ........................................................................................................................................ 5
Controlled Access Headings..........................................................................................................................6
Collection Inventory...................................................................................................................................... 7
- Page 2 -
Benjamin V. Cohen papers MSS.108
Summary Information
Repository
Ball State University Archives and Special Collections
Creator - Author
Cohen, Benjamin V., 1894-1983
Title
Benjamin V. Cohen papers
Date
1933-1981
Extent
0.3 Cubic feet 1 box
Language
English
Text [Box]
1
Preferred Citation
Benjamin V. Cohen Papers, Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries
- Page 3 -
Benjamin V. Cohen papers MSS.108
Biographical Note
Benjamin Victor Cohen was born in Muncie, Indiana on September 23, 1894, the son of Polish
immigrants. He received his bachelor and law degrees from the University of Chicago in 1914 and 1915,
receiving the highest grades ever given by the law school. He received his doctorate from Harvard in
1916.
Active in the Jewish Zionist movement, Cohen was asked by Justice Brandeis to go to London after
World War I to oversee the writing of the League of Nations Mandate. On his return to the United
States, Cohen opened a law office in New York City, specializing in corporate law. When President
Roosevelt was inaugurated in 1933, Cohen was appointed assistant general counsel of the Public Works
Administration. In 1934, he became general counsel of the National Power Policy Commission. Together
with Thomas Corcoran, his longtime associate, Cohen helped formulate some of the most important laws
of the decade, including the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Public Utility Holding Company Act of
1935 and the Fair Labor Standards Act. The team also played an active role in formulating the plans for
the Tennessee Valley Association (TVA).
When World War II broke out, Cohen became the assistant to the director of the Office of Economic
Stabilization and 1943 he was named general counsel to the Office of War Mobilization and
Reconversion.
After the war, Cohen devoted his time between the United Nations, as a special member of the U.S.
delegation and to furthering the State of Israel. He retired from public life with the advent of the
Eisenhower administration, but became an advisor to John F. Kennedy. Benjamin Cohen died in 1983.
Scope and Contents
This collection includes articles and clippings about Mr. Cohen, biographical material and copies of some
of his speeches.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged by format.
- Page 4 -
Benjamin V. Cohen papers MSS.108
Administrative Information
Publication Information
Ball State University Archives and Special Collections
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Copyright Notice
Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Archives and Special Collections, Ball State
University Libraries, Muncie, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to
Archives and Special Collections.
Custodial History
This collection was received by Archives and Special Collections as a donation from Bernard Freund in
1989.
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed 1989/07/21 by David Tambo. Finding aid created 1989/07/21 by David
Tambo. Finding aid revised 1992/03/02 by Nancy Turner. Finding aid revised 2009/10/12 by Maren L.
Read. EAD finding aid completed 2009/10/12 by Maren L. Read. EAD finding aid revised 2013/08/01 by
Leslie Nellis.
Related Materials
Related Materials
Materials relating to this collection may be found in the following collections in Library of Congress,
Washington, DC:
- Page 5 -
Benjamin V. Cohen papers MSS.108
MSS61590: Benjamin V. Cohen Papers
Controlled Access Headings
Genre(s)
• Clippings
• Documents
Subject(s)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
International relations
Jews
Lawyers
Stoeckel Archives of Local History
United States--Foreign relations
United States--Politics and government
World War, 1939-1945
Zionism
- Page 6 -
Benjamin V. Cohen papers MSS.108
Collection Inventory
Articles and newspaper clippings, 1933-1937
Articles and newspaper clippings, 1938-1947, 1962
Biography, 1945 and 1983
“Constitutionality of Legislative Removal of Specific Individuals,”
Box
Folder
1
1
1
2
1
3
1
4
1
5
1
6
1
7
1
8
1
9
1942/04/02
Correspondence, 1939
Government Press: Foreign Service. Department of State. Radio Bulletin
no. 212, 1945/09/05
Speech, 1941-1942
Test Ban Treaty Statement, undated
Personal documents, 1939-1981
Drawer
1
Passports, 1948-1965
Separated Materials
- Page 7 -
Benjamin V. Cohen papers MSS.108
Benjamin V. Cohen's personal and diplomatic passports were removed and restricted. See
archivist.
- Page 8 -