I am trying to find out more information about a senator from
Tennessee. His name was Cordell Hull and he was the secretary of state
during FDR Adminstration
From other resources I have found out that he was well liked in
Congress. Also
I believe that at one time he lived in Bethesda, Maryland and is
buried at the National Catherdail in washington Dc.

What I am looking for that, I have been looking for, for a long time
is the following question which I will pay my money for is: In
downtown Bethesda, MD their is a street named Cordell Ave and I am
trying to find out if the street is named after him or not.  Can you
please help me solve this mystery.

To be satified and recieve the money from me I need this answer to be
written someplace, documentation.
 
Thank you.

Hi,

Cordell Hull did indeed live in Bethesda at the end of his life, and
died at the Bethesda Naval Hospital in July 1955. He is, as you say,
interred at Washington National Cathedral.
(Source: The Political Graveyard
http://politicalgraveyard.com/death/bethesda.html )

I should perhaps add at this point that the senator's family name was
Hull, and his forename Cordell - he was Senator Hull, therefore,
rather than Senator Cordell, and it's extremely unusual for anyone to
have a street named after their first name. British Royals are the
obvious exception here.

It also seems that Hull died too recently to be the source of the
name. Having said that, I haven't yet found any sources dating the
name back before the 1960s, but I'm still looking.

My instinct, then, is that it's not named for Cordell Hull. A far more
likely candidate is Dr. Eugene Fauntleroy Cordell (died 1913) a
medical historiographer. The Maryland State Archives has a large
archive named after him:

Dr. Eugene Fauntleroy Cordell, an outstanding Maryland medical
historiographer, physician, author, and teacher. Dr. Cordell's own
writings include the comprehensive two-volume centennial history of
the University of Maryland, published in 1907. Still our definitive
authority, the work includes extensive information about both faculty
and alumni from the University's first 100 years. In addition, Cordell
also wrote MEDICAL ANNALS OF MARYLAND 1799-1899, which chronicles
developments in the practice of medicine in Maryland during that
period and includes extensive biographical sections. In 1903, Dr.
Cordell became Chair of the History of Medicine, and also Librarian.
Although he was not formally trained in the profession of
librarianship, he successfully and effectively held that position
until his death in 1913.

(from MD Health Services Library:
http://www.hshsl.umaryland.edu/resources/historical.html#cordell )

Cordell is still a common first name and surname in Maryland, and
there may be other possibilities. I am currently in touch with a
Bethesda local historian, and will clarify this answer when I get a
definitive reply from him.

Watch this space,

grimace

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Request for Answer Clarification by stephenh-ga on 05 Jun 2002 04:59 PDT

You are very good and you really seem like you know what you are
talking about. I never had thought that it might be a different person
than Cordell Hull. You might be very right that it might be someone
else than him. If you can find the information (written down) you WILL
get the money. Please keep searching for me, I would appreciate it. I
will keep a sharp eye out for your answer when you find it. Good luck
and keep me informed.

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Clarification of Answer by grimace-ga on 05 Jun 2002 05:19 PDT

Okay - I'm just waiting for definite comeback from a historian. I'll
post as soon as I hear. Hopefully I'll be able to track down the
documentation you need.

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Clarification of Answer by grimace-ga on 05 Jun 2002 05:58 PDT

Argh! Just discovered that the historian I emailed died last year. I
will try other avenues and let you know if I come up with anything.

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Request for Answer Clarification by stephenh-ga on 06 Jun 2002 05:53 PDT

If you sent me a response today please send it to me again, I never got it.

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Clarification of Answer by grimace-ga on 06 Jun 2002 07:26 PDT

Sorry, stephen - I wasn't trying to contact you.

I'm still waiting for a comeback from a source (not the dead one!). I
shall post here as soon as I hear back, but it might be a day or two.
Feel free to reject my answer if you want to let someone else have a
shot.

It's a bad idea posting your email address on here, btw - the editors
don't like it and may delete.

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Clarification of Answer by grimace-ga on 09 Jun 2002 07:43 PDT

Hi - I still haven't heard back from my source, and I don't want to
keep you hanging on unnecessarily with this.

I notice you've reposted this question - that's fine, and I hope
someone else might have better luck tracking down a definitive link
for the name. In the mean time, feel free to rate this answer.

If I do ever hear from my historian, I'll post the info here.

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Request for Answer Clarification by stephenh-ga on 11 Jun 2002 04:55 PDT

I know you probably haven't heard anything yet, have you ?  Someone on
another trend recommended that I write a Bill Offut's do you know if
he is still living. I thought I read someplace that he dieded.  Was he
your first contact person who you stated had dieded. I would be
curious to know.  Since this person seems to be taking so long to
response do you think their are any other averages you could go down
to get some help in answering my question ?

Thank you-

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Clarification of Answer by grimace-ga on 11 Jun 2002 08:15 PDT

Yeah, Bill Offutt is the chap I'm waiting on. I *think* the Bill
Offutt who has died is this Bill Offutt's father (confusing, I know).

I have tried other avenues since - I trawled fruitlessly through the
Maryland archives - but I've come up with nothing definite or
corroborating so far. I'll try one final push, though, and get back to
you.

You might also check with the Montgomery County Maryland
assessors office.  Depending on when the street was named,
they may have a record of it.  Of course, all you have to
do is find a historical reference to the street prior to
~1935--that would prove it wasn't named for Cordell Hull
(but not who it was named for).

If you see my conversations with others (above) you would see that
someone thought that it wasn't name for Cordell Hull but for Dr.
Eugene Cordell. This is what I am now thinking that it might be named
after.  I am still waiting for that person to write me back and
confirm that information.  If you can find anything else to add to
this mystery please do add it in this forum.  I would be very happy to
here about anything else you could add.  Hope to here from you again
soon.