Copeland, Royal S. (Royal Samuel), 1868-1938

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Professor of homeopathic medicine at University of Michigan, mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan, dean of the New York Homeopathic Medical College and director of Flower Hospital, New York City Commissioner of Public Health, and Democratic U.S. Senator from New York, 1923-1938.

From the description of Royal Samuel Copeland papers, 1892-1938. (University of Michigan). WorldCat record id: 34419687

Professor of homoeopathic medicine at University of Michigan, mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan, dean of the New York Homeopathic Medical College and director of Flower Hospital, New York City Commissioner of Public Health, and Democratic U. S. Senator from New York, 1923-1938.

From the description of Royal Samuel Copeland papers, 1862-1938 (bulk 1892-1938) (University of Michigan). WorldCat record id: 80096750

Royal S. Copeland, physician, public health officer, newspaper columnist, and United States Senator, was born November 7, 1868 in Dexter, Michigan. He received his M.D. degree from the University of Michigan in 1889. After some postgraduate study in Europe, he practiced medicine in Bay City from 1890 to 1895. From 1895 to 1908, he was professor in the Homeopathic Medical College of the University of Michigan. For part of this time from 1901 to 1903, Copeland was elected and served as mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan.

In 1908, Copeland moved to New York City where he became dean of the Flower Hospital Medical College. Here he developed a reputation as an eye specialist, teacher, and medical writer. In 1918, the mayor of New York selected Copeland to be the city's commissioner of public health. He was an able administrator who used his own newspaper column as well as other publicity to educate the public about matters of health.

In 1922, Copeland was nominated (and later elected) as the compromise Democratic candidate for the United States Senate. He was reelected in 1928 and again in 1934. While in the Senate, Copeland demonstrated a special interest in pure food and drug legislation. He is best known for the Copeland-Lea Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Bill that was passed in 1938 after five years of labor. Although a Democrat, Copeland frequently opposed President Roosevelt and his New Deal legislation. Notably, Copeland was a leading opponent of Roosevelt's court reform plan.

In 1937, Copeland was persuaded to seek the nomination for mayor of New York. He ran in both party primaries and lost in both despite the support of Al Smith.

Copeland died while still serving as a United States senator on June 17, 1938.

From the guide to the Royal S. Copeland Papers, 1892-1938, (Bentley Historical Library University of Michigan)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Clarence Cook Little papers, 1924-1929 Bentley Historical Library
referencedIn Edmund B. Chaffee Papers, 1902-1937 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
referencedIn Emil Lorch Papers, 1891-1963 Bentley Historical Library
creatorOf Sink, Charles A. (Charles Albert), 1879-1972. Charles Albert Sink papers, 1907-1985. Bentley Historical Library
referencedIn Marshall, Robert, 1901-1939. Papers, 1933. Campbell University, Wiggins Memorial Library
referencedIn Alexander G. Ruthven Papers, 1901-1961, 1906-1951 Bentley Historical Library
referencedIn Harry Burns Hutchins Papers, 1879-1930 Bentley Historical Library
creatorOf Reichert, Rudolph E. (Rudolph Edward), 1887-1965. Rudolph Edward Reichert papers, 1907-1965. Bentley Historical Library
referencedIn Walter Hines Page letters from various correspondents, American period Houghton Library
creatorOf Trueblood, Thomas C. (Thomas Clarkson), 1856-1951. Correspondence, 1916-1928. University of Michigan
referencedIn Hinsdale, W. B. (Wilbert B.), 1851-1944. W.B. Hinsdale papers, 1895-1934. Bentley Historical Library
referencedIn Roper, Daniel C. (Daniel Calhoun), 1867-1943. Papers, 1860-1985 David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library
referencedIn Charles A. Sink Papers, 1890s-1996 Bentley Historical Library
referencedIn Shoup, Paul, 1874-1946. Paul Shoup papers, 1928-1946. Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Stanford Caldwell Hooper Papers, 1899-1955, (bulk 1918-1945) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
creatorOf Sink, Charles A. (Charles Albert), 1879-1972. Charles Albert Sink papers, 1907-1996. Bentley Historical Library
referencedIn New York (State). Governor (1929-1932 : Roosevelt). Records, 1929-1932. Campbell University, Wiggins Memorial Library
creatorOf Lorch, Emil, 1870-1963. Emil Lorch papers, 1891-1963. Bentley Historical Library
referencedIn Dept. of History (University of Michigan) student papers, 1930-1987 Bentley Historical Library
creatorOf Royal S. Copeland Papers, 1892-1938 Bentley Historical Library
referencedIn American Medical Association. Dept. of Investigation. Records. Cooper Medicine Company-Copeland, Royal S. (inclusive), 1908-1974. American Medical Association,James S. Todd Memorial Library
creatorOf Beal, Junius E. (Junius Emery), 1860-1942. Junius Emery Beal papers, 1869-1946. Bentley Historical Library
referencedIn Viola Price Franklin letter collection, 1849-1941 Willamette University Archives and Special Collections
referencedIn Oswald Garrison Villard papers Houghton Library
creatorOf Michelet, Simon Thenistrup, 1871-1956. Simon T. Michelet and family papers, 1879, 1908-1943. Minnesota Historical Society Library
referencedIn James Orin Murfin papers, 1896-1940 Bentley Historical Library
referencedIn Junius E. Beal Papers, 1869-1946 Bentley Historical Library
creatorOf Copeland, Royal S. (Royal Samuel), 1868-1938. Correspondence with Johan Thorsten Sellin, 1934-1935. University of Pennsylvania Library
referencedIn University of Michigan Faculty and Staff Portraits, ca. 1860-ca. 1960 Bentley Historical Library
referencedIn Consumers' Research, Inc. Government general files--Food and Drug Administration laws and legislation, 1907-1980. Rutgers University
referencedIn Arthur H. Vandenberg papers, 1884-1974, 1915-1951 Bentley Historical Library
creatorOf Shepard, Frederick Job, 1850-1934. Old Fort Niagara preservation papers, 1891-1949. Buffalo History Museum, Research Library
creatorOf Copeland, Royal Samuel, 1868-1938. Correspondence with Theodore Dreiser, 1931-1938. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
referencedIn National Women's Relief Corps. J. D. O'Brien Post No. 149 (Oswego, N.Y.). Women's Relief Corps records, 1890-1940. SUNY Oswego, Penfield Library
referencedIn Earhart, Amelia, 1897-1937. The George Palmer Putnam Collection of Amelia Earhart Papers, 1785-1948 (inclusive), 1928-1937 (bulk). Purdue University Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith American Medical Association. Dept. of Investigation. corporateBody
associatedWith Ann Arbor (Mich.). Mayor. corporateBody
associatedWith Beal, Junius E. (Junius Emery), 1860-1942. person
associatedWith Chaffee, Edmund Bigelow, 1887-1936 person
associatedWith Consumers' Research, Inc. corporateBody
associatedWith Coolidge, Calvin, 1872-1933. person
associatedWith Copeland family. family
associatedWith Copeland family. family
associatedWith Copeland family. family
associatedWith Democratic Party (Mich.) corporateBody
associatedWith Earhart, Amelia, 1897-1937. person
associatedWith Franklin, Viola Price person
associatedWith Hinsdale, W. B. (Wilbert B.), 1851-1944. person
correspondedWith Hooper, Stanford Caldwell, 1884-1955. person
associatedWith Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964. person
associatedWith Hutchins, Harry B. (Harry Burns), 1847-1930 person
associatedWith Hylan, John F., 1868-1936. person
associatedWith Kinyon, Claudius Bligh, b. 1851 person
associatedWith Lindbergh, Charles A. (Charles Augustus), 1902-1974 person
associatedWith Little, Clarence C. (Clarence Cook), b. 1888 person
associatedWith Lorch, Emil, 1870-1963. person
associatedWith Marshall, Robert, 1901-1939. person
associatedWith Michelet, Simon Thenistrup, 1871-1956. person
associatedWith Michigan Historical Collections corporateBody
associatedWith Murfin, James Orin, 1875-1940 person
associatedWith National Women's Relief Corps. J. D. O'Brien Post No. 149 (Oswego, N.Y.) corporateBody
associatedWith New York Medical College. corporateBody
associatedWith New York (N.Y.). Board of Health. corporateBody
associatedWith New York (State). Governor (1929-1932 : Roosevelt) corporateBody
associatedWith Page, Walter Hines, 1855-1918 person
associatedWith Reichert, Rudolph E. (Rudolph Edward), 1887-1965. person
associatedWith Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962. person
associatedWith Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945. person
associatedWith Roper, Daniel C. (Daniel Calhoun), 1867-1943 person
associatedWith Ruthven, Alexander Grant, 1882- person
associatedWith Shoup, Paul, 1874-1946. person
associatedWith Sink, Charles A. (Charles Albert), 1879-1972. person
associatedWith Smith, Alfred Emanuel, 1873-1944. person
associatedWith Trueblood, Thomas C. (Thomas Clarkson), 1856-1951. person
associatedWith United States. Congress corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Congress. House. Committee on Commerce. corporateBody
associatedWith University of Michigan corporateBody
associatedWith University of Michigan. Dept. of History. corporateBody
associatedWith University of Michigan. Homeopathic Hospital. corporateBody
associatedWith University of Michigan. Homoeopathic Hospital. corporateBody
associatedWith University of Michigan. Homoeopathic Hospital. corporateBody
associatedWith University of Michigan. Medical School. corporateBody
associatedWith Vandenberg, Arthur H. (Arthur Hendrick), 1884-1951 person
correspondedWith Villard, Oswald Garrison, 1872-1949 person
associatedWith Wedemeyer, William Walter, 1873-1913. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Ann Arbor (Mich.)
Dexter (Mich.)
Dexter (Mich.)
Cadillac (Mich.)
United States
Dexter (Mich.)
New York (State)--New York
United States
New York (N.Y.)
New York (State)
Ann Arbor (Mich.)
Michigan--Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor (Mich.)
United States
New York (State)
New York (State)
Subject
Travel
American newspapers
Buildings
Churches
Depressions
Depressions
Depressions
Draft
Dwellings
Dwellings
Epidemics
Homeopathy
Interiors
Journalists
Journalists
Mayor
Mayors
Medicine
New Deal, 1933-1939
Newspapers
Physicians
Physicians
Physicians
Public health
World War, 1914-1918
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1868-11-07

Death 1938-06-17

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SNAC ID: 62232271