happy about having to accept the charitable gift, but the president had no choice. To refuse would have seemed petty and foolish, two things Roosevelt could never afford to be publicly. Decades after Mellon’s death, some of his associates finally began to whisper things Mellon had used to maximum political advantage.
By November 1936 Mellon knew he was dying. On New Year’s Eve 1936 he met with Roosevelt at the White House. His closest friend, David Finley, accompanied him. Finley would later become the first curator of the National Gallery of Art and the founding chairman for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. We know from Finley that the president and Mellon spoke privately for about fifteen minutes. Finley wrote in his diary that Mellon left that meeting in “an exuberance that I had never before seen upon the man.” When queried, his mentor said, “I gave the president a note that I drafted. He crumpled it up and threw it across the room. But it will be interesting to see what he ultimately does with it.” Finley tried to learn more, but Mellon remained cryptic. “It’s something to occupy him. In the end he’ll find what I left. He’ll not be able to keep himself from looking, and all will be right. The secrets will be safe and my point will have been made. For no matter how much he hates and disagrees with me, he still will have done precisely what I asked.”
“Finley became a Washington icon,” Harriett said, “the father of the historic preservation movement. He was the one who fought to save Europe’s treasures after World War II. The Monument Men were his creation.”
She knew of Finley’s reputation. Credible and trustworthy. Not a fanatic in any way. Which gave Howell’s account even more importance.
They kept reading the marked passages.
Finley and Mellon were especially close. They worked together at the Treasury Department. In 1924 Finley ghost-wrote Taxation: The People’s Business for Mellon, which spelled out the then Secretary of Treasury’s position on taxes. The book was immensely popular. By 1927 Finley had become Mellon’s closest associate, penning his speeches, helping write official Treasury policy, and assisting with Mellon’s private art collection. Mellon died in 1937, just as construction on the National Gallery began. The museum opened in 1941, with Finley in charge. Books written by people close to the National Gallery have acknowledged that, even from the grave, Mellon directed a great many details. Finley, remaining loyal, did exactly as Mellon had requested.
“What in the world,” Harriett said. “It’s like an Oliver Stone movie.”
She smiled. “And just as short on proof. Lots of vague references to unnamed sources. But I’m not surprised. I’ve come across things far stranger than this that proved to be true. So I’ve learned to keep an open mind.”
“Is that another lesson I should learn, too?”
“It’s just that you’ve been in this job only a short while. I’ve dealt with some unique stuff over the years. So the fact that a former secretary of Treasury may have corralled FDR into doing his personal bidding is not all that strange.”
They found the final flagged portion.
Little is known as to what happened after that meeting on New Year’s Eve 1936. If FDR paid attention to anything Mellon said, there is no record of it that can be found. There is evidence, though, of an internal Treasury Department investigation that occurred in early 1937. Documents I obtained through several Freedom of Information requests contain references to that inquiry, ordered by FDR himself. Unfortunately, documents were withheld from my request (noted as classified) and some that were provided came heavily redacted. What could be so sensitive that so many decades later it must still be kept secret? From the few references that have survived, we know that Roosevelt became concerned about the 1935 redesign of the dollar bill and wanted to know if
By November 1936 Mellon knew he was dying. On New Year’s Eve 1936 he met with Roosevelt at the White House. His closest friend, David Finley, accompanied him. Finley would later become the first curator of the National Gallery of Art and the founding chairman for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. We know from Finley that the president and Mellon spoke privately for about fifteen minutes. Finley wrote in his diary that Mellon left that meeting in “an exuberance that I had never before seen upon the man.” When queried, his mentor said, “I gave the president a note that I drafted. He crumpled it up and threw it across the room. But it will be interesting to see what he ultimately does with it.” Finley tried to learn more, but Mellon remained cryptic. “It’s something to occupy him. In the end he’ll find what I left. He’ll not be able to keep himself from looking, and all will be right. The secrets will be safe and my point will have been made. For no matter how much he hates and disagrees with me, he still will have done precisely what I asked.”
“Finley became a Washington icon,” Harriett said, “the father of the historic preservation movement. He was the one who fought to save Europe’s treasures after World War II. The Monument Men were his creation.”
She knew of Finley’s reputation. Credible and trustworthy. Not a fanatic in any way. Which gave Howell’s account even more importance.
They kept reading the marked passages.
Finley and Mellon were especially close. They worked together at the Treasury Department. In 1924 Finley ghost-wrote Taxation: The People’s Business for Mellon, which spelled out the then Secretary of Treasury’s position on taxes. The book was immensely popular. By 1927 Finley had become Mellon’s closest associate, penning his speeches, helping write official Treasury policy, and assisting with Mellon’s private art collection. Mellon died in 1937, just as construction on the National Gallery began. The museum opened in 1941, with Finley in charge. Books written by people close to the National Gallery have acknowledged that, even from the grave, Mellon directed a great many details. Finley, remaining loyal, did exactly as Mellon had requested.
“What in the world,” Harriett said. “It’s like an Oliver Stone movie.”
She smiled. “And just as short on proof. Lots of vague references to unnamed sources. But I’m not surprised. I’ve come across things far stranger than this that proved to be true. So I’ve learned to keep an open mind.”
“Is that another lesson I should learn, too?”
“It’s just that you’ve been in this job only a short while. I’ve dealt with some unique stuff over the years. So the fact that a former secretary of Treasury may have corralled FDR into doing his personal bidding is not all that strange.”
They found the final flagged portion.
Little is known as to what happened after that meeting on New Year’s Eve 1936. If FDR paid attention to anything Mellon said, there is no record of it that can be found. There is evidence, though, of an internal Treasury Department investigation that occurred in early 1937. Documents I obtained through several Freedom of Information requests contain references to that inquiry, ordered by FDR himself. Unfortunately, documents were withheld from my request (noted as classified) and some that were provided came heavily redacted. What could be so sensitive that so many decades later it must still be kept secret? From the few references that have survived, we know that Roosevelt became concerned about the 1935 redesign of the dollar bill and wanted to know if
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