Hall, Robert F., Papers

Biographical Note

Robert F. Hall, prominent author, editor, publisher and conservationist, was born on September 17, 1906 in Pascagoula, Mississippi. He received his primary and secondary school education in the public schools of Mobile, Alabama. He received his college education at the University of Alabama and later at Columbia University, where he graduated in 1932.

His career in journalism began at the age of 11 when he was a cub reporter and printer's assistant for the Mobile Register and the Mobile News Item. He worked with several other southern newspapers as a reporter before his one year stint at the University of Alabama.

After several years as an editor of a railroad newspaper, Robert Hall attended Columbia University to study economics, history, and politics. At Columbia, he became influenced by two professors, Irwin Edman, in philosophy, and Rexwell Guy Tugwell, in economics. Tugwell later became assistant secretary of agriculture in Franklin Roosevelt's administration. This was also the time of the Great Depression, which influenced Hall and his fellow students, who sought an alternative to capitalism. After much debate, Hall joined the Communist Party where he edited one of its student publications, The Student Review.

Upon graduation, Hall was employed as an editor of various communist-related publications. Within a few years, he attained an editorial position with The Daily Worker, the most prominent communist newspaper. He worked here for 11 years before leaving abruptly in 1956 because he became disillusioned by revelations about the many atrocities committed by the regime of Joseph Stalin.

That same year, Robert Hall, and his family moved to Elizabethtown, Essex County, in the Adirondack region of New York State, and changed his party affiliation to Republican. He found a job editing the Valley News, then owned by Bill Denton of Denton Publishing. A year later, Hall decided to purchase the Warrensburg News and the family relocated to Warrensburg, Warren County, also located in the Adirondacks. Over the next several years, Hall acquired other local newspapers, including the Lake George Mirror and the Hamilton County News. In 1962 he founded Adirondack Life Magazine, which featured articles on history, recreation, arts, literature and the environment of the Adirondack region.

In 1969 Hall was appointed by Governor Nelson Rockefeller to serve on the Temporary Study Commission on the Future of the Adirondacks that was established to study the effects of land development upon the environment of the Adirondack Park. The commission made several recommendations regarding the use of public and privately owned lands situated in the Adirondack Park that were later enacted into law under the jurisdiction of the Adirondack Park Agency.

In 1970 Governor Rockefeller reorganized the Department of Conservation as the Department of Environmental Conservation. The new commissioner, Henry L. Diamond, who also had served on the temporary commission, named Hall editor of The Conservationist, the monthly magazine of the Department of Environmental Conservation. Hall sold all of his newspapers to devote his time to the magazine. During the five years he served as editor, circulation doubled to 250,000, and the American Association of Conservation Information named the magazine "best conservationist publication" in 1973 and 1974.

After Hall retired from The Conservationist, he became a feature editor and columnist for local Adirondack newspapers. In addition, Hall published three books of his essays on the Adirondacks: Empty Nest, North Country Almanac, and Pages from Adirondack History.

In addition to writing, Robert Hall participated in civic and community organizations. He served as vice president of the Northern Warren County Council Chamber of Commerce, director Adirondack Park Association, and director of the Warrensburg Chamber of Commerce. He was also a member of the American Legion Post 446, publicity director of the Essex County Republican Committee and president of the Warrensburg Kiwanis Club.

Robert Hall died on August 27, 1993. He was survived by his wife Euphemia, two daughters, Euphemia H. Miller and Sally G. Hall, and three sons; Peter M. Hall, Robin K. Hall and Anthony F. Hall.

Scope and Content Note:

The Robert F. Hall Papers consist of correspondences, literary manuscripts, news clippings, photographs and other materials documenting his long and varied career as a writer, editor and publisher. The papers are arranged in the same order in which they were received, which means, for the most part, names and subject matter are arranged in alphabetical order. The time period covered is the 1920s to 1993.

Manuscripts and newspaper clippings of his editorials from his days at the Daily Worker on up to his days at the Valley News and the Warrensburg News document his opinions on a wide range of political, social, cultural and environmental issues. The Hall papers also include sketches, drafts and manuscripts of the three books he published: Empty Nest, North Country Almanac and Pages from Adirondack History. They contain a wealth of information on the history, environment and people of the Adirondacks egion. There is also much information on wildlife and flora, as well as town histories, and biographical sketches of individuals.

Other materials relate to Hall's involvement in politics and government. Included are several copies of the final report of the Adirondack Study Commission as well as the correspondences of its members. This correspondences documents processes in which they went about making their final recommendations. The files containing the activities in other organizations such as the Essex County Republican Committee and Warrensburg Chamber of Commerce, etc. contain information on the environment, economy, demographics and policies of New York State and the Adirondacks region.

Finally, these papers contain many files of personal and professional correspondence with family, friends, co-workers and prominent individuals. They include letters from presidents, senators, congressmen, authors and academics. Also included are biographical and autobiographical information. These files offer an insight into Hall's personal life.

The Robert F. Hall Papers are valuable to all those studying the history, environment, policies and people of the Adirondacks and New York State. They are also valuable to those studying the history of political and social climates of the 20th century.

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