Frances Payne Bingham Bolton (1885-1977) was a Republican congresswoman from Ohio's 22nd congressional district. Bolton served on the committees of Indian Affairs (1940) and Foreign Affairs (1941-1968), participating in foreign aid hearings and conducting study trips abroad, including a trip to the Middle East in 1947 and one to Africa in 1955. She served as a congressional delegate to the United Nations Eighth General Assembly, and was involved with the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association and helped organize the Accokee Foundation to protect the Potomac shoreline across from Mount Vernon. Mrs. Bolton had a long-time interest in nursing and nursing education and provided funds to establish the nursing school at Western Reserve University, as well as founding the Payne Fund to assist a variety of educational and other charitable programs. The collection consists of correspondence, reports, publications, clippings, etc. generated during, or pertaining to, Bolton's service in Congress. Included are bills and hearings, roll calls and voting records; Foreign Affairs & Indian Affairs committees papers, correspondence, reports, and geographical, foreign aid, embassy and State Dept. files; reports, memoranda, and printed material relating to the deptartments of State, Defense and Justice, the Post Office, as well as correspondence with the President; background files, diaries, reports, etc. re: Bolton's foreign relations travels, including her 1955 African trip; speeches, publicity files, campaign files & local political issues files; material re: her involvement with national Republican Party organizations; UN Eighth General Assembly materials; correspondence, etc. re: nursing and nursing education, the Accokeek Foundation, Mt. Vernon Ladies' Assn., Bingham Associates Fund, and other institutions she supported; and general correspondence, scrapbooks, etc. The collection primarily pertains to Mrs. Bolton's public life and reflects her political activities, as well as her personal and philanthropic involvement with various organizations.
