Special Collections & Archives
Manuscript Group 386
Abe McGregor Goff, 1899-1894
Papers, 1905-1985
10.5 cubic feet
The records of Abe Goff were donated to the University of Idaho Library by his daughter Annie Goff between February 1990 and June 1993. An additional donation was received from the Latah County Historical Society in February 1996. They were processed by Judith Nielsen in July and August 1997
BIOGRAPHY
Abe Goff was born in Colfax, Washington, December 21, 1899, the fourth son of Herbert W. and Mary Francis (Dorsey) Goff. The middle name of McGregor, his wife's mother's maiden name, was assumed in April 1945 during his military service. In addition to his three brothers he had one younger sister. He left high school from September 1917 to February 1918 to serve as a private in the Washington State National Guard during World War I. He returned to school and graduated in 1918. While at Colfax High School he was on both the track and football teams.
Working his way through the University of Idaho he held such jobs as day laborer in a lumber mill, construction worker, plumbers helper, dish washer, and was also sexton at St. Mark's Episcopal Church. He also found time to participate in dramatics, where he appeared in many plays including the part of the Indian Chief in "The Light on the Mountain", in football where his exploits earned him one of the first spots in the University of Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame, and in campus politics where he was elected president of the Freshman Class for the third quarter, and in April 1923 he ran for president of the ASUI, but was defeated by Talbot Jennings. He was also active in the Beta Theta Pi fraternity.
Goff was a cadet colonel in the university ROTC regiment and was commissioned 2nd lieutenant in the infantry reserve in February 1923. In 1933 he transferred to the Judge Advocate General's Department as a Captain, and when called to active duty had risen to Major.
After graduating from the University of Idaho Law School in 1924 he was admitted to the Idaho Bar and joined the law office of C.J. Orland. His first case, which he lost, was defending a West Virginian accused of making moonshine. In addition to his law practice Goff was football coach at Moscow High School for several years, and also a lay reader at the Episcopal Church in Colfax.
He was appointed Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for Latah County in 1924 and elected to the position of Prosecuting Attorney in 1926, serving successive terms through 1934.
On August 24, 1927 Abe Goff married Florence Letitia Richardson, a 1923 graduate of the University of Idaho, who was a physical education teacher at the university. They had two children, Timothy Richardson and Annie McGregor.
In 1940 he was elected state senator after an unsuccessful primary campaign for the nomination as U.S. Senator. As state senator he introduced and secured passage of a bill recognizing the power of the Supreme Court to make rules governing procedure in all courts in Idaho. He also introduced bills amending the community property statutes.
In August 1941 he was recalled to active duty as a Major, later being promoted to Colonel, in the Judge Advocate General's Department. One of the first officers to go overseas, in February 1942 he was sent to Africa and the Middle East as legal advisor to the U.S. Military North African Mission, headquartered with the British army in Cairo. He was with the British during Rommel's advance across Africa in the spring of 1942, and also saw duty in Italian East Africa and Iran. He was military envoy to Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia and military escort of Madame Chaing Kai-shek during her visit to Eritrea.
Returning to the United States after sixteen months in Africa, Goff served as assistant chief of the International Law Division in the office of the Judge Advocate General and as Special Council for the War Department in numerous cases in Federal Courts throughout the U.S. involving the constitutionality of wartime powers exercised by army area commanders, and later served as Deputy Director of the U.S. War Crimes Office. He went to London as senior War Department representative to the Allied War Crimes Conference in 1945 and served in Europe and the Pacific area setting up procedures for the prosecution of war criminals. While assigned to General McArthur's staff in Tokyo he organized the International Prosecution Section for the trial of Tojo and other Japanese war criminals, but did not participate in the prosecutions.
He returned to the U.S. and the office of the Under Secretary of War in the spring of 1946 to serve, until relieved from duty in September 1946, as a member of a special clemency board charged with reviewing sentences of convicted military prisoners. He was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Army Commendation Medal, and eight other service or campaign medals.
In 1946, while still on active duty, he was nominated as the Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives seat held by Compton White, Sr. He won this election, and, as a member of the 80th Congress was elected president of the 80th Club, a group composed of 74 first year House Republicans; other officers were J. Caleb Boggs, vice-president, and Richard Nixon, secretary. Goff was also a member of the Committee on Agriculture and of the Speaker's Steering Committee for the House. In 1948 he was defeated in his bid for re-election by White when the First District voted heavily for Truman.
Following this defeat he, returned to active military duty for six months on a special assignment dealing with the new code for courts-martial, as chairman of a Board of Review in the office of the Army Judge Advocate General.
In the summer of 1949 he returned to Moscow to resume his law practice, this time alone, Orland having died in the interim. It was not until 1953, just shortly before going to Washington, D.C., that he took in a new partner, Cope Gale of St. Maries. Following the death of U.S. Senator Bert Miller in 1950, Goff attempted to gain the nomination for his seat, but lost out to former Senator Henry Dworshak.
Following the Eisenhower victory in 1952, Goff wrote many letters to colleagues asking for assistance in getting a federal appointment. His chance came in December 1953, when, at the request of Postmaster Arthur Summerfield, he went to Washington, D.C. to accept the position of Solicitor of the Post Office, a title which was later changed to General Council. His appointment became effective February 1, 1954.
He resigned his Post Office position when President Eisenhower named him to fill Owen Clarke's unexpired Interstate Commerce Commission term. His appointment was confirmed by the Senate on January 30, 1958 and he took his oath of office on February 12. On December 29, 1959, he was reappointed for a full seven-year term. In April 1963 he replaced Donald McPherson as Vice Chairman of the Commission, and in 1964 his colleagues elected him Chairman. Although he had the unanimous endorsement of industry and the practitioners, President Johnson chose not to reappointment him when his term expired in December 1966. Goff remained on the commission until July 1967 when his replacement, Grant Syphers, was confirmed. In Goff's words: "Apparently I am too staunch a Republican and advocate of the independence of the Commission to be reappointed by this highly partisan administration."
Since he was within two years of mandatory retirement when he left the Interstate Commerce Commission, Goff decided to return to Moscow, Idaho, where he spent the remaining 17 years of his life. After several months of ill health, Abe Goff died on Friday, November 23, 1984. He was survived by his wife and daughter, his son having died previously.
He was a member of and held national offices in the Idaho State Bar Association, American Bar Association, American Society of International Law, American Judicature Society, Federal Bar Association, and Judge Advocates Association. He was admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Military Appeals, Supreme Court of the Philippines, and the Supreme Court of Idaho. He was also a member of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Reserve Officers Association, The Military Order of the Carabao, Beta Theta Pi fraternity, Masons, and Elks. He was a longtime member of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Moscow and served as its treasurer for many years while an attorney in town.
SCOPE AND CONTENT
The records of Abe McGregor Goff span the years 1905 to 1985, with the bulk of the material covering the years 1928 to 1971.
Included in the records are personal papers including photographs and scrapbooks of family members, and material concerning his career as politician, lawyer, military officer, post office solicitor, and member of the Interstate Commerce Commission.
As will be noticed in the following inventory the career records are sketchy. More extensive records for the Post Office and Interstate Commerce Commission as well as personal papers will be found in an earlier Goff collection, MG 148. Both inventories should be consulted by researchers since the collections complement each other
ARRANGEMENT AND DESCRIPTION
Since the papers in this record group were received at several different times over a six year period there was no order to the material, therefore the material was sorted by activity and a series arrangement imposed during processing. Each series was arranged alphabetically. Most material was in labeled folders when received; the original folder headings were retained and in most cases the original order within the folders was also retained.
The majority of the papers were considered personal and were placed in series one. Included are biographies and clippings about Goff; correspondence, including over 100 letters he wrote to Florence between 1939 and 1967; engagement calendars of both Abe and Florence; certificates and plaques; invitations and memorabilia from presidential inaugurations from 1953 to 1967; income tax returns and supporting documentation from 1966 to 1983; and speeches given on patriotic occasions or to high school and college audiences. There is also a large collection of photographs which include old family photographs, pictures of Abe, Florence and their children, Abe's military photographs and official photographs from the Post Office Department and Interstate Commerce Commission. Finally there are scrapbooks and memorabilia belonging to Florence, Annie, and Tim. Most of the material in Florence's scrapbook was loose, and only a few pages were used. Therefore the scrapbook was disassembled and only Goff related material retained from the loose clippings.
Material related to Goff's political career is in series two. Included are a certificate of election to the Idaho state senate; and campaign brochures and expense records, a legislative scrapbook, testimony given before congressional committees, copies of speeches delivered in Congress, his voting record and office filed on bills concerning the Post Office and veterans affairs, all relating to his two years in the U.S. House of Representatives. Other material concerns his unsuccessful bid for a second term in the House in 1948 and the Senate primary race in 1950.
Series three contains material relating to Goff's Moscow law practice. Items in this series include correspondence, a portion of the "M:" case files, financial and other reports of the prosecuting Attorney's Association for which Goff was treasurer, quarterly and yearly social security, withholding reports and workman's compensation information, and a file of uncompleted work.
Goff served in both World War I and II and then continued in the Reserves. His records of this aspect of his life are contained in series four. Among these materials are Army records, especially those dealing with his service in Eritrea, an oversize frame containing his medals, folders on military justice, and a military reserve certificate.
The few folders concerning Goff's Post Office career are in series five and include clippings and correspondence.
The final series contains material relating to Goff's career in the Interstate Commerce Commission. Included among these records are clippings, notes on cases or topics before the commission, correspondence and inter-office memos, speeches, testimony before congress while chairman of the commission, and correspondence and clippings concerning his non re-appointment to the commission in 1967.
Most of the material in the collection was in legal size folders; these were changed to letter size. Discarded from the collection were bank statements and paid checks, blank report forms, blank stock certificates, duplicate campaign material, duplicate near print material, greeting cards, unused post cards, programs for events Goff may have attended, news paper clippings not relating to Goff or his family, and a reel to reel tape recording of an unidentified music recital. Yearbooks from Moscow High School were added to the Special Collections yearbook collection and government documents were sent to the Government Documents Department of the library. This reduced the records by 15cubic feet.
SERIES LIST
I. Personal, 1905-1985 1-6
II. Political, 1940-1971 7
III. Law Office, Moscow, 1928-1963 8
IV. Military, 1929-1983 8
V. Post Office, 1954-1978 8
VI. Interstate Commerce Commission, 1958-1981 8-9
INVENTORY
ABE McGREGOR GOFF
Box Folder Description Items
I. Personal, 1905-1985
1 1 Affidavit of birth and birth registration card, 1941-1952 2 2 AFROTC. World War I talks, 1974-1976 3 3 Alumni activities, 1967-1983 8 4 Class of 1924, 1973-1983 17 5 Class reunion, 1983 20 6 Class reunion, 1984 15 7 American Legion District 2 Convention talk, May 1969 9 8 Associations and organizations, 1942-1973 9 9 Beta 50th anniversary invitation, 1969 24 10 Beveridge, Robert H., 1972-1976 20 11 Biographies of Abe Goff, 1961-1980 8 12 Boekel, William A., 1968-1979 28 13 Book: The White House, 1963 1 14 Borah, Mrs. William A., 1969-1970 12 15 Career clippings, 1941-1985 46 16 Certificates, 1917-1979 25 o.s. 17 Certificates: Oversize, 1917-1959 9 18 Chamber of Commerce, Moscow, 1972-1976 8 19 Clippings: Duplicates of clippings in scrapbook, 1949-1950 27 20-21 Home folks, 1928-1980 75 22-23 People, includes correspondence, 1957-1975 72 24 Political, 1950-1957 44 25 Miscellaneous, 1968-1984 40 26 Colfax, 1910-1983 15 27 Colfax High School, 1964-1970 16 28 Convention and speaking engagements, 1965 7 29 Correspondence: Christmas, 1966-1967 10 30 Miscellaneous: 1924-1952 45 31-34 Personal, 1943-1975 300 35 Postcards, 1945 5 36-37 Florence, 1939-1967 109 38 Doffner Mining claims, 1975-1980 7 39 Donation of papers of University of Idaho, 1965-1967 12 40 Engagement calendar, 1953 1 41-42 Engagement calendar, 1964 2 43-44 Engagement calendars, 1965-1966 2 2 45 Engagement calendar, 1967 1 46-50 Engagement calendars: Florence, 1939-1969 25 51 Engagement calendar: Florence, 1983 1 52 Farm House national convocation talk, Sept. 1968 25 53-54 Federal Bar Association, Abe Goff treasurer,1960-1967 123 55 Football, 1922-1976 12 56 Furnace, Moscow house, 1968 7 57 Goff, May Goff Schmerer, 1973-1976 76 58 Haddon, Otto, 1969 8 59 Hall of Fame, Stivers, 1972 22 60 Hodgson, Col. Joseph V., 1967-1974 10 61 Hollingsworth, Max, 1984 7 62-64 House, 5348 29th St. NW, Washington, D.C., 1959-1968 66 65 House: Moscow, Refurbishing, 1969 14 66 House: Moving, 1967 15 67 Household goods, Transportation: Army Service, Washington, 1946 5 68 Howell, Capt. Glenn S., 1971-1973 11 69 Idahonian and other write-ups, 1970-1983 8 70 Inauguration, 1953, 1957 3 71 Inauguration, 1965 2 72 Inauguration, 1973 1 73 Income tax, 1966 11 74 Income tax, 1967 10 75 Income tax, 1968 11 76 Income tax, 1969 12 77 Income tax, 1970 17 78 Income tax, 1971 18 79 Income tax, 1972 15 80 Income tax, 1973 15 81 Income tax, 1974 8 82 Income tax, 1975 15 83 Income tax, 1978 18 84 Income tax, 1980 14 85 Income tax, 1981 14 86 Income tax, 1982 19 87 Income tax, 1983 12 3 88 Indian center, Gonzaga, 1965-1968 31 89 Invitations, 1962-1964 4 90 Items of interest, 1927-1970 69 91 July 4th, Lewis-Clark State College, 1979 14 92 Keep watch for Liberty (talk), 1947 1 93 Keystone Ranch, 1980-1981 26 94 Keystone Water Users Association, 1974 8 95 Lease: 1185 32nd St. N.W., Washington, D.C., 1947 2 96 Marmes bulwark, 1958 5 97 McCroskey, Virgil, 1968-1971 30 98 Medical: Aetna claims, 1969-1978 31 99-100 Aetna insurance, 1980-1981 60 101 Reports, 1942-1947 11 102 Wrist operation, 1981 12 103 Memorial Day, 1976 11 104 Memorial Day talk, 1977 11 105 Memorial Day, 1984 16 106 Moscow High School Reunion, classes of 1925, 1926, 1927, June 11, 1977 9 107 Moscow High School talks, 1970-1980 17 108 Moscow Hospital Association, 1968-1979 7 109 Moscow Mountain property (Idler's Rest), 1967 30 110 Moscow's name, 1961-1965 20 111 Olympic Peninsula property, 1962-1972 127 112 Oral history - Pioneers (notes), 1974 9 113 Phi alpha Delta talk, December 4, 1969 10 114 Photographs: Abe Goff, 1922-1965 11 115 Florence Goff, 1913-198? 15 116 Abe and Florence Goff, 1955-1975 5 117 Family snapshots, 1928-1950 143 118 Annie Goff, ca. 1940-1956 12 119 Tim Goff and family, 1944-1975 25 120 Congress, 1947 3 121 Military, 1918-1946 16 122-123 Post Office Department, 1954-1960 55 124 Interstate Commerce Commission, 1958-1968 41 125 Beta Banquet, Washington D.C., n.d. 4 126 Miscellaneous, 1922-1967 10 127 Unidentified and miscellaneous activities, ca.1935-1974 10 128 Autographed and other, 1923-1957 10 129 Goff Insurance, Colfax, n.d. 5 130 Dorsey family (maternal relatives), n.d. 15 131 Goff, Arthur and Frank, 1905-1917 28 132 Goff, Charlie (poster), n.d. 1 133 Goff, David, 1913-1914 30 134 Goff relatives, n.d. 9 135 Takeda, Elizabeth, n.d. 2 o.s. 136 Oversize, 1922-1966 26 137 Pledge of Allegiance, 1954 2 138 Politics, 1967-1982 44 139 Election, 1972 22 140 Post Office, Moscow, Idaho, 1970 21 141 Potlatch High School talk, March 8, 1942 17 142 Priest Lake Property, 1960-1970 60 143 Railroads, 1977-1981 4 144 Recommendations, 1949-1950 18 145 Red Cross, 1950 9 146 Resolution in honor of Abe Goff, Idaho House of Representatives, 1943 1 147 Richardson, George S. and Annie McGregor, 1937-1954 11 148 Sartor House, overcoat, 1974 6 149 Sketch of Abe Goff, n.d. 1 150 Social Security Administration, 1967 21 4 151 St. Marks election, 1984 9 152 Teaching position, 1964-1968 26 153 Western Washington State College, 1965-1966 30 154 Theater Arts: Donation of formal clothes, 1984 5 155 Veterans Day, 1979 3 156 Veterans Day, 1980 4 157 War ration books, 1942 8 158 White House visit, 1971 17 159 YMCA, 1950-1951 20 160 8mm movie of family wedding reception, n.d. 1 161 Florence: Certificates, 1922-1964 2 162 Clippings, cards, etc., 1909-1967 31 163 Diary, December 1946 1 164 Gamma Phi Beta 50th anniversary, 1960 5 165 Photograph collection, 1910-1966 70 166 Scrapbook material, Boise, ca.1921-1923 7 167-169 Scrapbook material, 1927-1966 112 170 Scrapbook: Letters from Tim, 1951-1952 1 171 South America Trip, 1957 35 172 78 rpm record: Greetings to Richardson family, 1941 1 173 Annie: Clippings, photographs, etc., 1943-1966 19 174 Photograph collection, ca.1948-1953 34 175 Photograph album, n.d. 1 176 Baby and childhood scrapbook, 1937-1955 35 177 Scrapbook material, 1939-1946 30 178 Tim: Photograph collection, 1951-1953 44 179 Photograph collection, 1940s 35 180 Photograph album, n.d. 1 181 Scrapbook material, correspondence, 1940-1950 41 5 182 Scrapbook, 1934-1959 1 183 Daily diary, 1950 1 184 Photograph album, ca.1948 1 185 Photograph album, ca.1953 1 o.s. 186 Scrapbook of Washington school life and other things, 1947-1948 o.s. 186a-b Tim Goff's Washington year books, 1948-1949 2 6 Plaques, 1976-1983 7 o.s. 187 Florence Richardson: U of I scrapbook, 1914-1918 1 o.s. 188 Phonograph recordings of radio addresses of Abe Goff, 1947, 1948 5
II. Political, 1940-1971
7 189 Campaign material, 1941-1950 5 190 Certificate of election to State Senate, 1940 1 191 Legislative scrapbook, 1941 1 192 State Senate, correspondence, etc., 1941 78 193 Appearances at hearings before Congressional Committees, 1947-1948 9 194 Campaign expenses, 1946 8 195 Campaign expense account, 1947-1948 1 196 Campaign publicity, 1946-1950 35 197 Congressional career, miscellaneous, 1947-1948 10 198 Congressional speeches, 1947-1948 25 199 Correspondence re: photographs, 1947-1948 17 200 Elections, 1946-1948 9 201 Individual voting record, 80th Congress, 1947-1948 2 202 Information on inquiry re: Senate Committee print, courts martial, 1948 5 203 Pictorial directory, 80th Congress, 1947 2 204 Post Office: Air mail, 1948 1 205 General, 1948 7 206 Railway surface trans. Positions, 1947 5 207 Postal Employees: Pay increases, 1947-1948 79 208 Retirement, Civil Service, 1947-1948 37 209 Postal rates, 1947 16 o.s. 210 Scrapbook, 1946-1947 1 211-212 Soil conservation, Agriculture, 1946-1948 77 213 Veterans, Adjusted compensation act, 1947-1948 3 214 G.I. flight training, 1948 19 215 80th Congress reunion, 1971 17 216 Campaign, 1948 67 217 Clippings and ads, 1948 16 218 Drew Pearson election comment, 1948 1 219 Election, 1948 31 220 Expenses, 1948 8 221 Politics: Senate, 1949 27 222 Campaign, 1950 21 223 Publicity, 1950 13 224 Signed petitions, 1950 14 225 Signers of petitions, correspondence, 1950 46 226 Tour, 1950 8 227 Travel file, 1950 24 228 Senate election returns, 1950 20
III. Law Office, Moscow, 1928-1963
8 229-232 Correspondence, A-Z, 1938-1941 355 233 Law office matters, 1954-1963 110 234 Miscellaneous correspondence, 1949-1952 81 235 Mills Novelty vs. Evans, 1941 8 236 Milsap vs. Friend, 1941 4 237 Moscow vs. Northwest Refining Co., 1939-1940 22 238 Moscow Tractor Company, 1941 12 239 Moscow Welfare Committee, 1939 2 240 Muir vs. Muir, 1938 13 241 Mulalley, Walter, 1941 1 242 Mulfinger - Collins, 1940-1948 5 243 Mullaley vs. Schultz, 1940 7 244 Prosecuting Attorney's Association, 1928-1932 59 245-246 Reports, Quarterly and yearly, 1949-1954 82 247 Uncompleted work, 1951-1954 24 248 Workmen's Compensation, 1949-1953 4
IV. Military, 1929-1983
249 Army records, 1929-1983 30 250 Army service 201 file, 1937-1962 156 251 British treaties: Egypt, Iran, Iraq, 1942-1944 9 252 Eritrea Service Command: progress reports, minutes of staff meetings, 1942-1943 55 253 United States Military North Africa Mission: Circular file, 1941-1942 64 254 General orders, 1942 8 255 Memoranda, 1942 40 256 North Africa Service Command: Special orders, 1942 37 o.s. 257 Eritrean Gazette, 1941-1943 1 o.s. 258 Military medals, framed 1 259-260 Military justice, 1946-1972 49 261 Military metals, decorations, 1942-1968 10 262 Retired reserve certificate, 1957 1
V. Post Office, 1954-1978
263 Clippings, 1954-1957 69 264 Congratulatory letters, 1954 41 265 Post Office Department, 1956-1978 25
VI. Interstate Commerce Commission, 1958-1981
266 Administrative law, 1967-1969 6 267 Administrative procedure, 1967-1968 5 268 Allowances for trucking cotton, 1967 3 269 Appointment program, 1958 1 270 Bureau of the Budget, (old file) 1946 1 271 Bus segregation case, 1961 5 9 272 C & O, B & O merger case, 1961-1964 5 273 Chairman Goff, news stories, 1964 14 274-277 Chairman, Presidential appointment of, 1964-1967 99 278 Clippings, 1962-1967 69 279 Commissioners: Correspondence, clippings, 1968-1981 28 280 Signature reproductions, 1958 1 281 Critics of the ICC, 1971 54 282 Democratic National Committee letter: Short Line speech, 1965 10 283 Ethical standards, Heads of agencies (executive order 11222), 1965-1966 22 284 Ethics, 1961-1966 27 285 Executive interference, 1963-1965 56 286 Exit from ICC, 1967 42 287 Farewell to ICC, jokes and speeches, 1967 13 288 GN NP merger, 1967-1970 5 289 Important memos: Reorganization, engagements, etc., 1964-1967 15 290-291 Inter-office memos, 1965 375 292-293 Inter-office memos, 1966 350 294 Lore and personalities committee, 1965-1966 10 295 Mergers, 1967 20 296 Miscellaneous material from desk, 1961-1967 23 297 Newsletters, 1964-1969 7 298 Newsletter clippings, 1953-1967 116 299 Non-reappointment letters, 1967 25 300 Pacific Northwest Trade Association, 1967-1968 7 301 Reappointment to ICC, correspondence, clippings, 1966-1967 92 302 Reappointment, personal memos, 1966 7 303 Speeches, testimony, articles, 1962-1966 11
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