This folder contains correspondence and other documents relating to Edison's position as chair of the Naval Consulting Board. Included are letters from Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels and longtime Edison associates Cloyd M. Chapman, T. Commerford Martin, and Frank J. Sprague. Also included is a communication from patent attorney Philip Farnsworth recommending radio and television pioneer Lee De Forest to undertake wireless work for the Board. A letter from four employees of the Diamond Drill Contracting Co. in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, expresses dismay that the inventor would lend his genius "to methods of destruction." A draft response by Edison explains that he has "only offered my services to assist the American Govt to prepare to resist invasion."
Less than 10 percent of the documents have been selected. The unselected material consists primarily of unsolicited correspondence that received a perfunctory response or no reply from Edison.
Related material can be found in the "1915 Correspondence" folder in the Naval Consulting Board and Wartime Research Papers, Special Collections Series.
[E1560AA], Letter from Philip Farnsworth to Thomas Alva Edison, July 13th, 1915 1915-07-13